Green Tea For Weight Loss - How does it work?

Green tea - A cup of abundant goodness, so pure and fresh, that it has taken the world by a storm in the last decade. To be honest, there is no problem on earth that can’t be ameliorated by a cup of tea! Green tea has been associated with several health benefits, especially for weight loss, making it the second most popular beverage after water. It's packed with rich antioxidants and healthy bio-compounds that even improve your longevity. We shall be looking at all these health benefits of green tea ahead in this article, but our focus today is to learn about why and how you need to drink green tea for weight loss. 

Since unhealthy diets and chaotic lifestyle choices make it even harder to maintain a healthy weight (according to your body type), green tea can come as a savior only if it becomes a staple in your daily diet. So, if you are also looking to work on symptoms of unhealthy weight gain like irregular blood sugar levels and high cholesterol levels, which can lead to more severe complications like heart disease and diabetes, consider drinking green tea daily and help yourself do the work to lose those extra pounds.

How Does Green Tea Work for Weight Loss? 

Here is how green tea aids weight loss and why it is one of the most perfect pre and post-workout beverage, a fresh and healthy substitute to those sugar-laden, carbonate energy drinks. Let’s take a look.

Contains Beneficial Compounds that Can Help Lose Fat 

While exercising and eating a healthy diet may be effective, drinking green tea will act as a natural stimulant that can speed up weight loss. One of the compounds present in green tea is caffeine. Although a cup of green tea contains relatively less caffeine than a cup of coffee, it is still enough to give you a great rush of clean energy, minus the jitters.Caffeine is a well-known natural stimulant that has been proven beneficial to aid fat burning and improve physical endurance and exercise performance. But what really makes green tea outshine in your weight loss journey is the presence of antioxidants called catechins, most importantly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) - a substance that is known to boost metabolism.

Helps Mobilize Fat from Fat Cells 

If you are working on your weight loss regimen, one of the most important factors is that your body must first break down the fat stored in fat cells and move it into your bloodstream. The main antioxidant in tea called EGCG can help inhibit an enzyme that breaks down the hormone norepinephrine. When the amount of norepinephrine increases, it promotes fat breakdown and hence, promotes weight loss.

Boosts Your Metabolic Rate 

Do you know your body is constantly burning calories? Even, when you are sleeping. This is owing to the multiple functions that the body has to keep running, regardless of what we are doing. So, there have been studies done where green tea extracts or drinking green tea have been proven efficient in making you burn more calories. Several studies suggest that green tea can boost metabolism and help people burn 3–4% more calories each day.

Regulates Blood Sugar Levels

We all know that an increase in blood sugar can make you gain weight. High sugar levels can allow your body to store glucose as fat and also, lead to unhealthy cravings and a drop in energy levels. But drinking green tea regularly can help regulate your blood sugar levels. It works by limiting the total amount of carbs absorbed by your body after a meal, which ultimately improves sugar metabolism.

Lowers Bad Cholesterol Levels

If you have high cholesterol levels, make it a habit to drink green tea. Studies show that green tea lowers fasting serum total and LDL cholesterol ( bad cholesterol) levels in adults.

A Gentle Note

We have said this time and again, that weight loss is not a magical journey and there is no such potion that will help you achieve your health goals, without the need for physical exercise and a decent diet. So, pair your cupful of the best green tea for weight loss with some regular exercise and a balanced meal, starting today. But before that here are some prerequisites that you should know of following a green tea diet. Let us help you with some additional details! 

How Much & When Should You Have Green Tea? 

Start by drinking as little as 2-3 cups of green tea per day. On a green tea diet, start the day with a cup of green tea. This will help you wake up and on the other hand, the antioxidants and vitamins will also help jump-start your immune system. 

And, later your second and third cup should come right before each meal. It will make you feel more full and hence, you don’t tend to overeat. Just combine it with a healthy diet and a dedicated exercise regimen. People who struggle with sleep should avoid having green tea close to their bed time as it contains significant amount of caffeine and though, it is jitter-free energy rush, it could keep you up.

Right way to Use Green Tea

We understand that you are on a weight loss mission and you are all about that green but it also means that you should be able to choose good quality green tea which doesn’t compromise on flavor and freshness. These are the two things that we prioritize at Vahdam, hence we recommend you to try Vahdam’s best green teas for weight loss. Some of the best-selling green teas for weight loss are our Lemon Spiced Green Tea, our Mint Melody Green Tea, and if you want an assortment - then go for the 60 days Green Tea Detox Kit. Also, here are a few things you can do to maximize the effects of green tea and also unlock its taste.

• Do not use boiling water. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Ideally, the temperature of the water should be between 160 and 180 degrees at best. 
  
• Do not steep green tea for more than 2-3 minutes. The more you steep, the bitter will be your tea. So time it!
  
• If you are a beginner, you can add lemon juice to your green tea and a teaspoon of honey in your green tea to improve its taste.
  
• Do not gulp the tea but sip it slowly allowing its fragrance and flavors to fill your mouth.

Choosing the Right Green Tea 

If you’re all about that green, we highly recommend Matcha green tea—the richest green tea source of nutrients and antioxidants. Or, you can also buy Vahdam’s 30-day green tea kit that is a set of 6 of the unique Green Tea blends namely, Organic Himalayan Green Tea, Mint Melody Green Tea, Chamomile Mint Citrus Green Tea , Sweet Himalayan Green Tea

Lemon Ginger Green Tea and Moringa Tulsi Green Tea.

Conclusion 

The truth will remain that drinking green tea alone wouldn’t make much of a difference in weight loss. It is definitely a weight-loss elixir, but you'll need to stay committed on regular exercise and balanced meals to see significant results. So start today!

Until next time,

Cheers! 

Heena Mahajan
Contributing Wellness Author for Vahdam India