Boost Your Metabolism By Drinking Green Tea

For thousands of years, people in Asia have been drinking green tea for medicinal reasons. Culled from the leaves of an evergreen shrub named Camella Sinensis, researchers still continue to analyze the properties of green tea.

More recently many Americans have begun adding green tea to their weight loss or fitness regimes. According to some studies, green tea contains natural components which enable more rapid calorie burn as well as loss of fat, particularly the type which tends to build up around the midsection of the body.

Although playfully referred to as "love handles," fat which targets this area is considered a potential health danger. It is often linked to many serious illnesses, including heart ailments, blood clots and diabetes.

Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D., renowned expert on natural health and nutrition, is a huge fan of green tea. In his essay, "My Life With Tea," Dr. Weil speaks of this drink with great conviction: "Green tea is perhaps the most healthful beverage human beings can consume. Studies either strongly suggest or confirm that the antioxidants in green tea can reduce LDL cholesterol, promote fat burning, reduce the risk of several forms of cancer and alleviate depression."

And it tastes really, really good.

Green tea may be something of a medical marvel, but it also comes in a dizzying multitude of flavors. A cup of green tea gives off a richly soothing scent. Hot or cold, regular or decaffeinated, green tea can be chugged over ice before a workout for an extra boost of energy, or sipped quietly at the end of a long day.

At the Harmony Tea Room in Westwood, tea parties are not just the domain of imaginative little girls. This inviting locale is perfect for parties, book club gatherings or lunches. Along with soups, sandwiches and other tasty treats, owner MaryAnn Bassett offers three uniquely flavorful types of tea:

• Sencha green, of Japanese origin, is made from leaves which are steamed, rolled into oblong curls, then dried.
• Genmaicha green, also from Japan, is made with roasted brown rice. Nicknamed "popcorn tea" because after drying, the rice kernels resemble popcorn.
• Jasmine green from Taiwan is lushly fragrant with jasmine blossoms.

Starbucks in Westwood serves it up hot, cold or blended. Choose from China Green, Chai Green Latte, Green Tea Lemonade or Zen Green Tea (sweetly blended with lemongrass and spearmint). Iced green tea is first brewed hot on the premises, then freshly iced and shaken by hand.

Nina Owens, owner of The Nature of Things in Westwood, keeps a selection of boxed green tea on hand to keep up with the demand of regular customers. "One gentleman always comes in after working out for our Yogi brand Muscle Recovery Green Tea," she said. "Other customers who are into exercise like the Yogi Energy Green Tea." The Nature of Things also carries LongLife's handmade organic green and green decaf, a nice alternative to mass produced teas.

Trader Joe's in Westwood offers seasonal Candy Cane Green Tea in bags, as well as Super Antioxidant, Jasmine and Cranberry Green. Trader Joe's Kettle Brewed Unsweetened Green & White Tea (with a hint of mint!) is a year round favorite. This perfect mixture of green and white tea has a fresh, light taste. Unlike some prepared teas, this one is unsweetened and has zero calories. Sold by the gallon jug, keep it in the fridge and drink freely.

The quaintly charming atmosphere at the Rolling Pin Café in Westwood is a perfect place to sip their naturally delicious Ginger Green tea. Served by the pot, sit-down cup or if you must, take it to go.
For many people green tea is more than a healthy habit. It is a gratifying ritual that begins or ends each day. The act of preparing tea is a calming one.

Expensive cups, tableware or teapots are not needed to properly enjoy your own relaxing tea-time. LN Grand/True Value Hardware in Westwood is an old-fashioned "general store" that sells a variety of charming teapots and cups at very reasonable prices.

Green tea is remarkably flexible. It can rev up the metabolism or soothe jangled nerves.
But whether you drink green tea for pleasure or purpose, most of all be certain to enjoy it!

About this column:

Westwood Wellness offers a look at what to do in the area as far as health and wellness is concerned. Andrea Kahn delves into a variety of wellness issues, including diet and exercise options. Want to see something in particular? E-mail michelle.sartor@patch.com.

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Green Tea Fat Burner - Know the Secrets

There are many people who want to lose weight and burn fat now. They no longer want the image of being part of an obese society which is why they do everything that they can in order to lose the excess pounds. Aside from disciplining and willing themselves into eating so much and religiously going to the gym for an hour of serious workout, they also take dietary supplements such as green tea which is now considered one of the leading fat burners. Yes, green tea fat burner may just be the answer to your weight loss problems.

Because green tea increases your metabolism, it makes you burn more fats in the process, thereby speeding the process of weight loss. It also aids in the slow release of carbohydrates in the body, therefore preventing the rise of the blood sugar levels and which in turn causes the body to burn fat. It is the ultimate fat burner for people who would want to lose weight. It is safe and it also has other good health benefits aside from weight reduction.

Green tea fat burner is something that people may want to consider including in their diets if they are serious about losing the excess weight. There are many studies that show that people who drink three to five cups of green tea a day are more likely to burn more fat and lose more weight faster than those who drink the same amount of coffee. It proven to be effective and safe and there have been no known ill side effects that have been brought about by taking it. Just make sure to couple it with a good diet and lots of exercise and the person will surely on his way to a healthier him.

Learn more about Green Tea Fat Burner, please visiting http://www.ddksyxx.com/health/green-tea-fat-burner---proven-and-tested/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stanley_Hardin 

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How to Lose Weight With Green Tea Herbals

Green tea is now used in many products all around the world especially within the weight loss industry and for product which are used as antioxidants. People that require a natural product to burn calories will not find anything to compare with weight loss supplements.

The effects on the human metabolism is quite amazing because it really slows down the process of aging if used over a long period by helping with cell regeneration, however, weight loss treatments using it rely on the laxative and toxin purging qualities of the plant that speed up the metabolism. The body's system is stimulated into burning more calories than usual, and will thus avoid useless accumulation of fat tissue.

This said, green tea weight loss supplements still need the help of the person using them because If you are eating lots of junk food every day without a physical activity the you will put on weight. Many people seem to believe that its use will solve all their weight problems but the fact you are taking the product implies that you are trying to improve your healthy by eating more healthily.

When prepared as infusion, this product should be used in the evening before going to sleep. Weight loss products containing this product take some getting used too and often there may be some bowel irritation for a couple of days but it will pass. Newer users of green tea weight loss products are more likely to see this effect as their body becomes used to the way it increases the metabolic rate riding it of the toxins and burning calories that normally turn into fat. If you maintain other parts of your diet which can be exercise plenty of water and vegetables results of using green tea herbals will be seen within a week.

Often green tea is combined with other products to work faster and one product is acai berry select, Used in South Africa for thousands of years. Acai berry is well known and respected there and provides essential vitamins and minerals for good healthy when combined with those already found in the product.

When acai berry is used in association with green tea it stimulates the immune system and fortifies the user, representing a valuable energy source, during the stressful period when you are returning to your normal weight. So far no adverse side effects have been discovered with tests of up to half a year showing good safety levels for products containing green tea and acai berry.

http://www.weightlossproffessionals.com the best weight loss informational website on the net.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_Ngashi 


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5 Ways to Speed Your Metabolism

By: Lisa Buldo

The key to speeding your metabolism is to re-ignite the furnace inside of you. The key is eating and exercising. You will never jump start your metabolism by not eating. Eating is absolutely key! Isn't that good to know? You must adapt a healthy way of eating before you begin to exercise, especially if you have been sedentary for a while.

You hear stories of people who go out to shovel snow, and have a heart attack on the spot. Many times it's because they weren't used to exercising the heart that hard, and the heart couldn't take it. For this reason, I believe it is important to get the nutrition down first. For speeding the metabolism, you need to do a few things:

1. Eat some protein at each meal to keep the body in calorie burning mode and your glycemic index as low as possible.

2. Drink half your body weight in ounces daily. It will help you detoxify daily.

3. Eat at least 2 large servings of dark leafy greens daily. (Preferably with lunch and supper). Green vegetables clean and deodorize our bodies, our blood, our tissues and our organs. Eat lots of greens if you want a healthy life!

4. Eat unprocessed, natural whole foods as much as possible. Processed foods only sustain life, but do nothing to promote health.

5. Eat organic foods whenever possible. They don't contain antibiotics and growth hormones.

Extra Bonus Tip

Once you have the nutrition down in just a couple of weeks, be sure to get the okay from your doctor to start an exercise program.

Start to incorporate exercise slowly. Never go gangbusters if you've been sedentary for a while. Ease into it, and increase by 5 minutes per day until you are comfortable with 20-30 minutes of aerobic exercise daily. Strength training and Flexibility are also a must!

You can do it. You will have more energy and you will feel great!

As the Founder and Executive Director of "Natural Whole Health, LLC", Lisa Buldo has a calling on her life to teach people how to be healthy through Nutrition and God's Word together. God wants each of us to be healthy and whole, which means nothing missing and nothing broken.

The company offers Individual, Group, and Corporate Workshops, as well as a selected series of lectures, in order to assist others in bringing health and balance to their lives by embracing simple solutions to health, nutrition, and lifestyle challenges.

Lisa Buldo, Holistic Health Counselor and "Your Holy Health Coach," Founder of Natural Whole Health, LLC. If you're ready to jumpstart your health, get your FREE tips now at http://www.LisaBuldo.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_Buldo

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Mario's Antioxidant Needs

To illustrate the antioxidant needs of a person, let's examine how Mario(a fictitious character) spends his week. Only the antioxidant requirements arising from his physical activities will be illustrated. Other antioxidant needs caused by other free radical generators like smoking and toxins will be omitted.

Mario's antioxidant levels on a weekday

The alarm clock rings and Mario wakes up. It's a Monday and it's time to go to work. He stretches and pulls himself up and starts his weekday..

Every time he uses his muscles, he spends energy. He gets this energy from ATP(Adenosine Triphosphate) produced mainly by the mitochondria of his cells(aerobic metabolism or respiration). The mitochondria processes food and oxygen to produce ATP and free radicals are natural by-products of this process. If antioxidants were not around to neutralize these free radicals escaping the ATP production, substances within the cell including the mitochondria and DNA could be damaged because of the free radical chain reaction. Free radicals are highly reactive, they steal electrons from nearby molecules which starts a chain reaction. About 10.000 oxidative hits to the DNA of each of his cells occur each day. When the DNA becomes damaged, mutations can occur which can possibly lead to cancer. That's how important antioxidants are inside Mario's cells.

Mario feels sluggish because of his weekend sports activities. His body aches especially the muscles involved in chasing and hitting the tennis ball with his racket.

He rides the bus in going to work, walks a block from the bus stop to his office building and takes the elevator to reach his office located at the 5th floor. There he spends most of his time behind his desk. That's his routine from Monday to Friday.

The amount of ATP's that his cells generate depends on his activities. The more he exerts physical effort, the more ATP is produced. The more ATP is produced, the free radicals generated also rises proportionately. Mario's body adjusts it's antioxidant levels to match the physical activities that it is used to.

Mario's antioxidant levels on weekends

Juan wakes up earlier than usual. It's a Saturday and it's his time of the week to play his favorite sport.

Upon reaching the tennis court, he does some stretching and light jogging to warm him up. He spends energy using ATP from his cells.

Replenishing spent ATP from his cells does not always require oxygen. The phosphagen and glycogen-lactic acid system are anaerobic metabolisms which does not require oxygen to manufacture ATP. We'll only focus on aerobic metabolism since this is the system which uses oxygen and hence free radicals.

The game begins and Mario's top spins are performing perfectly. His backhand top spins require more mastery though. He chases the ball and hits it back with his racket to the opposite court. Mario is having fun! All these require his muscles to exert effort and spend ATP. A few minutes later, he begins to breathe heavily.

Aerobic metabolism as the name suggests require oxygen to manufacture energy. The more ATP to be replenished, the more oxygen is needed to produce it. That's why Mario breathes heavily to let in more oxygen. The blood vessels of his muscles dilate the the blood vessels of his organs and other parts of his body constrict to allow more blood which carry oxygen to flow to his muscle cells. Muscle performance is the priority in Mario's present activity.

Several more minutes later, Mario begins to pant. More oxygen is required!

About 2% of the oxygen used in aerobic metabolism can produce free radicals. Therefore free radical generation arising from aerobic metabolism rises proportionately with ATP production. Mario's level of antioxidant defenses are used to the free radical levels of his weekday activities. This tennis game is far too strenuous and too much energy spending than what his body is used to during weekdays. His antioxidant levels can adjust for some fluctuations of antioxidant requirements but not this much. Certainly oxidative damage can occur in his muscle cells before it can be neutralized by antioxidants. Thanks to what his wife prepared him for breakfast which included some fruits and green tea with lemon - they contain antioxidants which can help Mario's natural antioxidant defenses, the damage caused by free radicals in his muscle cells was not too much.

Later, Mario begins to feel some soreness in his body. He doesn't mind it because he is having fun.

This soreness can partly be due to oxidative damage but our cells have repair enzymes to handle that. Some can be repaired and some cannot. Those that cannot be repaired can accumulate over the years make those cells perform less than normal.

The next day, the soreness of Mario's body becomes more pronounced and he takes a rest.

Mario's weekday activities is not a good practice

As you can see, Mario's sedentary weekday activities is a big contrast to his sport activity on a saturday. His body's antioxidant levels cannot adjust to the sudden change. His body can adapt to his sport activity during a saturday if he exercises on some other days of the week. It is also important to do it gradually so that his body can adapt a smooth antioxidant level adjustment.

Mario may not notice the bad effects it has on his muscle cells but since oxidative damage can accumulate through the years, the manifestations may be noticeable later in his life. An example of how oxidative damage can accumulate over the years are the wrinkles on the skin. If you have noticed, people who are often exposed to the ultraviolet rays of the sun have more wrinkles than people who are less exposed to it. That's because the sun's rays can cause oxidative damage to the skin and overtime these damages becomes more pronounced and visible.

Researchers have estimated that each of our cell suffers 10,000 DNA lesions from oxidative stress. On a saturday, Mario's DNA on his muscle cells can suffer more than that.

Protect yourself from oxidative damage with extra antioxidants

To have our natural antioxidant defenses perform well, we need to have a regular activity. That would be hard to accomplish since sudden changes of activity cannot be avoided. Running to the office so as not to be late for example. We are also exposed to different free radical generators like smoking, automobile exhaust emissions, sunlight and toxins we ingest from food. Even our own body's immune system produces free radicals to kill bacteria and viruses.

A good way to protect ourselves from oxidative damage thereby preventing disease is to have extra antioxidants in our body. One good source are fruits and vegetables. Five servings each day are recommended by the Cancer Society. If not possible there are many antioxidant supplements available in the market.

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