A Few Benefits of Green Tea I bet you didn’t know about!

Everyone that knows me knows I LOVE me some tea (ESP green tea). When I do nutrition plans for clients…I always include drinking a few cups of organic green tea a day. Naturally I always get asked, “What’s so good about green tea?!” and “Do I HAVE to drink this?!” lol..NO you don’t HAVE to, but if you don’t you are missing out … I could write a good deal about this topic but here are just a few benefits of green tea I bet you didn’t know about!

Green tea has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese and Indian medicines to help heal wounds, promote heart health, stabilize blood sugar, and improve digestion & mental function.. More than 4,000 scientific studies have shown that green tea contains antioxidants and other substances that help lower cholesterol and protect against cancer, heart disease, diabetes, gum disease, and bacterial and viral infections. One of the things about green tea that I personally swear by is for immune health… I haven’t had a cold in a verrryyyy long time…even when I am surrounded by people who are sick (knock on wood!!) lol..

Furthermore, there are two components of green tea that show a great deal of promise. The first component is EGCG (you have probably head this word thrown around a lot). EGCG is considered the main active ingredient responsible for green tea’s health-enhancing benefits. It has also been tested in many studies as a weight-loss aid. Observational studies show that consuming EGCG and other antioxidants in green tea correlate with weight loss or lack of weight gain, regardless of other factors. This active ingredient in the tea reduces fat stores by improving the metabolism of sugars and fats…I personally feel like green tea is an excellent metabolism & energy booster! I love it!

The other noteworthy component of green tea is called theanine (also listed as L-theanine on labels). Theanine is an amino acid found naturally in green tea. It helps counteract stress, calming the nervous system by reducing levels of the stress hormones cortisol and epionephrine, and improves sleep without causing grogginess.

So how do you benefit from green tea? Drink 2-3 cups daily! Sweeten with some stevia and fresh lemon if you like…I always suggest doing decaf after dinner to help curb dessert cravings and to assure the bit of caffeine in regular green tea (approximately 24-40 mg per cup) won’t mess with your sleep.

Enjoy & have a fabuloussss week!

Xoxo,
T