When it comes to a morning drink, my go-to option is almost always coffee—aside from water, of course. Let’s be real: Nothing beats the feeling of sipping a warm cup of joe to start the day right. Every time I drink coffee, I feel more energized and productive, ready to face the tasks I need to accomplish.
Drinking coffee is such a game-changer for me, but every once in a while I do find myself wanting to mix things up a bit. With that in mind, I considered other drinks to replace my morning brew. Kombucha, fruit juices, and smoothies were top contenders, but ultimately, I decided to try green tea.
For quite some time now, I’ve been learning a lot about the health benefits of this drink from the dietitians, nutritionists, and doctors I encounter in my line of work. I figured drinking it every morning for one week wouldn’t hurt and that it actually would be a good idea. Keep reading to know more about my experience and key takeaways.
Drinking Green Tea For One Week
Here's what happened when I tried drinking the Good&Gather Organic Green Tea every morning, for seven days:
It gave me energy.
Like coffee, green tea could also be a source of caffeine. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, "Green tea contains about 28 mg [of caffeine]." With the Good&Gather Organic Green Tea in particular, it had a "Caffeine level 3 of 5 (31-45 mg per serving)." Although the caffeine content of green tea is much less than one cup of coffee (approximately 95 mg), if I wanted a quick pick-me-up, green tea would still definitely be a good choice. It helped me stay awake and focused throughout the day, allowing me to become more productive as well.
It boosted my metabolism.
One of my key observations throughout this whole process is that my digestion improved. In the past seven days, I noticed that I barely experienced constipation or bloating. My stomach wasn't irritated at all despite constantly drinking green tea, and there was regular bowel movement too. As compared to other drinks, I didn't feel any discomfort in my gut whenever I drank green tea.
In fact, Dr. Josh Axe of Ancient Nutrition notes, "Green tea is a healthy addition to your diet since its consumption has been considered a natural metabolism booster for centuries thanks to special antioxidant compounds." Additionally, Dr. Nikola Djordjevic of Health Careers mentions, "Green tea is a magic drink loaded with antioxidants that can even prevent diseases such as cancer, tumors, high cholesterol, and heart diseases."
It helped me relax.
Cliché as it may seem, this drink was actually very soothing. Each sip felt like a good cleanse for the body. It reduced my stress and anxiety, and made me feel more calm. As someone who is usually an over thinker, this takeaway means a lot. To be completely honest, I might even try drinking a cup of green tea before bed!
Overall, drinking green tea every morning for one week was a pleasant experience. In general, I believe it helped my physical and mental health. Not gonna lie, coffee is still my absolute favorite, but I'm more than willing to switch to green tea every now and then.
