Tea for Weight Loss
By Divya Shree
Edited By Stephanie Dawson
Tea is a drink many people enjoy, however few know that drinking your favorite cup of tea can help you shed extra pounds. The effectiveness of green tea for reducing weight is no secret, that’s why its used worldwide by people who know its benefits. Green tea originated in China and is a natural and reliable way of losing weight using food. Tea is also a rich source of flavonoids which are essential for boosting our body’s immune system.
There are several variations to weight loss with 2 main ideas, one is to reduce the amount of calories you take in, second is to enhance consumption of calories, or burn them. Tea excites our nervous system which transforms fat into energy we can use to perform our daily tasks.
Green tea is made of leaves from Camellia sinensis and is a rich source of antioxidants, it goes through the minimum amount of oxidation during production. Molecules produced during the process of breaking down food are called free radicals, they may also occur from drinking, smoking, or pollution, drinking tea rich in antioxidants prevents free radicals from causing harm to our bodies.
There are other varieties of tea that can help you lose weight. Some are mentioned below:
Star anise tea helps promote digestion. Star anise is a fruit of Illicium verum, a tree native to China. Digestive problems are a big reason behind weight gain. This tea can easily be prepared by adding one whole pod into a cup of hot water for 10 minutes, sweeten if desired. Sipping this tea when you have an upset stomach is very soothing.
Peppermint tea is another type of wonder brew, it can help control and improve your eating habits. Peppermint leaves are used to make a light refreshing tea, take one tablespoon dried fresh peppermint leaves and add boiling water. Leave to steep 5-7 minutes and enjoy hot or chilled. You can add honey if you like it sweet.
Oolong tea is even more effective than green tea when it comes to fighting obesity. It’s a semi-fermented variant of tea. It helps reduce bad cholesterol and promotes burning of fat cells. Two cups of this tea is recommended every day for weight loss. Oolong tea should be steeped 1-5 minutes.
I personally prefer to brew tea from loose leaf tea in a teapot, rather than using teabags. First of all the quality of most of the teabags are not that good. Second you don’t know where it comes from and what’s really in the teabag. Third even the taste is different. K-cups are also a big NO for me. Buy a good pack of loose leaf tea and enjoy your tea time!
