Green tea is insanely popular these days, and all for good reasons. This beverage is hailed for its health values and is worth incorporating into your diet. In this post, you will learn some of the top benefits of green tea.
Hello, plums! Hope you’re feeling fine and healthy.
Today’s topic of conversation is the great green tea. The reason I’ve chosen this healthy, albeit slightly overdone fitness drink, has everything to do with how important a part of my life it is.
There’s a lot you can learn about me from this blog, but for the sake of this post, all you need to know is I am someone who struggled with a negative body image for the longest time.
During my fitness journey, there were several factors that kept me going strong. And at the forefront of that long list, was green tea.
Some might say it’s just a cup of tea. How good can it be?
My response?
A LOT.
And you won’t know the true benefits of green tea until you start drinking it yourself.
Today’s post is all about the top benefits of green tea that I discovered on my wellness journey. Let’s dive in.
7 Amazing Benefits Of Green Tea
1. It Aids in Weight Loss
The most popular benefit of green tea deserves to have the number one spot.
Green tea is effective for weight loss.
There is plenty of scientific research that backs this claim. It contains a type of antioxidant called catechin, along with caffeine. Both these C’s, when combined, help the body break down excess fat.
Now, I’m not a researcher but can speak from experience.
You will be delighted to know I found my weight loss picking up significantly once I incorporated green tea into my diet.
I want to clarify that I was not relying solely on green tea for weight release. I was exercising and eating healthier, but this green liquid certainly helped quicken the process.
So if you’re someone who’s looking to shed a few pounds, this might be a good reason to incorporate green tea into your diet. Some form of daily movement, combined with the benefits of green tea, might help you see good results.
2. It Soothes the Mind
Oh my, this is so, so true.
Green tea leaves contain theanine, an amino acid that has been found to calm the mind. And with so many stressful events happening around us, it’s helpful to have a go-to tea to soothe our senses.
My self-care routine always ends with me sitting primped-up in bed, with a cup of green tea in hand. The effect is always immediate. For the fifteen minutes when I’m sipping the tea, I let go of my stress and just enjoy the comfort of the presence.
My advice for a calming tea session
-Drink it when you are by yourself and can relax in isolation.
-Drink it while you’re curled up with a book. Though I know coffee is the ultimate hailed drink for all things books, a few sips of something green won’t hurt your beloved pages, I promise.
-If you have to work on your computer, sipping on green tea can help you stay relaxed, keeping the work stress at bay.
Speaking of work…
3. Green Tea Increases Your Focus Level
This tea is excellent if you’re looking to increase your focus.
The reason behind this might be the presence of caffeine in green tea. The amount is not as high as you’d find in coffee, but it’s sufficient to supply brain alertness and spike your focus level.
And the best thing is that it doesn’t even come with the edgy feeling that coffee often brings!
I say yay to that because coffee has ruined many nights of sleep for me, just because I couldn’t keep my hands off of the extra caffeine.
(Dang, but coffee can feel good too, right? But that’s a story for another post.)
4. Boosts Your Immune System
This is one of my favorite benefits of green tea. Making it a regular part of your diet could mean falling sick less often (and who doesn’t want that?).
The reason behind this might be the presence of antioxidants, which boost immunity levels.
I swear by green tea during colds and coughs.
When my senses are blocked by cold, a cup of this beverage relieves my body. It also helps me recover quickly.
So next time you catch a cold (which I hope you never do), try some green tea. Or actually, any tea for that matter. It helps.
5. It is a Perfect Detox Drink!
I’ll let you in on a secret: Every healthy decision I make somehow revolves around getting rid of toxins.
Seriously, if I need to motivate myself to run, I don’t bribe myself with promises of fat loss. Instead, I tell myself to do it to flush out the toxins in my body.
I consider toxin to be a type of poison (which it is, google it!). And nobody wants anything poisonous in their body.
Green tea is excellent for detox.
Why?
Because it flushes out the accumulated toxins from your body. You can always tell if a drink is really meant to detox you by the way it feels in your stomach. Green tea is super light on the body, so there might be a tad bit of truth to its detox popularity.
Seriously, can this tea be any more awesome?
….
It can.
6. Good for Hydration
It is extremely important to stay hydrated for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re a fitness enthusiast or not. Water is something everybody needs and should focus on getting in plenty.
I know so many people who very easily neglect to do that. If you’re one of them, I’m telling you that increasing your liquid intake can be a game-changer for you.
Since much of green tea comprises water, it’s a good source of hydration. Just think how better your daily water would look by simply adding 2 mugs of green tea to your diet.
Hope you’ll consider that as a super-important reason to get started.
7. Might Benefit Your Skin
I have used green tea skin-care products in the past. They have a glowing effect and feel really good on my skin. Now drinking green tea might be linked to skincare as well.
It might help fight acne, control oil on the skin, and slow down the aging process.
I can’t back these claims because there is so much my skin is sensitive to. I’m always screaming over a pimple that I got from something I shouldn’t have eaten. If I ate clean all the time, I might know better.
But since I love green tea, I assume it does my skin good rather than causing it harm.
So drinking green tea for skincare?
Check.
How To Make Green Tea (5 Different Ways)
I feel stupid for even writing this because I know many of you might already know how to make a simple cup of tea. You probably clicked on this post to skim through the benefits and get going.
But this section is for those few who are reading this as a first-time guide. And believe me, there will be such people because I was like that 3 years ago.
First, I recommend buying a good pack of green tea bags. I use Lipton green tea bags.
I have tried a lot of other brands, but I always come back to this one. The other ones are either too organic for my taste buds or don’t have the same effect on my senses as the good old Lipton.
For those of you who don’t take caffeine, you can go for the decaffeinated version of the same brand.
Now, here are several ways you can enjoy green tea:
1. Take it Plain
Duh, we already know that.
Okay! But I’m putting it in writing because this is my preferred method.
For the sake of elaboration (bear with me), boil some water, and add it to your favorite mug with a green tea bag attached. Wait for 3-5 minutes. Remove the bag. Enjoy!
No, you’re not allowed to roll your eyes.
(Just kidding, you can, since I’m not watching.)
SIDE TIP: To avoid a bitter taste, keep the water just shy of boiling (80ºC/176ºF). This is the proper way to make green tea. However, since I’m a little crazy, I boil it properly. I like my green tea bitter better (there you go, alliteration).
2. Add some Honey
This is for those who hate anything bitter. You can add honey to your green tea to make it sweet.
Honey is a natural sweetener, so you don’t have to worry about piling up on empty sugar calories. Still, try to keep it to 1-2 tablespoons, and you’ll be good to go.
Also, this is a great way to start drinking green tea. Initially, many people find it hard to adjust to the flavor, but later develop a taste for it. I started with honey, then was able to opt out of it after some time. The same happened with my mother and my best friend, so this really might be how you can get started too.
Adding honey can help make the experience sweet for you (literally).
Plus, you’ll make Pooh bear very happy.
3. Lemon to the Rescue!
The benefits of lemon are endless, and something I can write another post on. There was a time when I was obsessed with adding lemon to my hot beverages.
Lemon gives a special flavor to green tea and makes it smell even more heavenly. Both these things are high in antioxidants, so their combination is a perfect health drink.
4. Honey and Lemon together!
If you don’t want your cup to be too sweet on honey, squeeze in a few drops of lemon. See if you like the combination.
5. Add Mint Leaves To Increase The Benefits Of Green Tea
If you feel laziness weighing you down, I suggest you add mint to your tea (whatever kind we’re talking about.) Mint is rich in nutrients and it smells like freshness wrapped in leaves!
When to Drink Green Tea
I read several articles on this back when I was starting with green tea. Some claimed that drinking it first thing in the morning was a good habit, others suggested it was a horrible idea.
Though after several trials and errors, this is what worked out for me in the end:
1. Before Bed-Time
I am going to warn you on this one. There are claims that people who have trouble sleeping should not have green tea before bed. The caffeine in it can give you trouble sleeping, and we do not want anything in the world to be messing with your sleep cycle.
Why this worked for me is because I’m a writer, and am always brainstorming for new book ideas. Sadly, midnight is when my brain likes to slip into story-plotting mode.
But even when I have a normal sleep schedule, I do take green tea, and it actually helps me sleep better.
2. Before Exercise
I don’t always have green tea before my workouts. Sometimes I like to have a banana, other times I go for some soaked almonds. When I’m feeling lazy and need a high energy boost, I go for black coffee.
But drinking green tea half an hour before exercise is beneficial. It helps reduce soreness and muscle pain, and it’s so refreshing that you’d be in a good mood throughout your workout.
3. In-Between Meals
Green tea is a good replacement for snacks in between meals. I take some digestive biscuits with it if I’m feeling hungry. I like the combination. Test this out for yourself before building a habit.
4. While Working
As I already said before, I recommend sipping green tea to reduce work stress. While I love writing, there certainly are times when I need some calm and positive vibes.
My laptop and green tea together?
Match made in heaven!
When To Avoid Green Tea
Here are the periods during the day, when you might want to avoid green tea.
1. In the Morning
I tried taking some tea first thing in the morning and always felt nauseous. As I said already, I prefer taking it without adding anything, so that could probably be the reason. Even though my taste buds have come to enjoy the slight bitterness, it’s clearly not a good idea for me to wake up and greet my body with a bitter liquid.
2. With Meals
No, ma’am, we do not want to do this.
It might be tempting to balance out an unhealthy (or healthy, perhaps) meal with something healthy on the side. But I don’t recommend this.
Why?
It inhibits nutrient absorption! And that’s something that could cost your gut a lot.
I have already tried green tea with my meals (stupid me) and hated the funny feeling in my stomach afterward.
So, please don’t.
Green Tea Bonus Tips
Here are a few bonus tips for you.
1. Don’t start with a lot
What I mean by this, is that you should start with having a cup a day (or a cup on alternate days). Your body might not do well if you go all in. Plus you might also get sick of this new habit and just quit.
This happened to my mom. She was happier than a bee after switching her sweet black tea for a healthy cup of green tea, but she overdid it.
Now she’s back to drinking her regular tea, which she really enjoys and loves, so more power to her.
This brings me to my second tip.
2. Don’t force yourself
There might be various reasons why you want to start the habit of drinking green tea.
Weight loss, healthier lifestyle, stress relief, or maybe you’re looking to replace some other beverage you’ve been meaning to quit.
But do not be hard on yourself if you’ve been unsuccessful in adopting any of the healthy habits.
If something doesn’t work for you, drop it off instead of beating yourself. I always reinforce the importance of positive motivation to everyone. Don’t adopt habits that make you miserable, instead mold them to fit your lifestyle, and keep experimenting till you find the best fit.
Now, I want to hear from you.
What do you think about green tea as an everyday drink? Any more benefits of green tea that you’d like to add to the list?
Leave a comment below!
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