Drink Tea To Lose Weight Part 1
Zambia
I am very excited to be writing this post for you today. We are talking about tea. I really didn’t know much about tea until a couple years ago when I spent part of my summer in some of the most remote places in Africa doing missions work. I was in South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. It was an amazing experience all around, but one of the things that they did over there that was new to me was drink lots of tea! I grew up with many different herbal teas, but I had no idea there were so many other kinds. The most popular one was Rooisbos tea. I began to learn about all the benefits that these teas had to offer.
About 5 months ago I met a woman named Maleah from Madison who began taking my MamaTone classes. She was in love with tea and had started her own tea company called Cha Cha Tea and found exotic leaves from all over the world. Each day she would bring in a different type of tea for everyone to try out! It was amazing the different type of flavors there were and all natural!
She doesn’t use tea bag like I am use to, but rather tea leaves which are suppose to give a much fuller and strong flavor. Green tea has been in the media a lot lately about its weight loss properties. There definitely is some research to show that it will increase the metabolism a little bit. It won’t cause a huge weight loss overnight, but is one small 
step in the right direction. I think the biggest benefit tea has to offer though, is an alternative to all the calorie laden drinks out on the market. Many people have a hard time just drinking water all the time. All natural teas provide an alternative that is 100% natural and has 0-5 calories! Being able to substitute soda (even diet soda), fruit juices, and coffees for tea will cause the greatest fat loss results.
Green tea is just one of the many different kinds of teas out there to try!
If you are interested in getting some amazing teas be sure to check out Maleah’s website and support a local small business and get exotic teas that are hard to find anywhere else. I do receive a commission, so not only will you be helping Maleah out, but you will be helping me fund more projects to help more people! So please check out Cha Cha Tea and mention that I sent you!
I asked Maleah to write an article about weight loss and tea, so here it is!
Who knew that drinking tea burns calories? Two to three cups of green tea per day can kick up your metabolism by 80 calories per day. It may not sound like a lot, but when you’re trying to lose weight, every calorie counts. Besides that, green tea contains other healthy compounds that provide all sorts of healthy benefits, including slowing the aging process.
As for the metabolism part, there is a plant chemical found mostly in green teas called EGCG (it stands for epicgallocatechin gallate). Studies have shown that consuming 300mg of EGCG a day can promote a mild metabolism boosting benefit.
But before you rush out to load up on bottles of green tea drinks from the market, check the labels carefully. Many are sweetened (adding lots of calories or artificial sweetener). In fact, I saw one bottled “green tea” drink in the market that touted its calorie-burning benefits, even though it contained only 55 mg of EGCG per 16 ounce bottle. That means you’d have to drink six of those 16-ounce bottles in one day to have the same benefit from three cups of brewed green tea. (Plus those six bottles would cost a lot more than 3 servings of loose green tea!).
Tea Leaves being picked in Kenya
Don’t worry too much about getting the jitters from drinking green tea. Though it does contain caffeine (50 mg vs. 137mg found in a cup of coffee), the caffeine in green tea is surrounded by plant chemicals (called tannic acid compounds). They slow the release of green tea’s caffeine into the bloodstream, thus resulting in fewer feelings of agitation or jitters which many people experience from drinking coffee or other caffeinated drinks.
Recent research has found that green tea is good for you because it helps protect the body’s levels of HDL cholesterol, or “good” cholesterol. Results have been equivocal regarding green tea and weight loss, with recent rigorous studies indicating there was no benefit and some older studies suggesting there is.
If you like green tea, by all means drink it because it contains a host of compounds like polyphenols that act as anti-oxidants and work to help prevent heart disease and some studies have indicated it may help with preventing some cancers. More studies have been conducted on green tea, but because all true tea: white, green, oolong and black come from the same species, Camellia Sinensis, they all have potentials for being equally healthful.
White, green, oolong, and black tea leaves, when made into a cup, also contain the “relaxing” amino acid called L-Theanine, which increases the alpha brain waves that make us feel calm but alert. These polyphenols don’t seem to be in herbal teas and it is unclear how much is retained in decaffeinated teas.
Tea, like wine, comes in hundreds of varieties so there is a tea for everyone. Loose teas provide more flavor, freshness and an authentic tea experience. Experiment and have fun with tea!
If you are interested in learning more about teas or would like to try some out, please check out Cha Cha Tea!
Filed under Healthy Snacks, Nutrition by admin
Comments on Drink Tea To Lose Weight Part 1 »
Maleah Moskoff @ 7:14 am
Great blog Dustin! I want to mention that ordering tea is as easy as emailing me or calling me. I’m happy to answer questions and help tailor an order to your tastes.
Nancy @ 7:49 am
Great article Maleah! I can vouch for Cha-Cha tea, it is excellent! With weather in the upper 80’s and reaching the 90’s this week, iced tea sounds cool and refreshing. I imagine that part 2 may touch on fun ways to eat/drink tea, but I wanted to share the idea of using tea as a low-cal popsicle. This is one that I have successfully made for my kids. I haven’t tried the green tea, just the herbal, fruity ones–and you can add fruit (blueberries/strawberries/raspberries/melon). Fruit does float to the top (which is actually the bottom of the popsicle) so if you want it in the middle then you need to fill 1/2 way and freeze and then fill the rest of the way.
Becky @ 8:19 am
Thanks so much. I drink 2-3 cups of tea a day and after checking out Cha-Cha Tea’s website, I’m excited to try Maleah’s store
Mom @ 8:35 am
Awesome posting, Maleah!! I’ve asked Dustin about you and your reference to organic teas in past blogs….can’t wait to get back to Madison and visit your shop! Have briefly visited your website and it is FULL of great info-can’t wait for more time to do it justice; especially appreciated your info regarding the caffine issue in green tea since I really don’t get any caffine other than green tea and am leery of the decaffinating process. Am looking forward to Part 2!
Nancy, love your popsicle idea-do you use any sweetening?
Debbie @ 9:26 am
And if anyone is in the Appleton (Fox River Valley area) FAVA TEA out by the mall is great for loose tea.
Nii Wilson @ 9:51 am
Love this post Dustin. How was Zambia? Looks beautiful and relaxing. your blog is a helpful gift to many
Melissa @ 10:49 am
Excellent post! Maleah, what do you suggest for someone who wants to try tea but prefers sweet drinks such as soda or cappuccino?
julie @ 11:05 am
Great info. Like Melissa, I have started liking the vanilla lattes, any thoughts on what tea to try? I agree too that this summer iced teas sound very refreshing–thanks for a great reminder and the website info!!!
Karen @ 11:37 am
I LOVE the idea of burning 80 calories per day simply by drinking some tea. Who wouldn’t want to do that, right? Unfortunately, I’ve never liked the taste of tea.
Just in case my taste buds change, I try drinking tea (the free stuff here at work) a couple of times per year. Still no luck. Ideas?
Drink Tea To Lose Weight Part 1 | Dustin Maher Fitness | tea information @ 2:20 pm
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JMJ @ 7:19 pm
Great post. I’m a big fan of green, white, black and red teas. Gotta love all the antioxidants they all deliver. Everyday there is another reported health benefit from drinking green tea. Last month it was reported to help treat leukemia, and recently it was reported to help treat prostate cancer. I encourage all my clients to drink green, white, black and red teas. The amino acide L-theanine also helps to curb your appetite, so it’s great to drink in between meals or w/a meal to prevent over-eating.
JMJ @ 3:40 am
Great post. I’m a big fan of green, white, black and red teas. Gotta love all the antioxidants they all deliver. Everyday there is another reported health benefit from drinking green tea. Last month it was reported to help treat leukemia, and recently it was reported to help treat prostate cancer. I encourage all my clients to drink green, white, black and red teas. The amino acide L-theanine also helps to curb your appetite, so it’s great to drink in between meals or w/a meal to prevent over-eating.
Sorry… forgot to say great post - can’t wait to read your next one!
Suzen @ 8:58 am
I met Maleah at a Dane Buy Local event and bought some of the Cha Cha Roobios tea. It was so yummy and I’m looking forward to purchasing more!
Maleah Moskoff @ 9:52 am
To answer the tea popsicle question: no sweetener! High quality loose tea really doesn’t need it and kids don’t seem to miss it,but a splash of 100% fruit juice could be used. I have so many great options for coffee drinkers. Tea does not have to be a think watery drink and can actually rival coffee in boldness and full mouth feel. I recommend the Organic French Breakfast, Organic Golden Yunnan, Caramel Rooibos as well as the Organic Summer lemon black for coffee lovers. Experiment and have fun!
chachatea@mac.com
Dana @ 7:19 pm
I just started drinking green tea to help “encourage” my weight loss as well:-)
Just wanted to mention that since green tea is considered an anti-folate it can lower absorption (and levels) of folic acid when it is consumed in higher amounts (more than 1-2 cups a day from what I could find). Just an important thought for those of us who are pregnant or hoping to become pregnant in the near future.
I have upped my folic acid supplement and take it separately from the tea I drink.
Just a thought…
Rachel @ 11:30 am
I have been drinking tea for a while now and I like to add some lemon juice to my green tea and it tastes great! That might help some if they do not like the taste at first.
Maleah Moskoff @ 7:26 pm
Different types of tea demands being steeped at different temperatures so as not to be bitter or burnt. Timing is a factor too. Most green teas only want 30 seconds-1 minute of steep time. Simple guidelines will yield a better tasting cup!