What is one of the best-kept secrets to staying slim in Asia? Drinking teas for weight loss!
Tea time tradition is found in many cultures around the world, especially in Asia since tea originated from China.
Teas are chock full of health benefits, and a peek into the Asian tea time culture reveals yet another hidden gem in the battle to lose weight!
Can drinking tea make you lose weight?
Teas have a high amount of naturally occurring flavonoids that help to boost your metabolism and break down fats more quickly.
The caffeine in most teas can also increase your energy, enabling you to burn more calories.
These two factors combined make teas a great drink for weight loss, especially when combined with a healthy, clean eating lifestyle.
In Asia, sweet desserts are usually paired with tea. Not the cream and sugar-laden variety, but just tea leaves brewed in hot water to bring out their earthy flavors.
This delicate balance of the sweet and slightly bitter flavors actually works well to curb your cravings for sugar so that you consume them in moderation!
Next time your sweet tooth gets in the way of your diet, try this little trick of alternating sipping traditional tea and taking a bite of your sweets, and feel your cravings melt into thin air!
Without further ado, here are the 6 scientifically proven best teas for weight loss:
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6 Best Teas for Weight Loss
1. Pu-erh Tea
Pu-erh tea is a type of Chinese black tea. It is a fermented tea and ages like fine wine!
Pu-erh tea is known for its earthy aroma and subtle sweetness, and is prized for its many health benefits including promoting digestion, metabolism, weight loss and lowering cholesterol.
A study on men given pu-erh tea extract capsules versus placebos found that those taking the pu-erh tea capsule on average lost about 2.2 pounds (1 kg) more than the placebo group after three months of daily consumption (1).
A similar study done on rats concluded that pu-erh tea extract has antiobesity effects that suppress weight gain (2).
If you are looking for a tea that’s good for losing belly fat, another study on pu-erh tea showed that it can help reduce the visceral fat within the abdominal cavity and also lower cholesterol (3).
I learned about this tea during a trip to Yunnan province, China, where it originated and is processed into compressed tea cakes or bricks.
The longer the pu-erh tea cake is aged, the richer its nutrient density and flavor.
Pu-erh is one of the best teas for weight loss and is best consumed about an hour after meals so that it can help to remove excess grease from your body.
2. Matcha Green Tea Powder
Matcha is a type of powdered green tea that is mostly grown and processed in Japan.
The numerous incredible health benefits of matcha range from detoxifying the body, promoting weight loss and skin health to giving your body lasting energy without the crash (for 5+ hours)!
Matcha is the best food source of antioxidants known as catechins, and studies have shown that consistent catechin consumption leads to reduced body fat and potential prevention of obesity (4).
The best green tea for weight loss is undoubtedly matcha, and you’d have to drink 10 to 15 cups of regular green tea to equal the number of nutrients in one cup of matcha!
Ceremonial grade matcha is the highest quality green tea powder made from the youngest tea leaves and has been used in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies for centuries. It has a vibrant green color with a delicate, sweet taste and superfine texture.
Encha offers a premium “latte-grade” matcha using first-harvest pure organic matcha grown in the Uji mountains of Kyoto, Japan. This matcha powder is greener and smoother compared to lower-quality culinary matcha.
If you are just starting out, try this inexpensive organic authentic matcha that is also sourced from Japan.
3. Chai Tea
Chai tea contains a powerful combination of spices that work together to promote natural weight loss and fight inflammations.
The cinnamon in chai tea is well known for its ability to increase the metabolism of glucose and control blood sugar (5). Given that high blood sugar levels can lead to increased storage of fat by the body, cinnamon helps prevent this increased fat storage and therefore helps you lose weight.
A study on mice also showed that Cassia cinnamon was particularly effective in reducing abdominal fat (6).
Ginger is another common spice found in chai tea that is chock full of health and weight loss benefits. A study found ginger may boost your metabolism by up to 5 percent, and increase fat burning by up to 16 percent (7).
A 2012 study published in the journal Metabolism found that people who drank a hot ginger beverage with 2 grams (about ½ teaspoon) of ginger powder after meals have reduced feelings of hunger for up to 6 hours(8).
What’s more, chai tea is usually prepared with cow’s milk or soy milk, both of which are good sources of protein.
Increasing your protein intake is one of the best ways to maintain a healthy weight long-term as protein helps to reduce hunger and boost your metabolism.
For best results, steer clear of cafe sweetened chai teas. Brewing your own homemade chai latte with organic hand-roasted chai spice mix is the most effective way to extract its weight loss and other health benefits.
Alternatively, you can also use this convenient sugar-free chai tea powder and add your own water, milk, and honey for a powerful tea for weight loss.
Bonus Tip: use Lactaid milk to reduce the sugar content in your cow’s milk and for better digestion.
To learn more about the 20+ fat burning spices that helped me to lose my first 10 pounds in a month without working out or starving myself, check out my 21-Day Slim Down Challenge.
4. Oolong Tea
Oolong tea is a traditional Chinese tea that is neither black tea nor green tea. It is processed by withering the plant under the strong sun and partially oxidized before curling and twisting.
The unique aroma and flavor of oolong tea depend on the oxidation level and processing technique of the tea producer, and these differences are often compared to the differences between fine wines!
Oolong tea was found to reduce the weight and body fat in a study on overweight human subjects that drank 8 grams of oolong tea daily for six weeks. The researchers concluded that consuming oolong tea may improve fat metabolism and prevent obesity (9).
A small study gave a group of men either water or oolong tea for a period of three days. The metabolic rates of these men were then measured, and it was found that oolong tea raised energy expenditure by 2.9% or the equivalent of burning an extra 281 calories per day (10).
Another study found oolong tea to be good for losing belly fat as it decreased inflammation and abdominal (visceral) fat in mice that were fed a high-fat and high-sugar diet (11).
I’m partial to the oolong tea from Taiwan as I grew up with its amazing aroma. The famed Dongding mountain is known for producing this quality prize-winning oolong tea.
5. Herbal Teas
Herbal teas are made from infusing a blend of herbs, spices, or other plant-based material in hot water. They are usually caffeine-free and therefore are perfect teas for weight loss to drink late in the day.
TURMERIC GINGER TEA
Turmeric is one of the best spices for weight loss and optimal health. The curcumin in turmeric has been shown to block fat cells in mice fed a high-fat diet (12).
In another study, turmeric has demonstrated its ability to turn ‘bad’ white fat cells into ‘good’ brown fat cells (13).
Combining turmeric and ginger delivers a one-two punch in your fight against unwanted body fat!
While most people may not like the taste of turmeric in a tea, this turmeric ginger blend adds a citrus twist to make this tea highly palatable without sacrificing the health benefits!
PEPPERMINT TEA
Peppermint Tea is a refreshing pick-me-up afternoon tea or post-meal tea.
Did you know that by just smelling the scent of peppermint you can experience a decrease in appetite and hunger cravings!
In a study by Wheeling Jesuit University, 40 subjects were asked to inhale peppermint every 2 hours for 5 days and then given placebos for another 5 days.
During the week they sniffed the peppermint, they consumed 1800 fewer calories (14).
So go ahead and smell and sip on this refreshing peppermint tea throughout the day!
Or if you prefer the aromatic smell of peppermint, try this therapeutic grade peppermint oil along with an elegant essential oil diffuser with soothing colored lights.
There you have it, a variety of scientifically proven teas for weight loss that you can add to your day to curb cravings, boost metabolism and fat burn!
Drinking these teas alone won’t’ likely get you to your dream body without a healthy, clean diet.
If you are looking to eat clean for weight loss with a done-for-you meal plan complete with shopping list and meal prep instructions, check out my 21-Day Slim Down Challenge.
You’ll learn how I lost my first 10 pounds in a month without working out or starving myself, using fat burning spices and healthy greens that have been used for thousands of years in traditional Asian medicine to maintain a healthy body and weight!
Sharing is caring! Have you tried these teas or other teas for weight loss? Comment below!
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