Copyright (c) 2007 Marcus Stout
It seems that many of us are dieting today. And, we're always
looking for ways to make dieting easier and more effective. Of
course, we know that diet and exercise are critical components of
any weight loss or weight maintenance program, but there are some
other tricks you can use to help make your dieting more
productive and less restrictive.
Build muscle
When we think of exercise to lose weight, many of us think of
aerobic exercise for burning calories and fat. And, it's true
that aerobic exercise is very important to weight loss and to
having a healthy heart. However, building muscle is also critical
to losing weight and keeping it off. Muscle, even when at rest
burns more calories than fat. So, a person who has a lot of
muscle needs more calories just to get through the day than a
person whose body composition is more fat than muscle. By
building muscle, you make your body a calorie burning machine, so
you can eat more without putting on weight.
We're not talking about becoming a body builder. Just 20 minutes
of strength training 3 times each week will help you tone up and
build muscle. Not only will you burn more calories each day, but
you'll also change the way your body looks (for the better) and
make your body stronger.
Drink Tea
There has been an abundance of evidence showing that drinking tea
has many health benefits. Tea, particularly green tea, has been
shown to prevent some forms of cancer, help lower cholesterol and
prevent heart disease. It may also help regulate insulin levels,
and may even prevent debilitating illnesses like Parkinson's
disease and Alzheimer's disease. The trick is the
anti-oxidants.
Green tea is different from black tea in the way that it's
processed. Black tea is fermented, while green tea is left
unfermented, in its more natural state. This lack of fermentation
protects the healthful anti-oxidants in the tea. Anti-oxidants
are critical for preventing disease and premature aging.
As our body converts the food we eat into energy, free radicals
are created. If these free radicals are left unchecked, they
damage our cells and DNA, which eventually leads to disease.
Anti-oxidants combat the free radicals to prevent the damage they
can cause. Green tea contains EGCG, one of the most potent
anti-oxidants you can find.
Green tea also seems to have the ability to boost your
metabolism. All caffeinated beverages raise the metabolism
somewhat, but green tea seems to raise the metabolism even more
than other caffeinated beverages, though its actual caffeine
content is lower than black tea, coffee or soda. Green tea also
seems to promote thermogenesis in the body, which helps burn
fat.
And, the best news is that green tea is well tolerated by most
people who have trouble with caffeine. Its caffeine does not
seem to cause the jitters that many people experience from
caffeine in other forms. Green tea appears to have no side
effects, even if you drink large quantities.
One interesting study on the effects of green tea on weight loss
was conducted by the Shizuoka University in Japan. In this study,
female mice received supplements of different combinations of
green tea powder with caffeine, green tea catechins and theanine
(another green tea component) in their diets or they received the
same diet with no supplements for a period of 16 weeks. Their
weight was measured monthly.
Over this four month period, the mice who received supplements of
green tea powder, caffeine and theanine showed reduced body
weights when compared with the mice who received only green tea
catechins and when compared with mice who did not receive
supplements. In addition, the mice that received green tea with
caffeine and theanine had significantly less fatty body organs,
by as much 50%. In addition, the mice who received green tea
powder with theanine had significantly lower serum cholesterol
levels.
So, what does this mean for us?
Well, the reason that laboratory mice are so often used in
medical experiments is because their body composition and their
responses to medicines often closely mimics that of human
responses. So, it's reasonable to assume that if green tea
components can impede weight gain in lab mice, it can do the same
for us.
And, the best news is that even if you don't see significant
weight loss from drinking green tea, you're doing something
healthy for your body. Green tea is far healthier to consume than
coffee or sodas and provides the healthful anti-oxidants that
your body needs.
Successful weight loss and maintenance requires a combination of
efforts including exercise and a healthy diet. However, learning
the little tricks, like drinking green tea can help make dieting
easier and more successful. Plus, by adding green tea to your
diet you may be preventing serious illnesses and reducing the
effects of aging.
http://yogihealth.
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Marcus Stout is President of the Golden Moon
Tea Company. For more information about tea,
(http://www.goldenmo
green tea (http://www.goldenmo
and black tea go to http://www.goldenmo
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