Green tea for weight loss: These green tea varieties are real slimming and have a particularly healthy effect
Obesity has been increasing rapidly in Germany in recent years. More than half of all women and over 65% of men weigh too many pounds, most of them have an above-average BMI index of 25, which is classified as overweight by the World Health Organization. A frightening statistic, because it is well known that obese people suffer more often from cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure. Obesity can also trigger diabetes and even cancer. It is particularly important for young people to have a healthy BMI mass. Because overweight adolescents can develop a metabolic syndrome. There are many reasons for gaining weight, including a lack of exercise, an unhealthy diet and increased sugar consumption. If you want to lose weight in a healthy way, you should therefore rely on exercise and a healthy diet plan. In recent years, green tea has become an important part of the diet plan.
In order to get a little closer to the dream figure and the healthy BMI index, many people rely on crash diets and strong calorie reduction. If you want to lose weight quickly, you risk a yo-yo effect. It is therefore much better to change your diet slowly. Anyone who prepares a healthy meal three times a day and drinks calorie-free drinks during the breaks is on the right path to losing weight. Several tricks come to the rescue here. Green tea, for example, is considered a real slimming product and can stimulate the metabolism. We explain to you how you can lose weight with green tea and reveal why the tasty drink has an effect.
Green tea for weight loss: this is the effect it has on our body
Green tea has been known as a medicinal plant for more than 5000 years. Green tea has a strong antibacterial and immune-boosting effect. The medicinal herb is rich in antioxidants that can effectively trap free radicals. It promotes digestion, stimulates metabolism and accelerates fat burning. Green tea can also help convert food energy into body heat, which allows the body to burn more calories than usual.
Green tea also scores with a high caffeine content and is therefore considered a healthy alternative to coffee, which gives us an energy boost in the morning. Caffeine stimulates the metabolism and, in combination with the L-theanine amino acid, can increase fat burning. Studies have shown that green tea also has a positive effect on the sugar metabolism and is therefore ideally suited for the prevention of type 2 diabetes.
Green tea for weight loss: this is what you need to pay attention to when buying
So that the positive effects of the tea can develop better, you should pay particular attention to organic quality when buying. This is very important, because inferior quality resulting from cultivation with pesticides and insecticides can be harmful to health. In addition, you should always compare the price before buying, because loose tea qualities are often cheaper than tea in tea bags. Other important information that must be listed on the package includes:
- The variety, cultivar, date of manufacture and year of harvest and the exact composition should be listed on the packaging.
- Airtight packaging guarantees that the contents are protected from light and moisture. By the way, you should keep the tea airtight and protected from light even after buying it.
- Organic teas come from cultivation without pesticides and are considered a healthy variant.
In contrast to black tea, green tea is made from unfermented leaves. The freshly picked leaves are roasted and briefly heated or steamed. In this way, the active ingredients are not destroyed by oxidation. Various varieties of green tea are available in stores. It is often made into an extract in powder form and can be found in both pills and capsules. In Asia, mainly in China and Japan, however, it is traditionally made from leaves. Since the tea becomes bitter in the boiling water, the Japanese first bring water to a boil and then let it cool down to 80 degrees for 5 minutes. Then let the tea steep in hot water for 2 to 3 minutes.
It is worth changing the variety more often in order to supply the body with as many useful ingredients as possible. In addition, the golden rule applies to consumption: Do not hope for quick results. The first positive effects can only be felt after two weeks of daily consumption. Therefore, most nutrition experts agree that the tea is good for the body and can complement a healthy eating plan.
Green tea: an overview of the best types of tea for losing weight
Nowadays there is a wide variety of teas to choose from. But which ones are particularly good for your health and which ones can help you lose weight? We give you an overview. Green tea is made in China, Japan, and parts of India. In Europe, the Japanese varieties are particularly popular. They differ greatly from one another as they are obtained from different parts of the plant (buds, leaves, etc.). Accordingly, each type of tea has different ingredients. That is why the experts recommend, instead of just choosing one type, to drink 1-2 cups of three types throughout the day. In this way, more vitamins and antioxidants are supplied to the body.
Sencha green tea: The perfect slimming product
Sencha green tea is very popular in Japan. The tea is considered to be of very high quality and is made from young leaves and buds. The plants are grown in open fields and the tea leaves are exposed to strong sunlight on a daily basis. The shoots are almost exclusively hand-picked by humans and then processed into tea. To stop the fermentation process, the leaves are steamed for 20 seconds and then dried. Only buds and young leaves are processed. Specific to the tea is its grass-green color, by which Sencha can be recognized immediately. There are three harvest seasons: spring, late summer and autumn. The following rule of thumb applies: The best tea is made from the leaves that were collected during the first picking in spring.
But in terms of taste, the slimming device is not for everyone – it has a bitter taste that you have to get used to first. It is precisely these bitter substances that are supposed to suppress the appetite. A 250 ml cup of tea in the early afternoon gets your body going and gives you the energy you need for a late afternoon workout. The preparation of Sencha green tea is very easy. You bring water to a boil, then let it cool to 60 degrees and let the tea leaves soak in the water for 2 minutes. The only specialty of the preparation is the steeping time, which should not exceed 2 minutes.
Sencha tea at a glance:
- High quality tea from Japan
- The taste varies depending on the harvest time and the climatic conditions. The best Sencha teas have a slightly bitter taste.
- The harvest season begins in spring
- Has a caffeine content of over 60 mg per serving. In comparison, coffee contains over 110 mg of caffeine per serving, almost double that.
- Mainly provides the body with antioxidants.
- The recommended daily consumption is one 250ml cup in the afternoon.
- Sencha tea is quite high in caffeine.
Green tea for weight loss: Bancha tea keeps the body fit
The popular Bancha tea is enjoying increasing popularity in Europe. In Japan it has long been one of the most popular varieties because it contains many trace elements, including iron. It contains less caffeine than Sencha and is considered the only type of green tea that can be drunk in the evening without having a negative impact on sleep. The tea is cheaper on average. Its low price comes from the somewhat later harvest. It is suitable for daily consumption. As for the taste, Bancha scores with a sweet, very mild taste. Bancha is drunk twice a day – once after lunch and once after dinner. So it can stimulate digestion and metabolism.
Bancha tea at a glance:
- Inexpensive alternative to the expensive Sencha tea
- Suitable for daily consumption, we recommend a 250 ml cup of tea after lunch and another 250 ml cup of tea after dinner
- Harvested later as Sencha, the second picking makes a particularly tasty tea.
- Contains important trace elements
- Has significantly less caffeine per serving – only 42 mg and can therefore also be drunk in the evening.
Green tea for weight loss: Genmaicha tea ensures a satisfactory feeling of satiety
Genmaicha tea is another interesting type of tea. It is made from roasted tea leaves and grains of rice (brown rice). The type of tea scores with a very pleasant, strong aroma and was mainly drunk by the poor population between meals. Because the green tea makes you feel full and at the same time contains almost no calories. The tea can also raise body temperature and boost fat burning. It is the perfect alternative to Sencha tea and can partially replace it.
Genmaitcha tea at a glance:
- Inexpensive type of tea
- Suitable for daily consumption and can replace Sencha tea 1-2 days a week
- Contains roasted rice grains, hence its specific taste
- Can be combined with other types of tea, for example matcha tea
- After a cup of Genmaicha tea, you will quickly feel full.
- Is drunk between meals.
Matcha tea: A healthy green tea for weight loss
Matcha tea is perhaps one of the most famous teas in the world. The tea variety gained popularity several years ago and has enjoyed great interest ever since. It is considered a real slimming product and is rich in vitamins and antioxidants that have a positive effect on the complexion, hair and body. In contrast to the green tea varieties already mentioned, Matcha is not suitable for daily use, but can provide variety 4 times a week. You can make a tea infusion, but matcha tea is also great to add to smoothies.
Matcha tea at a glance:
- High quality tea that was drunk by the Japanese nobles during tea ceremonies
- Made from the leaf meat
- Contains many vitamins, amino acids and catechins
- Has a very pleasant fresh aroma
- Sold in powder form
- Has a high price, but matcha tea packaging can be used for 3-4 months if the dosage is correct
- Not suitable for daily consumption. It is best to add matcha powder to the smoothie in the morning
- Has a very high caffeine content of more than 270 mg per serving (compared to coffee, where the caffeine content is around 120 mg per serving)
Other popular green tea blends that stimulate metabolism
Several special types of tea mixed with other ingredients can also be found on the market. So it is not uncommon to find a green tea blend. We have selected the best two for you:
Green tea with ginger
Green tea tastes particularly delicious together with ginger. At the same time, ginger regulates the feeling of satiety and softens the strong aroma of green tea. Batcha tea can be combined particularly well with ginger and lemon.
Combine green tea with mate tea and pu-erh tea
Pu-Erh is a Chinese type of tea with a red-brown color and a slightly spicy taste. It is made from the same plants as green tea, but processed differently. Tea mushrooms are added to it during fermentation. When buying, you should pay extra attention to organic quality, because in the past, researchers found pesticide residues in laboratory tests. Above all, Pu-Erh tea is said to have a healing effect. The mate tea stimulates the metabolism and thus helps to burn calories. This tea is drunk cold, this is the only way to fully develop the positive effects.