People all over the world drink tea, there are hundreds of varieties (and shades) of this drink – from white to black. They all naturally contain large amounts of health benefits called flavonoids. They are believed to reduce inflammation and help protect against heart disease and diabetes. But can you lose weight by drinking lots of tea?
How does the tea diet work?
A daily cup of tea is unlikely to help you slip into those tight jeans you wore in your golden years at university. But some studies suggest that tea can help you lose some weight if combined with a sensible diet and exercise. And consider this: if you replace your morning cappuccino or latte with a cup of tea with lemon, you’ll cut nearly 300 calories from your daily norm.
Teas contain flavonoids called catechins, which can speed up metabolism and help the body break down fat faster. And caffeine, found in many teas, increases energy intake, causing the body to burn more calories. A wonderful combination in just one cup!
And after you lose weight, tea can lock in the results and keep the weight off, preventing the metabolic slowdown that usually occurs after any diet.
Black Tea.
It is a fermented beverage, fermentation allows it to change chemically and often increases its caffeine content. It has a strong rich flavor. Studies done on rats show that substances called polyphenols in black tea can prevent the absorption of fat in the intestines.
But watch what you add to your tea. Milk, for example, can reduce its fat-blocking superpowers, and sugar, syrups, and honey make sense.
Green tea.
Green tea is not usually fermented; the leaves are simply steamed and then crushed by hand.
It is especially rich in the most potent type of catechin, called EGCG. Some studies have shown that people who drank green tea frequently (but did not keep a special diet) lost a little weight – about 1.3 kg in 3 months.
To get the same amount of EGCG that appeared in the study, you would need to drink 6-7 cups of regular green tea every day. However, be careful if you’re going to load up on green tea – it can hit your liver.
Oolong tea
This tea is made by drying tea leaves in the hot sun. Like green tea, it is a rich source of catechins. In one study, more than 2/3 of overweight people who drank oolong every day for 6 weeks lost more than a kilogram, and from one of the most problematic areas – the stomach.
White Tea
This is the least processed type of tea and has a slightly sweet taste (perfect for those who are used to putting a couple of spoonfuls of sugar in their drink). Studies show that white tea accelerates the breakdown of existing fat cells and blocks the formation of new ones. True, such an experiment has not yet been conducted on humans, but chances are.
Ivan tea
A unique plant – willowherb, or lvan tea, as it is also called – has an astounding number of therapeutic properties. When brewed properly (nothing difficult – pour boiling water and wait 5-7 minutes), it normalizes the intestines and metabolism, calms the nervous system, has a draining effect, reduces swelling and helps to lose weight. Strictly speaking, brewed Cypress is not a tea, but a flowering plant, which has a completely different nature and, for example, does not contain caffeine at all – so it can be consumed even by those who are contraindicated to caffeine.
Don’t forget about the food on the “tea diet”
Green Tea Diet
I bet you thought of a diet in which you drink tea all day and nothing else. But that’s not entirely true. In fact, the “tea diet” implies that you add this drink to your diet plan to lose weight faster.
The point of the green tea diet is that its ingredients help block the absorption of fat and speed up your metabolism, including fat burning mechanisms. It is recommended to “sit” on the tea diet for 17 days, but even after that you can continue to drink green tea regularly without any negative side effects.
There are only 2 rules, which will not be difficult for anyone to follow. All you need to do is drink a cup of green tea in the morning before meals (by the way, it will also help you wake up) and then before each meal (at least 3 more times a day). The secret is that after a cup of tea you won’t be so hungry anymore, and the brain will get the signal to turn fat reserves into energy. Plus, it helps improve your digestion.
The diet does not limit your food choices, so technically you can eat anything from ice cream and red wine to pasta and meat. Keep in mind that the best results are achieved when you combine a healthy diet with an exercise regimen, and green tea only complements and enhances the effects of a healthy lifestyle.
Diet on lvan tea
There is another interesting diet based on the use of lvan tea. To achieve the best effect of the diet, it is worth adhering to at least 14 days, while maintaining a balance in the diet, do not overeat at night and in principle, limit sweets. Do not be frightened, the fact is that lvan tea itself has the superpower to reduce cravings for desserts, so this task will not be too difficult.
Pour two teaspoons of leaves of lvan tea with two glasses of boiling water, wait 10 minutes and strain. Drink this decoction 20 minutes before each meal (you can also drink it cold).
Losing weight will occur due to the fact that willowherb improves digestion, has a mild diuretic effect, relieves swelling and reduces appetite – you will notice how you will be transformed in these 2 weeks. And you may not want to stop!
By the way, this diet has a nice side effect – increasing immunity!