My flower remedy to beat the bloat ladies! (Twinings Revive and Revitalise Sweet Fennel)

Member Name: xxfoxyredxx

Product:	Twinings Revive and Revitalise Sweet Fennel
Date:	12/04/09 (80 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Everything

Disadvantages: None at all in my opinion!

One thing you may not know about me as that although I have a rather unhealthy diet as a rule I do drink a lot of herbal teas and religiously take vitamins every-day without fail. I think that although I do abuse my body I can counter act that slightly by treating it to some good stuff occasionally!

I don't just buy herbal teas by the look of the box. I research into what I put inside my body first and why I should and what I should expect from it. It's fair to say that sometimes we can over-dose ourselves on too many vitamins etc without even realising it or even buy products that react not too well with each-other. I have a friend who drinks all different types of herbal teas/infusions all day long and fills herself with 8 different types of vitamin and diet pills and doesn't know what most of the stuff is meant to achieve. To me that irresponsible and I don't believe in taking stuff just (even if it is natural) just for the sake of it.

For me having bad health I can't have to much Iron in my diet (I have an eating disorder body and bodies don't absorb it at all well in that instance apparently) and I have a proven problem with bad vitamin B, and potassium levels. I always look out for products that help aid my digestion (to help me keep food down to my mind) and products that are meant to help naturally with bloating issues (which I get alot of with my eating disorder as I'm not used to keeping food in my stomach for too long and if I do I feel unwell as I'm not used to it). Fennel is meant to help aid digestion, help reduce bloating, keep intestines clear and fennel is also used in traditional gripe remedies for children believe it or not (that was a new one on me lol). It's also said to be good for women breastfeeding as it helps the flow of milk, good for eyesight and hypertension too. In my view this plant is very much under-rated and can be found in flower, powder, teabag or tincture formulations and is actually a feel good plant good for the majority of us!

The Teabags Themselves...

I decided that the easiest way for me to find something containing fennel was in teabag form and I was correct in that assumption, there are loads on the market lol. These particular teabags can be found in all good supermarkets (I bought mine in Sainsbury's priced at 99p) but also there other brands available in places like health shops of course. However do be prepared to spend out more and do ask questions before purchasing them because health store formulations actually contain more of the fennel within them and may have guidelines for how many cups you can drink in a day due to their strength etc.

The Packaging....

Light yellow and white box with a picture of the fennel flower on the front of it and I'm clearly told that it is a Twinings product and that is to 'Revive & revitalise' and that the product is made of all natural ingredients and in my particular box that there are 20 teabags in there and that they are naturally caffeine free and the net weight of the box is 40g. On the back of the box I'm told a bit about the product and ingredients are listed. On one side of the box again I'm told a bit more about the product and a suggestion of how to use the teabags is on there as is a bar-code. Very nice, classy looking box and looks great quality too!

A Bit About The Product According To The Back Of The Box....

Sweet Fennel. A lively infusion with a sweet aniseed taste.

The natural liquorice notes of fennel bring a refreshing quality to this slightly aromatic infusion. Fennel has long been used as an aid to digestion, meaning it's ideal for drinking after a meal or any time that you feel like refreshment. It's also naturally caffeine free and has no added sugar.

At Twinings, we believe the secret of creating great taste lies in the ingredients you choose to work with. That's why we've used all natural ingredients and nothing else in our green and white teas and all our infusions. That means no artificial flavours - just the real thing.

Directions For Use....

Allow one bag per person to infuse for two to three minutes in freshly boiled water. If you prefer a sweeter taste, add a little honey.

Have you tried this cold? Just allow the infusion to cool before drinking straight away - it's especially refreshing over ice with a slice of orange.

My Experience Drinking It.....

Well as I have said already there are 20 teabags in my box (not sure if these are available in other sizes but I don't think so). I did expect them to be sealed in a foil bag within the box (to keep them fresh) but they not and they are simply loose. Square in shape and white and you can see through the perforated body that they contain seeds within each one of them, and quite a few at that! As soon as you open the box you get a lovely smell of like liquorice that smells sweet and really very appetising!

All you do of course is boil a kettle, stick a teabag in a cup (or teapot if your posh lol) and let it steep for about 2-3 minutes (as directed). What you end up with is a pale goldish yellow liquid and when happy it's done it's job remove the teabag and your done.

What you end up with is perfectly clear liquid (no bits) that smells very much of liquorice now, again though as when sniffing the bags dry it smells lovely and sweet too!

All important of course is the taste! I'm not one of those people who will drink a herbal or fruit infusion just to appear health conscious and in the know. Nope... taste is mighty important to me and if I didn't like the flavour I would have binned the box instead of grinned and bared it. Well I'm happy to report I like the flavour so much I drink 3 cups of this a day and more during my 'time of the month' if I want to, much more.

The flavour is watery and delicate. It tastes like aniseed and liquorice and is as sweet as I anticipated though everything about it is so natural. I prefer to let mine cool a little and I even have had it cold (made it up and put it in the fridge) and added lemon or orange to it and I have to admit I really do like it that way probably more than hot but I don't mind either way really but cold I do find it incredibly refreshing!

I drink a cup when I get up with/after breakfast in replacement of ordinary tea and then I have one around lunchtime and one at tea time every day and have done for the past couple of months now.

Does It Do Anything For Me Though?

For me?.... Yes I feel the difference and that's being totally honest with you. This is an invigorating drink and I find in the morning it perks me up and lifts my mood wonderfully. I find that I'm generally not as bloated (and I do drink a couple litres of diet coke a day lol) and find my bowels work regularly though don't get me wrong I haven't noticed a laxative effect with these at all (even if drinking as many as 10 cups a day which I do during my time of the month!). I drink it during time of the month as I find it relaxes my stomach and eases trapped wind and bloat and I gnerally don't feel as yukky! Even my appetite feels a little more on form than it did before and I'm eating less rubbish particularly if I drink a cup of this before eating anything.

All In All....

This isn't a laxative or weight loss product. What it does is eases wind and bloating and internally helps digestion that of course you can't see but can kind of feel. No longer do I feel all bunged up and it's really nice to drink as well. I recommend this to anyone, particularly women!

Ingredients:

Fennel Seed.

Nutritional Information....Per 100ml Of Brewed Infusion Typically Gives You....

Energy: 2 Kal
Protein: Trace
Carbohydrate: 0.3g
of which is sugars: Trace
Fat: Trace
of which is saturates: Trace
Fibre: Trace
Sodium: Trace

Summary: Brilliant and I'm addicted to this one!