Tea is not a magic pill for weight loss. However, it can help!
If you’re someone who loves drinks (sodas, pre-made teas, coffee drinks, etc.) that aren’t just plain water, tea can become your new best friend in weight loss. If you haven’t already, take some time to calculate the nutritional factors in all of the drinks you’re consuming. Some of those sugary Starbucks drinks can have up to 600 calories! In addition, the recommended maximum amount of sugar intake for women daily is 25g. A medium Coke alone has 44 grams! If you replace all of those drinks you’re consuming with plain tea or water, think of how much you’re cutting your calorie and sugar intake by. Tea has no calories and it’s super delicious. If you want that sweetness, you can add some Stevia or honey. Although honey does still have sugar and calories, you’d have to add a lot for it to have as many as these sugary beverages.
Tea isn’t just a 0 calorie beverage replacement, though. Tea contains catechins, a type of flavonoid that has been found to boost metabolism and help your body to break down fats more rapidly (source).
There have been several studies done that suggest that green tea in particular helps to boost your metabolism and aid in weight loss. There’s a reason you can buy it in pill form as a diet supplement! In one study, participants who drank green tea lost an average of 2.9 pounds in a 12 week period while otherwise following their regular diet. Losing a couple extra pounds just by drinking a delicious, natural beverage? Sign me up! (source) Plus, green tea is an antioxidant that helps reduce the amount of free radicals in your body. I love this tea from Yogi.
Tea generally also contains caffeine. Caffeine increases your energy levels which can cause you to be more active throughout the day, leading to potential weight loss. Plus, this makes it a suitable substitute for your morning Starbucks (or, gives you a new unsweetened tea order for your morning Starbucks run).
Finally, drinking in general before meals can reduce your appetite. There have been a lot of studies done on how increasing your water consumption can aid in weight loss. Drinking a cup of tea or a glass of water before a meal ensures that you are really feeling hungry when you eat and not just thirsty.
If you’re trying to lose weight or just to increase your water intake, give tea a chance. It’s so delicious and great for you! Specific kinds of tea are said to provide even more health benefits than are listed in this article. So, head to your local grocery store or your local tea store and go get yourself a new box or bag of tea.
Kim Kardashian GIF Source, Yogi Green Tea Image Source, Kermit GIF Source