Have you added green tea to your diet? The health benefits of green tea are enormous. Green tea is loaded with antioxidants and nutrients that have numerous benefits to the body, including fat loss, lowering your risk of cancer, and improved brain function.
One of the more powerful compounds in green tea is the antioxidant Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG), which has been studied to treat various diseases and may be one of the main reasons green tea has such powerful medicinal properties. And, it also contains flavonoids and catechins – these antioxidants can reduce the formation of free radicals in the body, protecting cells from damage. Plus, green tea contains caffeine, which acts as a stimulant that can help improve brain function as well as speed up your metabolism, helping with your weight loss goals. Green tea also contains the amino acid L-theanine, which increases dopamine production, which can help calm you down, counteracting the “jitters” from the caffeine.
For your fitness regime, green tea is has shown to increase fat oxidation by up to 17%, and increase physical performance by up to 12%.
Interested in an easy recipe to help you get started adding green tea to your diet?
Spiced Green Tea Smoothie
- 3/4 cup strong green tea, chilled
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Juice of 1 lemon (2-3 TBSP)
- 2 teaspoons agave nectar
- 1 small pear, skin on, cut into pieces
- 2 tablespoons fat-free plain yogurt
- 6-8 ice cubes
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Drink cold. Makes 2 servings.
Nutrition Information: Serving Size: 1, Calories:82, Protein: 1g, Carbohydrates:21g, Fat: 0.2g
More information on the benefits of green tea can be found here. Recipe from Health.com
