I’m sure most of you have seen or heard ads on TV, radio or in magazines regarding green tea as a super weight loss supplement. Maybe some of you have even thought this may be the answer to your weight loss dreams. Although the promises sound amazing, there are some things that you should know about green tea before you open up your wallet to this “miracle cure”. Here they are:
- In order to truly lose weight and decrease body fat, you have to decrease your caloric intake and exercise by doing cardio 4-6 days a week, strength training 2-3 days a week and incorporating flexibility movements daily.
- Studies have shown that along with proper nutrition and exercise, consuming green tea extract can result in a 4% increase in your metabolism, assisting you in burning more body fat, especially around your abs, while slightly decreasing your appetite.
- Green tea is a natural diuretic that can help reduce excess water weight which helps to decrease that often felt feeling of fullness and being bloated.
- Drinking the maximum amount suggested (6-7 cups a day) of green tea isn’t enough for you to lose weight on its own. Because green tea and supplements that contain green tea also contain caffeine, this is how your appetite can be decreased and your metabolism increased.
What this means is that if you find that you tend to eat too many calories throughout the day, drinking green tea can help suppress your appetite causing you to eat less. Now, that being said, green tea does have some wonderful benefits that may help:
- Lower stress
- Protect the Liver
- Increase your endurance
- Lower blood pressure
- Fight infections
- Help prevent diabetes
- Protect the kidneys
- Increase your metabolism
- Enhance focus and mental function
- Increase energy levels
- Block fat absorption
- Fight heart disease
- Prevent certain types of cancer
- Decrease cholesterol levels
Green Tea can also help you exercise longer as it assists in burning calories and increasing energy which in turn increases your metabolism which will help you lose more pounds and inches.
How To Drink Green Tea for Fat Loss
Eating 4-6 small meals a day and making sure to include fruits, vegetables (fresh or frozen), whole grains and lean protein along with drinking your green tea and at least eight (8 oz) cups of pure water everyday will yield wonderful results!
The Down Side of Green Tea for Fat Loss
The caffeine in green tea can lead to dizziness, insomnia and heart palpitations in some individuals. Lowering your caffeine consumption from other sources can help minimize these side effects, but if you’re particularly sensitive to caffeine or if your doctor advises you to avoid caffeine due to a medical condition or a medication you’re taking, then green tea isn’t right for you.
Warning
Although green tea and green tea extracts can be safe for most adults, bear in mind that even if you experience positive benefits from green tea, you shouldn’t take it if you’re pregnant or breast-feeding, as the caffeine can pass to your baby who is more sensitive to it.
Avoid green tea if you have stomach ulcers, anemia, high blood pressure, liver disease, kidney problems or heart problems as well. Seek emergency medical treatment if you experience symptoms of caffeine overdose, such as vomiting, diarrhea or abdominal spasms, after consuming green tea.
Conclusion
Using green tea extract in conjunction with a proper nutrition and exercise plan can increase your results for weight loss and burning fat, but as a stand alone use for these results, you just may want to save your money.
1 Comment
So I have been drinking green tea for like 3 years now. But I cant seem to find out how long the effects of green tea last. All this info seems medicinal so how long after not drinking green tea do you still see results? Heart health is something that takes time so every 8oz cup gives healthy benefits or the green tea builds up in your system and you can see the benefits after a prolonged period of time? After 3 years if I skip a cup I still reap the benefits if that makes sense?