My wife and I received an email from a reader via our green tea website asking if green tea can help you lose weight.
I pointed her to the following article on our website:
Green Tea Ingredient May Promote Healthy Weight Loss
There has been research that suggests the Catechins in green tea may trigger weight loss by stimulating the body to burn calories and decreasing body fat.
Certainly I believe that green tea should be a part of any person's healthy lifestyle, whether you plan to use it as an aid for dieting and healthy weight loss or not. But, I don't believe that green tea is some magical solution to weight loss.
From my personal experiences with trying to maintain a healthy weight and diet, I have found that I typically tend to gain weight when
- I am emotionally stressed
- I am not maintaining a balance lifestyle
- I am not taking the time to enjoy my meals
- I am not paying attention to what I eat
These are perhaps common sense, but a lot of my fluctuations in body weight occur when I am stressed or really busy. It is at these times that I don't take the proper time to prepare good meals and sit down and enjoy them. I usually end up picking at everything I see all day long. This is the bad habit we all have to fight. I recommend slowing down during the day and preparing healthy, nutritious meals. Sit down and enjoy every bite. Eat slow and savor the meal.
While trying to lose weight, I never try to starve myself or go hungry. I just make healthier choices in the foods I consume and take the time to enjoy them. Essentially, I become more aware of my eating habits.
A lot of times there may be an emotional feeling / thought that has triggered unhealthy eating habits and weight gain. If that is the case, I cleanse my mind of any unhealthy thoughts and worries. Personally, I always find it is good to talk to someone about my thoughts and concerns. I also like to meditate and keep some good, heart-warming books with inspirational stories as well as CD's that help relax me and clear my head. And, of course, playing with my kids is always the best medicine :)
For me, green tea is a healthy daily beverage that is very relaxing and certainly a good part of any healthy diet and lifestyle. If green tea actually does help stimulate the body to burn calories, this is a great bonus. In general, however, we all just need to take better care of ourselves and one another. Make healthier choices in what we eat. Take time to enjoy our meals and lead a balanced life. Fill our minds with positive thoughts. God Bless.