Green Tea — Weight Loss.
Lots of people want to know if there’s a connection between the two.
So what’s the answer?
Does drinking green tea lead to weight loss?
Not So Fast, Buster
Well, it really isn’t so simple, this issue of gaining and losing weight.
Body image, body size…green tea of all shapes and sizes.
Scientific experiments and intimate human experience. The short answer to your question is: we’re not yet sure, but our sources point to yes.
Green tea extract has been shown to increase human metabolism.
Normal green tea consumed as a liquid isn’t quite as concentrated as its extract, but some of the effects still apply to green tea drunk as a beverage.
What causes this increased metabolic effect?
Well, it isn’t just the fact that green tea contains caffeine.
When researches applied caffeine in similar quantities as it occurs in green tea to test subjects, they did not experience the same increase in metabolism as when subjects consumed the green tea extract.
At present, scientists hypothesize that the increased metabolic effect of green tea occurs as a result of the complex interaction of the different compounds contained in green tea including caffeine but also including amino acids, flavonoids and perhaps some compounds that are still not yet fully recognized by science.
Green Tea Can Probably Help
Intuitively, both you and I know that drinking green tea isn’t just going to lead to either of us shedding pounds with ease.
That’s just not how weight gain and loss work.
However, as part of a more general program of healthy living, green tea can absolutely support and enhance any weight loss program you’re currently pursuing.
In addition to the positive chemical benefits already recognized by scientists, green tea has also been reported to calm nerves and increase brain functioning in those who drink it.
But consider for a moment the deeper context in which Matcha is traditionally consumed: the Japanese tea ceremony.
In a world heading forward at breakneck speed, the tea ceremony stands as a massive example of a slower, more sanely paced way of life.
And if, perhaps, you’re stuck in the crazy speed of the life you’re loving, almost anyone can find a little time to stop and sip a cup of tea slowly and with attention, can’t they?
Weight gain has many sources, but much of the unconscious eating people engage in–usually with foods that aren’t good for them–comes about as a result of not paying attention, being present and slowing down.
To the degree that green tea contains chemical compounds that help elevate human metabolism and reduce hunger pangs, that’s wonderful.
However, there are more green tea weight loss benefits to be had than mere chemical reactions in the body.
Drinking green tea provides you with an opportunity to tap into the same impulse that led the Zen monks to develop the Japanese tea ceremony.
When you drink green tea, you are invited to pause for a moment and know stillness.
If you combine the ample scientifically verifiable benefits of green tea drinking with the profound invitation to stillness that rests at the heart of the Matcha ceremony, you have the real recipe for green tea weight loss.
So, by all means, drink your green tea!
But try drinking your green tea and taking a moment to yourself to connect with the stillness within.
Your calm center can help you move with power in the world.
And if moving with power looks to you like losing some weight, then I’m sure that can be part of the deal as well!
