Back on the Wagon - Day 2

I definitely notice the difference between sleeping 6 hrs at night versus the normal 8. Although the feeling is no where near as profound as it was sleeping only 3 hrs, it's still there to a degree. Also, unlike the first shot at polyphasing, I think I was going through a bit of caffeine withdrawal, too, since I didn't get my AM coffee. I did drink an afternoon cup, but as most caffeine drinkers will attest, once you get that caffeine-deprived headache, you're stuck until it chooses to go away regardless of when or if you do get that coffee later.

Also, unfortunately, I seem to have lost the penchant for the quick naps. I still took a 12 pm nap for a few days when I reverted back to my typical 8 hrs of sleep, and I managed to utilize it quite well. My work environment is quite somniferous, you see, so a good nap can go a long way. However, after about 7-9 days of no naps, my body seems to have reverted back to its normal old self. Hopefully I'll be able to re-integrate good naps soon.

Lastly, I did make an interesting spiced chai tea yesterday, which would be an excellent warm drink to compliment an early rising or mid-day treat. I included Cardamom, Cloves, Ginger, and Cinnamon, a little bit of sugar (organic, unprocessed), and some organic soy milk (lactose intolerant).  My mom said that Ginger is good for the digestive system and I have a co-worker who swears by the medicinal properties of herbs ... so lets see what I can find quickly on these herbs ...

1) Cardamon: Healing properties are due to it's "volatile oil." Mentions of being an aphrodisiac (ironically, too much of which can make you impotent ... go figure), helps with depression, bad breath, kidney problems, and apparently "warms the body."And lastly, for bonus, "Cardamom Tea may have detoxify against excessive caffeine."

2) Cloves: Seems to be full of Manganese, while also having a good dose of Omega 3 Fatty Acids, and Vitamins K and C. The same source cites it as being a good anti-inflammatory, too. Other mentions of helping with headaches, stress, and the immune system ...

3) Ginger: Like my mom attests, ginger seems to be especially efficacious for digestive ailments. Since the diet in my household is already rock-solid (we're essentially vegetarians unless my dad and I can sneak some kind of meat into dinner), I don't know if this is as essential as say, for your typical fast food junkie.

4) Cinnamon: Toss this one with the above, also. Seems to have a multitude of benefits, including strengthening the immune system, helping with digestion, and improving one's metabolism. Also, interesting to note, Cinnamon is suggested to help with Type 2 Diabetics by controlling blood sugar levels.

I know that herbs are full of useful medicinal benefits, but I'm also a bit skeptical. As long as they're not, or don't emulate, potent stimulants, they should be fine for inter-nap refreshment. Besides for some metabolic benefits, they appear to pass that test! Oh, and once I get the chai tea recipe down, I'll post it here, too.