Ana Goldseker, CNC, had 15 years as a plant-based nutritional counselor when she decided to take her message deeper.  No longer wanting to put a "band aid" on her clients by giving them a restrictive food plan, she wanted to make a deeper impact on the world.  Ana wanted her message to be more impactful, she wanted to inspire people and truly have them heal themselves. 

SoulMate Yerba Co Founder Ana Goldseker

Ana was born in Argentina, and spent her summers there.  She grew up drinking something called "Yerba Mate."   Yerba Mate is often centered around a social, ritualistic moment with the intent of being present in the moment and connecting people. In Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chili and parts of Brazil, Yerba is present in nearly every home – It is a big part of the social culture.  What Ana didn't know as a child was that.....

Yerba Mate is a green superfood.

Here in the US, Yerba Mate is commercialized and often seen in cans with high fructose corn syrup and other unhealthy additives. As a Director of Nutrition for multiple wellness centers, and an advocate of teaching about the health benefits for plant-based diets, Ana studied yerba and learned of all its benefits.  Therefore, she felt compelled to bring Yerba to the US, and empowered to educate on its powerful message and health benefits.

Yerba can be as deep as an experience as one chooses: Whether a simple tea bag, an infusion with loose leaf and coffee press, or using the authentic “mate” vessel and “bombilla” strainer straw. The Mate and Bombillas are also a great way for self-expression, as they are often hand-crafted and can be as unique as the person who drinks from it.

Yerba is a "superfood," with many health benefits such as being an anti-inflammatory and prebiotic.  Yerba from SoulMate Yerba Co. is made from all natural ingredients that are sourced from Argentina, India and Japan.  There are numerous blends and flavors to deliver different results. 

Currently, SoulMate Yerba Co. Yerba is sold at wellness centers, weight-loss centers, cafes, markets, dispensaries and other fine retailers.  We are always looking to build awareness of Yerba and the tranquility that it represents. 

Bienvenidos a tu vida sana!

(Welcome to your healthiest life!)

 

 

Who is Ana?

Hola!  My name is Ana Goldseker and for me, yerba mate has always been magical.  Since I was a little girl, at each family gathering, I remember my grandmother, my aunts and my mother sharing yerba mate tea with me. In fact, yerba maté was always shared and is the great equalizer. All generations -- moms and dads, aunts and uncles -- sat around a table, shared yerba mate, stories, updates, heartbreak and laughter.

This baby…that’s me! My father took this in Argentina before we immigrated. I drank mate when I was little and always have. My daughter has too. 

When I was pregnant and told to ‘quit the coffee,’ I turned to yerba mate. Yes, it has caffeine, but the caffeine is quite different from the caffeine in coffee. It is a healthier drink chock full of minerals and probiotics. Since the pregnancy, I’ve never gone back. Forget your lattes, your energy drinks, your bottled teas… yerba maté is for real. Talk about energy boosting, health promoting, anti-inflammatory and craving reducing. Yerba mate is where it’s at.  

Today, I have used my 20+ years of in nutritional counseling, and experience as a personal chef, to create organic yerba healing blends. That’s because in addition to loving it, I’ve learned how incredible it is.

Yerba mate has incredible synergistic properties. That means, any herb you mix it with, will have increased effects. It’s also an herbal "booster." That’s why our unique blends are mixed with different herbs for specific healing effects. We use turmeric, cinnamon, ginger and other herbs in our blends. 

Thank you for visiting SoulMate Yerba Co.  I know once you’ve try my

 blends, you’ll be on the yerba mate journey too!  

Founder of SoulMate Yerba Co. Ana Goldseker

There are several ways to make Yerba Mate:

French Press, K-Cup, Coffee Filter

Perhaps the most economical way to enjoy your maté is to buy our loose leaf packages (2 oz., 4 oz. or 1 lb bags) and steep with a strainer, tea ball, French press, K-cup or coffee filter. Loose Leaf Yerba Maté works perfectly with all “Filter” type devices. It is the fastest and easiest way to enjoy your yerba.  Once yerba is brewed, it can be served hot or cold

How to Prepare 

Use one tablespoon of loose leaf yerba per serving. Depending on what you are using, heat water until it steams. Make the yerba the way you would any other loose leaf tea, or coffee bean. Use about 1 tbsp. per serving. No need to steep. 

Serve hot in a mug or cold over ice. Get creative and sweeten the infusion and/or cut it with almond, soy or coconut milk.

Coffee Maker

This is a great way to use the loose leaf yerba and make a large quantity.

How to Prepare

Use one ounce (six tablespoons) of yerba to make a whole “coffee” pot.  Brew as usual. 

Can enjoy hot or cold. For a cold brew – Wait until the yerba reaches room temperature. Pour into a pitcher or another type of container, and place in the refrigerator. Sweeten with sugar if desired. This method makes a rather strong brew, so feel free to add ice cubes.

Tea Bags

Have the delicious taste of yerba mate with the convenience of a tea bag!

How to Prepare

Place one of our tea bags in an eight ounce cup. Add hot water, steep for 2 minutes (can steep another couple of minutes if you want it stronger) and serve.

Traditional

Drinking yerba mate with an actual mate (cup) and bombilla (metal straw) brings drinking mate to a whole new level.   

Traditionally, yerba mate tea is enjoyed out of a gourd, called a mate, in which it is prepared by scooping the dried yerba leaves into the mate . Then hot, but not boiling, water is poured in. It is then sipped through a metal straw, called a bomilla, which has holes in it to let the liquid come through but filters out the leaves. The “mate” is traditionally made out of a natural gourd such as calabash. Today there are a variety of mate (cups) even glass, metal, stainless steel or silver.

To "cure" or not to "cure" your mate gourd

Curing the gourd makes the gourd more durable and water resistant.  This also helps it become more resistible to cracks and fissures.  There is much dispute over whether it is useful to "cure" your gourd or if it just naturally occurs over time.  Either way, you will always want to dry your gourd over night.  Dump out the used yerba leaves, rinse out, and then leave upright for the gourd to dry.  Not doing this important step, leaves the gourd open to mold.

If you are interested in curing the gourd, do these easy steps.

1.  Fill the gourd with used ground coffee.

2.  Leave the grounds in the gourd for 24 hours.

3.  Rinse out the grounds and leave upright to dry.

4.  Once dry, it is ready for use.  You do not have to do this again.

How to Prepare

Heating Your Water

  • Use filtered water as much as possible.
  • Heat until water steams but does not boil. Any water that is too hot will “wash” the tea leaves and make for a very weak tea after a few servings. 
  • Pour hot water into a thermos for consistent water temperature and allows for a “narrow stream” to be poured out.
  • Sweeten Water (if you choose) add your stevia, honey or other product to the thermos

(You’ll find all these authentic mate items in our shop) 

Filling Your Mate

  • Fill the mate with loose leaf yerba leaves about ¾ of the way full
  • Put your palm over the opening and shake so that the leaves mix well 
  • Turn the mate right side up

Adding Water to Your Mate

  • Add a little room temperature water to one side of the mate
  • Once that is done, push the bombilla in
  • The bottom of the bombilla should touch the bottom of the mate cup
  • Fill mate with hot water
  • Now you are ready to "sip" through the bombilla

Now you can feel why yerba mate is called “The Gift of the Gods.”

If you still have questions, or want to learn more, please watch our video below:

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