Does Green Tea Help You Lose Weight?
One of the biggest problems when trying to lose weight is finding a diet that really works. We are bombarded with promises of quick weight loss in nearly every aspect of our lives from the TV to the internet. In the following article, we will answer the question ‘Does Green Tea Help You Lose Weight’!
Studies show that nearly 60% of Americans are overweight to the point of being obese. Obesity can wreak havoc on your health in the short run and can downright kill you if not controlled. Exercise is one of the best ways to begin to slim down but what you consume can either help you or hinder you. Of course, we know that taking in too many carbohydrates and sugars can pack on those extra pounds but what can we add to our diet that will help?
One of the most talked about products that is actually healthy for you and have the research to back it up is green tea. That is great, but does green tea help you lose weight?
The reason exercise works to help our bodies burn fat is because it increases our metabolism. Metabolism is how the body gets its energy from the foods we consume. When we have more energy, or calories, than we are burning off, the excesses are stored as fat cells.
So how can green tea help you lose weight?
When we ask ‘why is green tea good for weight loss’, the answer lies in the ingredients found in green tea. These ingredients include a combination of caffeine and super-powerful antioxidants, one of the most potent being EGCG, or epigallocatechin gallate (a type of chemical compound including tannic acid). This fat-fighting power works not only by speeding up our metabolism but it actually helps to reduce our appetite and prevents fat cells from forming.
Green tea weight loss can even help fight one of the most common, and dangerous, types of fat, belly fat! Belly fat is not the same as fat in other parts of our bodies. A hormone that is released during stressful situations called cortisol causes it. Cortisol tells our body to go into survival mode and store that fat instead of using it as energy, and the usual storage area is around our tummy. The amino acid, L-theanine, is the specific ingredient that helps to fight belly fat by causing the body to release the hormone dopamine. Dopamine has a calming effect on our body, helping to take it out of survival mode, thereby stopping the process of storing fat.
Green tea prevents new fat cells from piling up and burns away those that already have.
• Use fresh tea bags and good quality water.
• Use one tea bag, for each 6-8 ounces of water. You can adjust the amount of tea according to the type of green tea you are using.
• Brew the tea correctly to prevent bitterness. Instead of bringing your water to a full rolling boil; turn off the heat just before this point. Let the water sit and cool slightly, generally, from one-three minutes. If the water is too hot, you will have bitter tea.
• Warm the container that you are using to steep the tea in so the water does not cool down too quickly. You can use hot water directly from your tap, just fill the bottom of the container and swish the warm water around, but be sure to pour it out before adding the water you will use to steep your tea.
• Place the tea bag in your warmed container and pour the hot water over the tea bag.
• Do not stir or shake, and after about two minutes, no more than three, remove the tea bag.
• Let the tea cool for about three more minutes.
Some other suggestions include:
• Drink your tea before meals to maximize the benefits.
• Do not use milk in your green tea. The proteins in milk, called caseins, actually have a detrimental effect on the beneficial properties of green tea; instead try a little honey or lemon, maybe a stick of cinnamon.
While it’s best to try to incorporate three to five cups of green tea daily into our diet, sometimes, with our busy schedules, that is just not possible. This is where supplements come in. You can purchase green tea supplements, which come in the form of tablets or capsules from a drug store or online without a prescription.
In our search for a healthier lifestyle, let’s not only ask the question, ‘Is green tea good for weight loss?’ However, let us rest assured by the abundance of scientifically proven facts that illustrate just how far the benefits of green tea go. Not only does green tea give us a healthier body and an overall feeling of well-being, it can actually slow aging, lower blood pressure and even help to prevent cancer.
So keep up that physical activity, like walking or bicycling, but be sure to replacement those sugary sodas and juices with a healthy dose of green tea. You will not see a change overnight, but you may feel it and your body will begin to benefit from it after only one drink. It will not be long before that day comes when others notice it too.
When someone asks you how you lost that weight, tell them you did it with green tea! They might look at you in amazement and ask, ‘Does green tea help you lose weight?’ Simply smile, do a little spin and answer, ‘Well what do you think?’
