Drinking tea to support weight loss with a healthy lifestyle
Do you know that one of the most asked queries worldwide on Google search is ‘How to lose weight’? Are you also one of these people? If yes, then you are at the right place today as this article is going to help you in this regard.
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The rise in overweight & obesity worldwide
People all over the world are suffering from this overweight issue. For some of them, it is heredity but most of them are suffering because of poor lifestyle and food habits. Before discussing further, let’s know some shocking facts about obesity and overweight. These are according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In simple words, overweight and obesity are the conditions where abnormal or excessive fat gets accumulated in your body and becomes a major health risk. It is responsible for many chronic diseases like heart problems, diabetes, etc. At least 2.8 million people die each year because of the problems arising due to obesity.
You’ll be surprised to know that obesity was once associated only with the high-income countries but now it is equally prevalent in low and middle-income countries.
If we talk about what causes the obesity, we can simply say that it is because of the imbalance between how much calories are consumed and how much calories are expended. In other words, high consumption of energy-rich food without the proportionate level of physical activities results in the abnormal weight gain.
So, we have now understood what obesity and overweight are. These facts are really scary not only for you but for the upcoming generations too. New generation copies and follows what they see the present generation is doing. But someone has truly said that it’s never too late to have a positive new beginning. So, let’s see what those simple remedies for weight loss are, which we can follow in our day to day life.
Common remedies For weight loss
As we mentioned earlier, the two basic ways to fight with your stubborn weight around your whole body are:
- Controlling (decreasing) the number of calories consumed
- Controlling (increasing) the number of calories expended
In simple words, eating a healthy and balanced diet is the most effective way help in weight reduction. You should limit your total fat intake and specifically avoid saturated fats and use unsaturated fats. Also, you must include seasonal fruits, fresh vegetables, organic pulses, whole grains and nuts in your daily food intake. And most importantly, strictly avoid consumption of free sugars and salt. These are the ways by which you can control the number of calories you consume.
Apart from this, you must include some physical activities in your daily routine. To expend the calories you have consumed, you must get engaged in some rigorous to moderate level of physical activities according to your health condition. According to WHO, minimum one and a half hour of regular, moderate-intensity physical activity per week helps in reducing the risk of cardiovascular problems, diabetes, and some different types of cancers. In physical activities, you can include walking, running, cycling, yoga, muscle strengthening, balance training, etc.
In addition to the wellness tips above, there's a special drink to help boost results. It’s wonderful, easy, and widely followed all over the world. Well, it’s nothing but consuming tea. Yes, it’s true. A regular consumption of certain types of teas can help in significant weight reduction. Let’s know in detail how and which tea can be helpful for shedding a few extra pounds from your body.
While tea can help augment a healthy lifestyle to boost result, it should not be consumed as the only solution to control your weight
Drinking tea to help weight loss
Tea is the second most consumed drink all over the world after water. So, you can imagine how popular this beverage is. No doubt, people are aware of its so many health benefits that they prefer having tea on regular basis.
Well, tea is a beverage prepared by pouring hot water onto the tea leaves and letting them steep for a couple of minutes so that its flavor gets infused in the water. The tea leaves are prepared from the plant ‘Camellia sinensis’ which is a species of an evergreen shrub whose leaves and buds are used to produce tea.
Various common types of teas like White tea, green tea, oolong, dark tea (which includes Pu-erh tea) and black tea are all harvested from Camellia sinensis plant, but their processing is different to get the varying levels of oxidation.
Drinking tea has many health benefits like reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke, protecting bones and teeth, providing antioxidants to our body, etc. But one of the most important benefits which we are discussing here today is how tea helps supplement weight reduction.
Studies have shown that tea increases metabolism and hence enhances the weight loss process. So, if you are looking to augment your healthy lifestyle with a healthy and refreshing beverage, consider sipping tea.
But for those who don’t like the taste of tea, there are many other herbs, roots, and flowers too which you can have as tea. They have anti-obesity properties and will help in weight loss.
Different types of tea for weight loss
We are now going to share with you details about various teas which helps in fighting extra weight in your body. You can definitely try them as per your choice for getting its benefits.
An intro to Green tea
Well, in recent times, the most popular for weight loss is green tea. Produced from the leaves of Camellia sinensis plant, green tea is highly rich in catechins (primarily epigallocatechin gallate which is also known as EGCG) and caffeine. These two wonder constituents are the catalyst behind green tea’s weight loss properties. EGCG is an antioxidant which fights with the harmful oxygen radicals in our body and hence reduces the inflammation and obesity caused by it. Green tea is known as the best tea for weight loss as it helps in boosting your metabolism. Medical studies have shown that green helps diabetic patients in losing weight by suppressing the obesity genes.
Preparation: Simply boil a cup of water and leave it for about 2 minutes. When temperature will come down to about 85 degree Celsius, add one teaspoon of green tea leaves and let it steep for about 3-4 minutes. After that strain and consume. You can add lemon to it for the taste.
You can have green tea between meals. Avoid having it before going to bed. You can have a maximum of 5 cups of green tea a day. Avoid it if you are allergic to caffeine.
An intro to Oolong tea
Oolong tea comes from the same Camellia Sinensis plant but its different from green tea in terms of processing. It also has an abundance of EGCG in it which is a type of phytonutrient-rich in antioxidant properties. According to medical studies, oolong tea is an excellent drink for weight loss because it strongly lowers the lipid levels in the blood and increases fat metabolism.
Preparation: It can be prepared exactly like the green tea recipe explained above. Also, precautions are same as with green tea.
An intro to White tea
Well, white tea also comes from the same Camellia sinensis plant from which comes the green tea and oolong tea. This wonderful high-quality tea is excellent in fat breakdown and keeps a check on fat cell formation. As per the scientific studies, white tea helps in the inhibition of diabetes-related effects in the cerebral cortex.
Preparation: The method of preparation of white tea is similar to that of green tea and oolong tea. The only precaution to be taken is that it should not be consumed more than 2 cups a day.
An intro to Pu-erh tea
Pu-Erh tea is the tea which got its name after the town named Pu’erh in the Yunnan province in China. And you know what, this tea also comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. The big difference is that it is specially fermented and sometimes known as black tea. This tea helps in lowering the lipids and reducing weight.
Preparation: It is prepared like green tea only. For one cup of tea, you need to add about half an inch of Pu-Erh tea. You can consume 2-3 cups of this tea per day.
An intro to Hibiscus tisane
Hibiscus tisane is produced from the Hibiscus sabdariffa plant and contains a lot of antioxidants. It does not contain any caffeine. This tisane helps in lowering the blood pressure and is good for the people suffering from hypertension. Hypertension leads to stress which in turn increases the toxins in the body and causes inflammation. Continuous inflammation affects fat metabolism and leads to weight gain. Also, this tea helps in lowering the LDL-cholesterol.
Preparation: Pour one cup of boiling water into a teapot with one teaspoon of hibiscus tea. Let it steep for 5 minutes and then strain and serve. You can have 2-3 cups of hibiscus tea a day. Also, you can have it just before going to bed.
An intro to Chamomile herbal tisane
Chamomile tea is produced from the beautiful flowers of chamomilla plant. This tea has some wonderful health benefits like anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, sleep-inducing, and anti-anxiety properties. All these properties are directly related in fighting with the weight gain. There is phenolic compound like quercetin, luteolin, apigenin, patuletin, and their glucosides, in chamomile tea which is primarily responsible for its anti-obesity properties. It also lowers the blood sugar level.
Preparation: Boil one cup of water and pour it into a teapot with two teaspoons of dried chamomile flowers or a chamomile tea bag. Steep for 5 minutes, strain and serve. You can have 2 cups of chamomile tea a day. You can have it before going to bed or when you are feeling depressed or anxious.
An intro to Ginger tea
Ginger is the root of a plant used widely as a spice all over the world. It contains gingerol which is a bioactive compound which provides ginger its pungent and typical smell. It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-nausea, glucose-sensitizing, and blood pressure-lowering properties. It increases satiety and enhances thermogenesis.
Preparation: Add a teaspoon of grated ginger to one cup boiling water. Let it boil for 5 minutes. Strain in a cup and add lemon and honey if you want. You can have 2-3 cups of ginger tea a day.
An intro to Mint tea
Mint tea is produced from mentha or mint leaves. This herb provides a soothing and calming effect. Mint contains compounds such as menthol, menthone, hesperidin, luteolin, and eriocitrin which have mood-uplifting, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, digestion-improving, and antioxidant effects.
Preparation: Boil 5-10 leaves of mint in a cup of water for 5-7 minutes. Strain it and serve. You can have 2-3 cups of mint tea in a day.
An intro to Calendula herbal tisane
Calendula tea is produced from the flowers of the plant Calendula officinalis, also known as calendula or English marigold.
As per the studies, calendula has strong anti-inflammatory properties. Its flowery and refreshing taste helps to calm you down and reduce stress and inflammation-induced weight gain.
Preparation: In one cup of boiled water, add 2 teaspoons of dried calendula flowers and let it steep for 10 minutes. Strain and serve. You can have 2-3 cups of calendula tea in a day.
Rosemary Tea
Rosemary is an aromatic herb and generally used in cooking. It is produced from Rosmarinus officinalis plant. It has strong antioxidant and antidepressant properties which assist in weight loss.
Preparation: Boil a cup of water and add a sprig of fresh rosemary or two teaspoons of dried rosemary. Let it steep for 5 minutes. Strain and serve. You can have 3 cups of rosemary tea per day.
An intro to Matcha tea
Matcha tea is the powdered tea from the tea plant Camellia sinensis. It undergoes minimum processing and you drink the leaves in the powdered form instead of discarding them (by straining). Matcha is considered one of the best teas for weight loss. It has a good amount of epigallocatechin gallate, a powerful antioxidant that helps flush out the toxins and boosts immunity.
Preparation: Add a teaspoon of matcha powder to a cup of hot water. Swish it vigorously until it becomes frothy. Serve. You can consume 2 teaspoons of match per day.
An intro to Pomegranate tea
Pomegranate tea is a delicious tea brewed with concentrated pomegranate juice, ground pomegranate seeds or dried pomegranate flowers. Pomegranates are one of the richest sources of antioxidants and have antimicrobial properties.
Preparation: Boil a cup of water. Pour it in a teapot containing crushed pomegranate seeds or dried pomegranate flower. Let it steep for 4-5 minutes. Strain and serve. You can add green tea for more benefits. You can have 2-3 cups of pomegranate tea in a day.
Well, these were a few teas which are excellent for weight loss. But always remember that for losing weight, it is important to eat healthy food and do exercise on regular basis.
You can order a variety of pure Ceylon teas from teakruthi. We would like to know your experience of how tea helped in losing that extra flab from your body. Do share your stories in the comment section below.
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