The market is practically flooded these days with pills and potions designed to boost metabolism and help unsuccessful dieters shed those last few unwanted pounds.
Unfortunately, these claims are often erroneous, and many of the products that inspire hope in so many can often be downright dangerous, containing high doses of caffeine that can affect normal heart rhythm and function.
Further, many products act as diuretics, which can change the reading on the scale temporarily but can also have dangerous health consequences such as fluid and electrolyte imbalances.
Rather than waste money on weight loss gimmicks, you may want to take a trip down the tea aisle. Numerous teas are available that not only provide antioxidant support, but can also aid in weight loss when combined with a healthy diet.
Four such teas that can boost weight loss efforts include bilberry, oolong, green tea and dandelion.
Bilberry tea, thanks to its naturally sweet and fruity flavor, helps keep sugar cravings at bay. This tea is also noted for its ability to balance blood sugar levels, which also helps keep that mid-afternoon sweet treat temptation under control.
Oolong tea and green tea are similar in that both naturally contain caffeine, which helps speed up metabolism and thus, burns calories. However, the caffeine content in and of itself is not the sole reason these teas are popular bases to many weight loss tea blends. When compared to heavily caffeinated beverage drinkers, oolong and green tea drinkers often continue burning calories long after the caffeine’s effects have worn off.
Researchers aren’t sure as to the exact mechanism in these teas that make them such potent weight loss beverages, but the Ancient Chinese have praised both teas for their weight loss and fat-burning benefits for centuries.
Dandelion tea can act as a natural gentle diuretic, which aids in removing waste and toxins from the body. Drinking dandelion tea before a meal has been found to stimulate gastric secretions that aid in fat and cholesterol breakdown.
Drinking these teas alone will aid in weight loss, however, adding thermogenic ingredients will further boost calorie-burning potential. Thermogenic compounds boost body temperature and thus stimulate energy expenditure. Natural thermogenic ingredients that work well in teas include:
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Cardamom
- Cayenne and Black pepper
Any combination of these ingredients can be combined to create super slimming teas with the added benefits of potent antioxidants. To brew your first batch, select the tea leaf combinations you care to use along with a few thermogenic ingredients. Keep in mind that many of these are rather potent, so a little goes a long way. Allow to steep in boiling water for at least five minutes, or longer for a stronger taste.
Remember, if you choose to sweeten your tea, opt for natural low-calorie sweeteners such as pure stevia or monk fruit extract. Avoid artificial sweeteners at all costs, and if you must have honey, choose only organic raw honey and use it sparingly.
-The Alternative Daily
Sources:
http://www.thedailymeal.com/10-best-teas-weight-loss/010914
http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2014/03/herbal-teas-for-weight-loss-2914068.html
https://suite.io/cindy-ausbrooks/4a7m2ay
http://www.livestrong.com/article/404063-how-to-make-homemade-weight-loss-tea
http://www.teasetc.com/tea/article.asp?ID=1
http://www.livestrong.com/article/296696-dandelion-tea-for-weight-loss
