Establishing the connection between drinking green tea and weight loss must have taken thousands of years but thankfully, the secret is finally out.
The same green tea which is said to have originated from China thousands of years ago has recently been tagged as an effective weight loss aid and a powerful antioxidant that could help fight cancer and other diseases.
More and more health- and figure-conscious people are finding out about the many benefits of green tea and weight loss seems to be the most appealing of them all.
So just how does the green tea and weight loss regimen work?
For starters, green tea helps increase the body’s metabolism and thus pushes the body to burn more calories. Green tea’s thermogenic properties also increase the oxidation of harmful fats in the body and even burn the so called visceral fat which is closely linked to diabetes.
Green tea is also said to decelerate the processing of complex carbohydrates taken into the body into simple sugars. As a result, the conversion of these nutrients to body fat is delayed.
Quite simply, the green tea and weight loss connection is strengthened by the fact that green tea makes one feel full, thus giving a signal to the body to stop eating and taking in fat from food.
Fat-fighting polyphenols called catechins are also found in large amounts in green tea. Studies indicate that drinking tea rich in catechins helps decrease body fat and cholesterol levels.
The effectivity of the green tea and weight loss combo might also lie in another powerful substance called epigallocatechin gallate (ECCG) found in green tea leaves. Scientific experiments have confirmed the appetite suppressant properties of ECCG which indeed caused a marked decrease in the appetite of a group of lab animals which took the green tea extract. In addition to that, there are indications that ECCG may even help fight cancer.
The wonders of drinking green tea and weight loss may also be explained by a little known effect of green tea. While green tea is said to have calming effects, it is also known to increase endurance levels, thanks to caffeine and catechins. What green tea, as opposed to coffee, may lack in caffeine, it makes up for in catechins. Studies have shown that both substances seamlessly work together in the body to help in achieving weight loss.
In addition to these seemingly magical properties cementing the link between green tea and weight loss, it is good to know that green tea could also be considered as brain food.
Green tea has Vitamins B, C and thiamine which nourishes brain cells. Green tea gives brain cells enough energy which buffers the nerves and protects the entire nervous system from being overly stimulated. As in any weight loss program or any task that requires great concentration and willpower for that matter, having a healthy nourished brain will be a great help.
At only 4 calories per serving, green tea seems like a better alternative to coffee, especially the creamy, sinful and more fattening ice-blended types. The caffeine level is lower than coffee’s but it is enough to perk up the senses. Even with its lower caffeine level, green tea is still a diuretic, which could help shed some pounds of water weight at once.
Be warned though that “green tea and weight loss” is not some miraculous equation that could solve weight problems. Dieting, exercising, and having an overall healthy lifestyle are still important.
Admittedly, rigidly sticking to a diet and starting an exercise program are exhausting enough to put a strain on a person’s everyday routine. The much touted calming effects of sipping a warm cup of green tea could help.
So stock up on green tea and drink up to a possibly slimmer, healthier, and more fit body.
And with that short article, I finally conquered my fear of … no, not green tea and weight loss but … search engine optimization (SEO) writing.
The instructions given to me by recruiter Allen were pretty straightforward: article should be at least 350 words; key phrase (green tea and weight loss) should be repeated at least 8 times; entire write-up should pass plagiarism checker http://www.articlechecker.com/.
“Don’t think too much. If you’re spending more than 30 minutes on an article, you’re overworking already,” he advised.
Writing is the easy part. It is the repetition of key words / phrases that unnerves me.
“Okay, that’s one. Yey! … Got to insert another one here now… Hmm, should I rewrite this part of the paragraph so I could include the key words? … Oh no, I have a long way to go before I reach repetition #8! … Homaygawd, kaya ko ‘to, konti na lang!” That was me mumbling as I wrote.
I really need to get past the obsession of counting and recounting keywords. Veteran SEO writers (as in yung mga kumakarir) say the flow of keywords will come more naturally with time and practice. Sanayan lang talaga.
Maybe sipping green tea could help me focus more?
