I was an avid coffee drinker. My routine consisted of stopping at Dunkin Donuts before school and getting a medium ice coffee sweet and light, basically cream and sugar. Then after school I would go back again to get the ice coffee and took it the same exact way. Knowing how much cream and sugar I took in daily I decided that in 2015 I would stop drinking coffee and switch to tea, specifically green tea. When I started that it was first hard and I was always exhausted. Then I realized I actually had a lot of energy in the mornings after my tea and in the afternoon also I had a lot more energy. Then about a month later, without switching up my eating habits and my typical gym routine, I went down two pant sizes. Why was this happening?
From a young age my parents have always used the word antioxidant, blueberries, strawberries, beans, and now green tea. Green tea contains antioxidants, which help in prevention of getting cancer. Green tea contains catechins, which is a type of antioxidant, but what is so special about green tea is that before you drink it, the natural herbs aren’t processed so there is a high amount of catechins in each cup. This tea is also really good for your heart, your brain, and your blood vessels. Research has shown that drinking green tea allows the brain to memorize more information, which could result in a lesser chance of getting Alzheimer’s disease. Catechins job is to also lower cholesterol and blood pressure, so drinking this tea often could help prevent diabetes.
Dr. Christopher Ochner, works at The Mount Sinai Hospital and specializes in nutrition, obesity, and proper diets. He said, “If you sub 1-2 cups of green tea for one soda, in a year you’d save over 50,000 calories.” It is know that green tea aids in weight loss. This is because it contains the antioxidant EGCG that helps an enzyme that breaks down norepinephrine and then it increases the amount. The more norepinephrine there is the better chance it has sending a signal to break down the fat cells, which are then used for energy in the muscles.
It contains caffeine, but not as much as coffee, but at least enough to get me through the day. Caffeine is known to help increase brain function like memory, reaction time, mood, and attentiveness because it blocks Adenosine, a neurotransmitter. Green tea has an amino acid in it called L-theanine, which increases the activity of the GABA neurotransmitter. With the L-thaenine in the tea it increases brain function.
Green tea is so healthy and good for your body. Not only is the taste delicious and the drink is relaxing, but you are getting the same effects of coffee, along with other good things for your body. The drink itself is an antioxidant, so it helps with decreasing chances of getting cancer. It is so good for the brain, which also decreases the chance of getting Alzheimer’s disease. It speeds up the metabolism and helps break down fat cells that help in weight loss. So next time you are craving that cup of coffee just think about how much better green tea is for you and you can still get the same amount of energy.
Just want to add a few words here. While green tea is really good thing for your body , it will not really help you to lose weight in any noticable amount if you don’t even try to lose weight by a proper diet. Work-out is as important as having a good diet.