“Those who cannot feel the littleness of great things in themselves are apt to overlook the greatness of little things in others.”
— Okakura Kakuzo, The Book of Tea
Hello and welcome!
I’m so glad you found this newsletter.
Steeped Stories offers a weekly guide to better health and soulful living. This subscription-based publication shares resources to nourish body, mind, and spirit through nature, stories, recipes, nutrition, tea, and alternative healing practices.
I combine evidence-based insights on health and happiness to help you live a life of simplicity and balance. Complimentary subscriptions are available upon request.
Here’s what you’ll find:
Nourishing Body & Soul: Nature’s healing gifts for physical and spiritual well-being.
Holistic Wellness: Practical, science-backed approaches to health and happiness integrating plants, better nutrition, and lifestyle.
Nature-Inspired Recipes: Delicious, simple recipes infused with beneficial teas, herbs and natural ingredients.
Why Subscribe?
Because a better life is within reach. Always.
As a premium subscriber, you get exclusive in-depth articles, recipe PDFs, and access to the entire archive. For free subscribers, you’ll still enjoy public posts with trustworthy, ad-free content. I want you to have something of value that you can use in your daily life —research articles and recipes are unique to this newsletter and take a lot of time and resources, hence the paywall.
Join a growing community that supports wellness, nature, tea, nutrition, and spiritual connection.
My Mission
Wellness is built on four essential pillars—physical, emotional, spiritual, and social harmony. A healthy heart and spirit are as crucial as a healthy body.
I aim to promote true health by fostering a positive mindset and encouraging better lifestyle choices rather than simply managing symptoms with medications.
While some pharmaceuticals can help treat illness, they do not create wellness. Despite the complexities of modern healthcare and nutrition, the fundamental principles of health are straightforward: lifestyle-related diseases are preventable—you just need to know how.
My weekly newsletter explores these main pillars and provides the tools to live a balanced, fulfilling life—the way it should be. Because words can heal, I only write what I believe or know to be true.
Join the crew and keep lighting up the world! ☀️
Free Subscribers
Public posts
Trustworthy information
Paid Subscribers
"I support your work because I love tea and I love learning what others have researched and discovered. Thank you for sharing your knowledge."
—Note from new paid subscriber
This space is free of ads, and your support sustains it. I value everyone who takes the time to read my work, and I reciprocate by offering simple, well-researched ways to improve your life and wellness.
By becoming a Premium Subscriber, you will receive:
Subscriber-only in-depth articles and full archive access
Post comments and community engagement
Recipes with PDF recipe cards and exclusive extras
Contact
Subscribers only can contact me via email. Email: maryannrollano@substack.com
Thank you!
I am grateful for your support.
About Me
I'm Mary Ann Rollano, a registered nurse, award-winning tea specialist, and writer. I created Steeped Stories to blend the healing arts of tea and nature with science and spirituality. My mission is to share simple tools for healthier, more peaceful lives.
You can read more about tea on my companion site, Life Is Better With Tea.
"I love your blog! I love the energy - always positive - that you include in everything you offer."
—Julie Maloney, Women Reading Aloud
I share my insights on health shaped by my formal education in the sciences, arts, and humanities, along with my unique combination of experiences as a nurse, mother, educator, award-winning recipe creator, tea business owner, and writer.
While my blog, Life Is Better With Tea, focuses on nourishing the body, Steeped Stories focuses on nourishing the body, mind, and spirit. That’s where the magic happens.
As a nurse, I was trained to heal the body with medicine's tools. As an award-winning tea maker, I embrace the notion that plants and nature are our oldest healers. I carry the crucial knowledge learned throughout my years of clinical practice as a critical care registered nurse (CCRN), emergency nurse, and educator.
I quickly learned that Western medicine offers very little help for lifestyle diseases. Lifestyle-induced diseases include atherosclerosis, heart disease, and stroke; obesity and type 2 diabetes; cancer and depression; and diseases associated with smoking, alcohol, drug abuse, and stress. All of these metabolic diseases contributed to the majority of critical care patients we saw in the ICU and can be prevented and treated with lifestyle changes.
Steeped Stories brings these two lenses of knowledge together on a journey that is every bit as tea and soul-centered as it is scientific. Steeped Stories is a window into crucial knowledge that will change your life.
Spending time in nature, drinking tea, and engaging in the meditative or culinary arts have the unique power to heal, transform, and soothe. Ultimately, my passion for tea and nature stems from a deep appreciation for the beauty of the world and a desire to share that with you.
Tea and nature have a special place in my heart. Growing up, I was always drawn to the beauty and tranquility of the natural world, whether it was the farmlands of the countryside of my early years or the majestic waves and salty sea air that have carried me my entire life.
Whether through a cup of tea, a walk on the beach, or a treasured recipe, these experiences can transform us, inspiring us to live more fully and authentically in the world.
You can live your life the way you want it to be.
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All photos appearing on Steeped Stories are my own with copyrights unless noted otherwise.
