Did you indulge much in sweets and delicious treats during the holiday season and family gatherings? Have you made a resolution to shed a few pounds every year?
Are you considering natural alternatives to help? Have you heard about green tea for weight loss and wonder if it might work for you? Well, look no further!
Incorporating green tea into your daily routine is a great way to lose a few extra pounds naturally, and there are numerous other health benefits too!
Here are two main ways that green tea can aid with weight loss:
First, green tea contains caffeine, and caffeine has been shown to aid with weight loss. Yet research shows that consuming green tea results in a greater amount of weight loss than caffeine alone. Worried about getting the jitters?
Green tea contains less caffeine than coffee.
Green tea drinkers report that it provides a more stable energy boost allowing one to be more productive. This further relates to increased physical performance from drinking green tea than from other types of caffeine. So if you have more energy, you will likely be more motivated to hit the gym and prepare healthy meals, both of which will further aid you on your weight loss journey.
Second, an increase in your basal metabolic rate will allow your body to burn more fat and calories.
The active antioxidant compound catechins, which are found in green tea, has been shown to increase the basal metabolic rate. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), one of the catechins within green tea, burns fat and boosts metabolism. Research has shown that green tea is particularly beneficial in targeting abdominal fat and reducing waist circumference. Double bonus!
Drinking two to three cups of green tea a day has been shown to have the best effects. Keep in mind that green tea does contain some caffeine, so it is not recommended to consume it within a few hours of bedtime.
Ideally, drink green tea in the mornings and early afternoon to avoid sleep disruptions. Drinking green tea after meals have been shown to have the most metabolism-boosting properties, which helps digest your food better.
The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study in 2006, which concluded that drinking green tea is associated with reduced mortality due to all causes, including cardiovascular disease.
The power of this study is that it included over 40,000 people and followed them for more than 11 years! Benefits from green tea consumption were seen from drinking 1-5 cups a day.
Green tea is packed full of antioxidants.
It has one of the highest levels of antioxidants of all teas because it is processed the least, and the leaves are not oxidized. Antioxidants are important in our health as they reduce the formation of free radicals and prevent cell damage. Research has shown that due to the high antioxidant content, daily consumption of green tea may aid with improved brain function and a reduction in the risk of chronic diseases like high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and cancer.
Here are a few easy ways to incorporate green tea into your daily routine.
The ideal type of green tea to consume is organically grown and minimally processed. Non-organic green tea contains pesticide residues, which are harmful to your health. Be sure to only drink green tea without added sugar, sweeteners, or preservatives. The ingredients should read-only “organic green tea.” Do not add milk or any sweeteners as these can add unwanted calories leading to weight gain.
Green tea is delicious, both warm and cold. I enjoy adding fresh organic mint leaves, ginger root, or lemons to warm and iced green tea. Both mint leaves and ginger root aid with digestion. Lemons and lemon juice are full of immune-boosting vitamin C. Drinking green tea with both ginger and lemon has been shown to promote increased fat loss. Try slicing some ginger root and steep it with the green tea bag or leaves. Then add a splash of organic lemon juice or a few slices of organic lemons.
Are you looking for a natural way to lose a few pounds of stubborn abdominal fat?
Add a few cups of organic green tea into your daily routine!
Want even more benefits?
Replace a sugary, calorie-laden beverage with delicious healthy organic green tea. Green tea has, on average, 2.45 calories per cup, while a can of soda has an average of 150 calories. If you replaced one can of soda with 1 cup of green tea each day, you would save almost 55,000 calories or over 15 pounds a year!
Go ahead, grab your mug full of organic green tea right now. Drinking a few cups of green tea each day is one of the best things you can do for your health and waistline! Be sure to pair your green tea with a healthy diet, including lots of fruits and vegetables and daily exercise for maximum weight loss benefits.
