Due to the popularity of recent findings, green tea has almost become synonymous with weight loss and diet. The addition of green tea diet into diet pills and weight loss supplements is perhaps spurred by reports of harmful side-effects of other drugs like ephedra.

Why Choose the Green Tea Diet?

For four thousand years, green tea has been used all throughout Asia as a beneficial health and medicinal drink. It is different from all other tea diets because its liquid is extracted by steaming the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant as opposed to full oxidation. In this way, the green tea diet manages to preserve a lot more antioxidants and keep them intact for the body to use.

The green tea diet is an excellent source of polycatechin polyphenols, a group of antioxidants that act on free radicals. These free radicals have harmful effects on the body since they are the major causes of diseases and aging. With polycatechin polyphenols, a person has a better chance of avoiding ailments and keeping himself healthy for a much longer period of time.

Another antioxidant in the green tea diet is also being studied as a potential cure for cancer. Epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG found in the diet has been discovered to destroy cancer cells while keeping surrounding healthy cells unharmed.

The EGCG also acts with another compound, caffeine (a small amount of this is found in green tea). The interaction of these two compounds causes the diet to promote thermogenesis in the body.

It has been noted by a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that with the consumption of the green tea diet, the body’s total 24-hour energy expenditure is increased by up to four percent. This is roughly equivalent to losing more than 10 pounds of weight a month.

The diet helps increase the body’s metabolic rates. With its thermogenic properties, it is only natural that it can also promote faster metabolism of fats and sugars. Excess glucose found in the body is turned into fats by the hormone insulin. Because green tea has an inhibiting effect on insulin, it therefore helps keep sugar from being stored as fats and instead, send them directly into the muscles for immediate use.

The Downside

Although the diet has a reputation for boosting health, scientific proofs of its health benefits are still somewhat mixed. However, in an article published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, American researchers collaborated with their Chinese counterparts to discuss the beneficial effects of green tea diet on cholesterol levels.

Using 240 men and women (average age 55) who possess mild to moderately high LDL cholesterol levels, the researchers instructed them to retain their usual low-fat diet, green tea diet intake, and activity levels. After twelve weeks, it was found that those who consumed the green tea diet extract with their regular meals lost more than fifteen percent of their total LDL cholesterol levels.

Although the researchers never explained how the green tea diet may influence cholesterol levels, previous studies have shown that certain compounds play a role in reducing the amount of cholesterol absorbed by the body, increasing amount of cholesterol excreted, and thus keeping cholesterol from being stored in the liver.

Subsequent studies were made to test the findings of the first group of researchers. Their results were contradictory. They found there was no significant effect on the cholesterol profiles of their subjects.

There is no such thing as a miracle diet. The green tea diet like all other diets needs a lot of work and input from those who enroll in it. It requires both discipline and determination for it to make any significant impact on your weight loss goals.

Article Source: http://www.dietarticles.info

Julie Health writes about weight loss with green tea. Feel free to learn more benefits of drinking green tea.

With so many diets on the market today, sometimes it is difficult to know which one to choose. But, truly, diet is the key word that should convince you that the Atkins Diet is a plan that will result in weight loss and maintenance for life.

The problem with many diets and the reason why so many of them fail is that they fail to address the problem of what to do once the ideal weight has been achieved. This is not so with Atkins.

In this plan, the dieter is not only given the keys and advice that they need to lose weight, they’re also given the tools they need to keep that weight off. The Atkins Diet not only looks at this as a journey to a desired weight, it sees the need for the dieter to entirely change the way that they look at food and eating.

The Atkins Diet incorporates an education about foods and their effects on the body. In learning these effects, the choices for food consumption will be drastically different when the plan reaches the stage of ideal weight than it was at the beginning. In this way, the dieter has a much better chance of keeping the weight off.

In the beginning, there is a time period of dramatic limitations on food choices. That’s not to say that there are none, but the choices are limited. For some of that time period, you may be hungry some of the time, and the diet will not allow you to satisfy that hunger. That alone will tend to turn people from the diet.

But, the weeks following this are filled with gradually putting back some of the foods that were cut in the beginning. These foods will be put back gradually and in smaller amounts, but they won’t be denied forever.

Another part of this diet that may be considered a problem is that it requires a large amount of self-control.

Unlike programs like Weight Watchers, there are no meetings, there is no community of people that you can turn to for support. You are ultimately in control of how closely you follow this diet, which can be trying at times. When you are hungry, but are only allowed to eat certain foods, it may be difficult to resist temptation.

Self-control for some may also be a positive. If there are no groups and no meetings, there are no weigh-ins that can be embarrassing for some. Also, with the Atkins Diet, you are ultimately in control of what you eat. There are no meals created for you. You are not restricted to frozen pre-packaged foods that come along with the diet. You are free to eat whatever you like as long as it follows the correct carbohydrate count.

The biggest benefit to it is that it will provide the dieter with a new outlook on food. The successful dieter with this plan will achieve their ideal weight and be educated as to how to keep the new healthy lifestyle they’ve attained.

Article Source: http://www.dietarticles.info

Ken Black is the owner of www.Weight-Loss-Discovery.com, a site with lots of information about losing weight. Visit our Healthy Weight Loss Blog for the latest on how to lose weight.

There are many people that are trying hard to lose weight and often there are questions that come to mind. If you have questions about losing weight then read on to find the answers. Following are several of the most frequently asked questions having to do with weight loss and dieting.

What should my weight be?

Remember that every person is different so beware of following health charts that you find. Usually you can find the best answer to this question by asking your doctor. Your BMI body mass index is actually more important than just your weight.

What diet will help me lose the most weight?

There is no one diet that will be the best for losing weight. You need to be sure that you eat a healthy diet and also be sure that you are eating fewer calories than your body burns daily if you want to lose weight.

What is the best weight to keep off weight?

It is important to lose your weight slowly. About one to two pounds a week is usually best and those that lose weight slowly have a better chance of it off. If you make changes in the way you eat and exercise you will build a long term plan that can help you keep weight off for the rest of your life.

Is obesity related to diabetes?

Obesity can be related to diabetes. Obesity has been proven to increase the risk of many different health problems. It has been found that people that are overweight are at a greater risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.

Is there a way to decrease the amount of sugar I take in?

One way to cut the amount of sugar you get is the fairly obvious way of cutting candy and other sweets out of your diets. You can also check the labels of what you eat looking for fructose and sucrose that may be in the products.

Should I weight myself every day?

No, you should only weight yourself weekly. Remember that the scale is not as important as how your clothing fits. Even if the scale is not moving, but you are going down in clothing size you are doing something right.

Is exercise important?

Exercise is very important. While you do not have to exercise to lose weight, exercise does make it easier to lose weight. There are many things you can do to burn calories like cleaning your home, walking, swimming, or even dancing.

What actually is a calorie?

Calories are how energy is measured. The amount of calories in a food is the amount of energy that food contains for your body to use when you eat it.

If I don’t change my diet can I still lose weight?

Sometimes you can lose weight without changing your diet by increasing exercise. If your diet is unhealthy you want to change your diet to promote long term weight loss. If you combine a healthy diet with exercise you will see the best benefits.

Can I eat fish while dieting?

Yes, you can eat fish while dieting. Fish is a great food that is low in fat and contains a high amount of protein. Eating fish often can be very healthy for your body.

Article Source: http://www.dietarticles.info

Resources of diet and weight loss programs can be found at: www.dietandweightlossprogram.comand here. blog/book