I doubt I will ever give up my cup of coffee in the morning - do NOT attempt to take this away from me! But I have found green tea for an afternoon pick-me-up, hot or iced. I prefer the lemon or jasmine flavored - it also comes in decaf for those of you not wanting caffeine, by the way.
Imagine my delight to find one article after another lately touting the benefits of drinking green tea. Here are a few that may get your attention:
Green tea is a superb FAT FIGHTER. Who among us wouldn't cheer for that, eh? It increases the rate at which fat is burned in your body. Alrighty then!
Green tea targets belly fat. Now according to a research study done at Tufts University, the active ingredient in green tea, EGCG, like other catechins, activate fat-burning genes in the abdomen to speed up weight loss by some 77%. I keep thinking if people who need to lose weight would reach for green tea instead of sodas, it just might make a difference!
Green tea balances blood sugar levels. This is certainly not the effect one gets from drinking pop! Or even fruit juices. Green tea prevents blood sugar spikes and crashes that can result in fatigue, irritability and cravings for unhealthy foods. Why more doctors don't prescribe this in lieu of drugs for this issue, well, one can only wonder!
Green tea suppresses lung cancer cell growth. This one little ditty I found huge! Seriously. And this was in a published study in Cancer Prevention Research, April 2010. It also appears to inhibit colorectal cancers and prostate cancer as well.
Green tea may prevent skin damage and wrinkling! Ahhha...listening now? Yes indeed green tea appears to be 200 times more powerful than Vitamin E at destroying skin-damaging free radicals. (You remember those guys from my previous post? The one case where "free" is not a good thing!)
Having LESS of these free rads may help reduce wrinkling and signs of aging. Green tea is a potent antioxidant and if you don't know this yet, you want a LOT of antioxidants in your body. They are wonderful and help to keep you super healthy, full of energy and looking/feeling young. (I blame them for all my crazy energy!)
I'll say again, the flavor of green tea can be an acquired taste. I thought it was disgusting the first time I tried it. Then I found some flavors of it I really liked so don't be put off by the flavor of plain old green tea. Snap it up with lemon or try flavors of it. Green tea is too good for you to just pass it up for any whimpy old reason.
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I am now feeling much better about my jasmine green tea! This is so positive. Like you, I have sometimes been challenged by "straight" green tea but have loved other versions of it. Thanks, SuZen!
ReplyDeleteHi Kathy,
DeleteYep, lots of bennies here! Drinking "straight" green tea just didn't fly with me. I tried lemon, honey, and nothing made it terribly tasty. Jasmine is my favorite too!
The only thing I need to do now is to look for a natural green tea brew here in our area. I don't want any processed green teas made into drinks because I suppose it would also lower the efficiency rate. I would rather drink natural green tea if I could find the right brew.
ReplyDeleteHi John,
DeleteDon't know where you are, but most stores around here carry many different green teas right in the coffee aisle. There is a good selection at Amazon.com as well as other on-line places. I would shy away from pre-made teas in bottles and go for the tea in bags. We make jasmine green tea as iced-tea. It's wonderful!
It doesn't get much better than that. Thank you, as always, for an informative post!
ReplyDeleteThanks a bunch Laurie!
DeleteGood information once again. My daughters love green tea and one used it to trim up for running a marathon.
ReplyDeleteI can not use it at all, though I try! Caffeine is just one problem - the other is itchy rashes...
on the other hand hAcg is making me come back to life. Day 23 out of 40 - lost 7 pounds, and the fatigue is lifted. I feel like myself and the fog and fatigue of 17 years has been lifted. Yesterday I was a bit hyperactive, but was just tired at the end of a busy day - I was just my contended self all day. My feeling of full has returned...This is an amazing experience for me and the 2 Migraine headaches have been the major trial...
Wow what a difference
So glad you are feeling better, Patricia. This summer could be a whole new you! I've found decaf green teas and all sorts of flavors and blends. But I suppose if I got rashes I'd pass too.
DeleteHey, I'm already a convert, but I still enjoyed your list of pros for green tea...especially when you got to part about preventing skin damage. I love when your humor dances with your words.
ReplyDeleteIs mint tea good for you? I developed a taste for it when I was out of the country. It was yummy!
Hi Sara,
ReplyDeleteGreat to see you back after your European vaca. As for my humor, gotta have it! Susan being serious is way to heavy a load all the time.
Mint tea? Excellent. Known for its aromatic talent for helping us keep focused, hot mint tea is great for clearing up congestion pretty much everywhere, from the nose to treating IBS. I've yet to meet an herbal tea I didn't love for some reason! (this one helps with bad breath too - shhh)