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.

Short of quitting smoking, weight loss is probably the single most important factor determining the quality and duration of your life. Weight loss is often treated as a quick fix or short term goal. The key to successful weight loss is making changes in your eating and physical activity habits that you can keep up for the rest of your life.

The first step needed in natural weight loss is to adapt to new eating habits and to not rely on diet drugs. Today diet and weight loss is successfully achieved through a change of lifestyle and eating habits rather than a two week quick fix.

Make sure that you eat a well balanced diet:-
Eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Remember, a glass of fruit juice counts towards your recommended daily allowance.
Choose a variety of lean meat, poultry and fish, these are all good sources of protein. Nuts, seeds and pulses are a good source of fiber.
Avoid eating deep fried foods as they are high in fat and low in nutrients. Use alternative ways of cooking your food, eg boiling, grilling, poaching. Opt for low fat or fat free foods. Allow yourself a treat occasionally.
Follow a calorie reduced, but balanced diet that provides for as little as one or two pounds of weight loss a week.

Thousands of people are losing weight the natural way by harnessing the power of natural herbs and supplements such as cayenne, green tea and garcinia gambogia.

Cayenne also known as chili pepper, paprika and red pepper helps with blood circulation. A few studies suggest that chemical compounds in cayenne have the ability to increase the body’s heat production, whereby increasing the rate of metabolism of fats and carbohydrates. It is also used as an appetite suppressant.

Green Tea is used in the process of detoxification. By removing the toxins from the body it allows the body to release the excess fat, resulting in a natural weight loss.

Garcinia Gambogia contains Hydroxycitric acid (HCA). HCA is similar to acid that can be found in citric fruits. It has been reported that it may assist in weight loss because of its ability to regulate metabolism

Water is a natural appetite suppressant; aim to drink at least 8 glasses a day.

The second step is to embark on an exercise regime.

Experts say exercise is an important component of any weight loss program. Exercise increases your heart rate and helps with your blood flow. Try aerobics, swimming or even skipping to increase your heart rhythm. There are several benefits of exercising, it makes you flexible, strengthens your muscles, helps to keep you balanced and makes you feel good.

*Increase Your Flexibility. Yoga, gymnastics and karate are good sports to make you more flexible. Also try some gentle stretches.
*Strengthen your muscles. Try push-ups, pull ups, rowing and running.
*Keep your body balanced. Your body needs a certain amount of calories to function, if you are not active and exercising you do not need as many calories. Eating more calories than your body needs and not exercising will increase your weight.
*Makes you feel good. When you exercise your brain releases a chemical called endorphins which makes you feel happier.

Please consult your doctor before beginning an exercise or weight loss program.
If you feel any discomfort or pain when you exercise, do not continue.

The path to improving your diet, exercise habits, and weight loss is not easy and takes commitment and determination. Quick weight loss is very unhealthy and dieters should opt for healthy gradual weight loss instead.

Remember:- If you do not exercise, you are expecting your diet to do all the work for you.

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

Dawn Robertshaw has written numerous articles and ebooks on coping with life in the 21st century. For more free articles, tips, advice and a range of health and relationship targeted information products in written and audio form for immediate download visit us at www.InThe21stCentury.com

Safety is a concern with weight loss supplements. This is particularly true with prescription medications, where the powerful medications can have disastrous, unexpected results.

One example of this is the fen-phen disaster, where the diet pill fen-phen caused heart damage. Many hundreds of people suffered damage to the heart valves, some requiring surgical replacement of the valves and causing lifelong health problems.

But even over-the-counter supplements can be dangerous. One example is ephedrine. Ephedrine was widely promoted as a weight loss and energy supplement.

While the benefits were modest, the risks were high. Ephedrine raises blood pressure, and its use led to heart attacks and stroke. It was banned for sale in the United States in February 2004.

But not all supplements are dangerous. There is one supplement that you should be aware of that is safe and effective. It is called DHEA (abbreviation for dehydroepiandrostenedione.)

DHEA is a hormone, made by the body, that helps with metabolism of fats. Levels of DHEA peak at around age 20 and rapidly decline after age 25.

DHEA has been the subject of a great deal of scientific research. One of the most interesting studies was done at Washington University School of Medicine (Effect of DHEA on abdominal fat and insulin action in elderly women and men: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2004 Nov 10;292(18):2243-8.)

They studied a group of elderly patients who were given DHEA as a supplement. They each took 50 mg. of DHEA per day. What they found was that those that took DHEA lost visceral fat (visceral fat is fat that surrounds our internal organs) and abdominal fat (abdominal fat is the fat that gives us a saggy belly and a “beer gut.”)

Why is this important? Because people that have higher levels of visceral fat and abdominal fat tend to have more heart attacks and strokes. They also tend to have more high blood pressure and diabetes, which is known as the “metabolic syndrome.” So not only does abdominal fat ruin your figure, it ruins your health.

Can you be sure that DHEA is safe? Yes, DHEA is safe. It is a substance that is identical to what your body makes. You have high levels of it when you are young, and it declines when you age.

So when you take DHEA, you are just replacing what your body is no longer making. There are no side effects and no known risks to taking it. It is available in health food stores without a prescription.

This is a supplement that you should consider if you are trying to lose weight and become fit. It won’t do the whole job for you. You still need to have proper diet and activity that is right for you.

But DHEA will help take off some of that abdominal fat, and it may help you avoid complications like diabetes and heart disease. Consider using it as part of your program of permanent weight loss.

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

Dan Curtis, M.D. can help YOU lose weight. Sign up for our free newsletter: Dr. Dan’s Super Weight Loss Tips, Tricks and Secrets. It’s free! Click here– www.superweightlossplan.com/newsletter/