 |
| Tea Tourism: Recommended tea at William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh. See caption at end of blog. |
GUEST BLOG—By
Isabel De Los Rios, Certified Nutritionist and author of Beyond Diet.com blog. Here she addresses can drinking Tea really
accelerate fat Loss?
Over the past two months I
have spent a significant amount of time researching the possible good and bad
benefits of drinking different types of teas.
Why?
For two reasons: Tea next
to water is the second most consumed liquid by humans on this planet. We need
to know more about it. The second reason
is I found out I was pregnant, I knew that my 2 cups of coffee a day habit
really needed to be reduced so I turned to tea as an alternative.
 |
| FDR-era tea set. See caption at end of blog |
No, I’m not saying there is
anything wrong with drinking your cup of Joe. As a matter of fact, organic
coffee is jam packed with tons of antioxidants and has been found to decrease
the risk of diseases like type 2 Diabetes and cancer, but it’s also pretty jam
packed with caffeine, which is why I decided to research and make the switch
over to a variety of different teas.
The good news is that I
found a long list of incredible benefits to drinking tea which made my
transition very easy. Tea also does contain some caffeine (about a quarter to
half as much as coffee) making the switch even easier.
Here are several different
varieties of teas and the many healthy benefits I found to each (who knows, you
may even consider switching your Java habit as well.)
BLACK TEA:
Before we differentiate
between several different teas, it is true that all teas (black, green, oolong
and white) come from the same plant, camellia sinensis. What gives each tea
it’s particular qualities is in the processing of this particular plant to
create different varieties of tea. Black tea is probably the most commonly
consumed and most popular of all the teas I researched. It also contains the
highest amount of caffeine of most teas (approximately 40 mg), but not nearly
as much as 1 – 8 oz cup of coffee (100 mg). The low amounts of caffeine in
black tea promotes blood flow in the brain without over stimulating the heart,
helping to sharpen mental focus and concentration (oh, we could also use a
little of that).
One of black teas greatest
benefits is its high number of antioxidants, including quercetin, a substance
found to combat inflammation and support healthy immune function. This is
probably the best health benefit of drinking black tea…its ability to keep the
immune system healthy and strong.
I enjoy a cup of hot black
tea most mornings with a bit of squeezed lemon and stevia. It helps me start
off my day energized and alert without giving me any of the jittery feelings I
would sometimes get with drinking too much coffee. Some people much prefer
their black tea cold, which I sometimes make for my husband and relatives when
they are visiting. I make 2-3 tea bags with boiling water in a large glass
bowl, sweeten with stevia and allow to cool in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
It’s delicious and refreshing served over ice with a little added piece of
lemon (careful with how many glasses you drink if you are someone who is
sensitive to caffeine).
GREEN TEA
If you’ve ever done even
the slightest research on weight loss, you’ve surely come across tons of
information touting the miraculous ability of green tea to burn off body fat.
Is that really true?
Well, before we get to
that, what makes green tea so special?
Green tea is extremely rich
in catechin polyphenols, particularly EGCG, which is an extremely powerful
antioxidant. Besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it actually has the
ability to kill cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. EGCG has also been
found to be extremely powerful in the prevention of heart disease and assists
in keeping cholesterol levels healthy.
But back to the weight loss
theories…
Many doctors and scientific
studies have confirmed the incredible power of green tea when it comes to
weight loss. Dr. Nicholas Perricone, world renowned doctor and author of 3
bestselling books stated, “…you'd lose up to 10 pounds in 4-6 weeks doing
nothing but taking green tea. Green tea increases your daily fat burning rate
by 43%”. The fat burning effects of green tea can be attributed to so much more
than just its caffeine content (since caffeine has been shown to enhance the
metabolism). The catechins in green tea have been found to force the body into
thermogenesis, driving your body to burn fat as its energy source. Green tea
has also been shown to cause carbohydrates to be released slowly, preventing
rises in blood-insulin levels and keeping the body at an ideal blood sugar
balance for fat burning.
Can I say for sure that
this will happen to absolutely everyone? Definitely not! Every person is
individual and many other factors in your diet and exercise program greatly
affect what your weight loss results will be. But with all the other wonderful
benefits we know about green tea, it is definitely worth including 1-2 cups
into your daily routine (Green tea contains approximately 15-30 mg of caffeine
per cup. Careful with your intake if you are someone who is sensitive to caffeine).
Like black tea, green tea
can be enjoyed hot or cold and you can use stevia, xylitol or raw honey to
sweeten a bit.
WHITE TEA
As with all the other teas
we've already discussed, white tea also comes from the Camellia sinensis plant,
as almost all teas do. The main difference between white tea and the other teas
is that the white tea leaves are picked and harvested at a younger age than the
other tea leaves. Whereas black tea is fully fermented and green tea is partly
fermented, white tea is not fermented at all, helping it to retain more of its
beneficial antioxidants.
Some studies have shown
that because of this "no fermentation", white tea has a concentration
of antioxidants that is 3 x's higher than green tea, making it an incredibly
healthy choice for drinking as part of any healthy eating plan. Not only that,
it is a wise choice for those who are sensitive to caffeine. It only contains
15 mg of caffeine per cup, much lower than the 20-30 mg you get from green tea,
and 40-60 mg you get from black tea.
But what about fat loss?
Does it contain the same fat burning properties as green tea and wu-long tea?
White tea has been shown to
promote fat burning in the body by preventing cells from storing body fat.
White tea's caffeine content also does help to stimulate the metabolism
(without causing any jitters). But I will reiterate that white tea's greatest
claim to fame is still its extremely high antioxidant content, making its fat
burning properties secondary and not as powerful as the fat burning properties
found in Wu-long tea (Isabel's favorite brand of Wu-Long tea).
ROOIBOS TEA
Rooibos tea (pronounced
"roy-boss) is a perfect choice for those looking for NO caffeine at all.
Rooibos, also known as "red bush", does not come from the Camellia
sinensis tea plant as all the other previously mentioned teas do. Instead, it
comes from the Aspalathus linearis plant which is native only to South Africa.
Rooibos tea has been found
to contain some incredible health benefits without ANY caffeine. It has been
shown to boost the immune system, treat hay fever, asthma and eczema, relieve
stomach cramps and colic in infants and greatly help those individuals who
suffer from heartburn.
As with white tea,
including a cup or two of rooibos tea into your healthy eating plan will bring
you some incredible benefits, but it is not widely known or used for fat
burning and weight loss. So enjoy your rooibos tea for its immune boosting
properties, not for accelerating fat burning.
Oh, and did I mention it
also happens to be awesomely delicious?
I highly encourage you to
experiment and try all the varieties of teas we've covered and find which one
suits you best. A little raw honey, stevia or xylitol added to sweeten your tea
will help make it a healthy alternative to any sugar filled drinks or those
calorie laden "fancy coffee drinks" that so many people are currently
addicted to (and spending WAY TOO much money on every day).
OOLONG/WU-LONG TEA
This was by far the most
eye opening research of them all. I had heard of the many benefits of Oolong
Tea (also widely referred to as Wu-long) for some time, but had never done this
much research and reading about it (little did I know what I was missing).
Even though green tea has
been most popularly known as the drink of choice for fat burning, wu-long tea
has been shown to burn 220% more fat than green tea. The only difference
between green tea and wu-long tea is in the processing of the tea leaves,
making the beneficial properties of each just slightly different.
The Chinese have long
believed that oolong/wu-long tea is greatly beneficial in reducing and
maintaining weight and have conducted several studies proving such. It looks
like, from the research, that wu-long tea can actually encourage your body to
use more fat for energy, resulting in accelerated fat burning and, of course,
weight loss. Many of the same fat burning properties, mentioned above for green
tea, have been found in wu-long tea but the effects seem to be more pronounced.
All of the other incredible
benefits of tea can also be found with wu-long tea, but, where as increased
immune function and antioxidant benefits are black and greet teas claim to
fame, it looks like wu-long teas greatest benefit is fat loss.
You can enjoy wu-long tea
hot or cold, sweetened or flavored with lemon. I actually really enjoy the
rich, flowery taste of wu-long tea all on its own, not really needing any
sweetener or anything added to enjoy its delicious taste.
I have found the best
quality and tasting wu-long tea from a company called Okuma nutritionals. Since
wu-long tea has become a bit of a “hype” tea and supplement these days, I
wanted to look for a company that was truly passionate about the quality of
their tea and intimately involved in the production of their teas.
Delicious and Powerful
Wu-Long Tea
Isabel, which tea is the
best for me?
With all the wonderful
benefits of these three teas, it may be hard to decide which is the best choice
for you. I love to do what my good friend Mike Geary taught me is to mix all
three varieties together! Many mornings I will put 1 tea bag each of black,
green and wu-long tea in a small pot with boiling water. I let that steep for
about 5 minutes and remove the tea bags. I sip 1 cup for breakfast and then
another with lunch. The different tastes of each blend together really nicely
and make for a tasty warm drink (again, it can also be enjoyed like iced tea,
which I know is how Mike enjoys it best.)
Black, green, white,
rooibos or wu-long, whichever you choose, 1-2 teas each day is a wonderful
addition to your healthy eating plans. As with anything, be very mindful to
your body’s response to the caffeine amount and let your body be your guide.
Share this newsletter with
your friends!
Last but definitely not
least…
Source: Isabel De Los Rios, Certified Nutritionist
and author and founder of Beyond Diet.com blog.
Caption: The image above is unrelated to
author De Los Rios’ blog, but tea aficionados might find the history of this
beautiful art deco style tea service interesting. The gold enamel tea set is by
David Andersen of Olso, Norway, circa 1930s.
It was the gift from Olav an Martha, the Crown Prince and Princess of
Norway to President Franklin Roosevelt.
Caption: The Palm Court at the William Penn Hotel,
Pittsburgh, PA, serves light snacks, traditional afternoon tea and specialty
drinks in an elegantly understated atmosphere. Afternoon Tea served Monday -
Saturday 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
No comments:
Post a Comment