Internal inflammation is directly linked to insulin resistance and weight gain. But starting the day with an anti-inflammatory hot drink can offload the inflammation that leads to abdominal fat. “Including a cup of green tea in the morning with your breakfast and not on an empty stomach can possibly help with weight loss,” says Dr. Jennifer Stagg, naturopathic physician and author of Unzip Your Genes: 5 Choices To Reveal A Radically Radiant You.
What’s so special about green tea? It comes from the same source as black tea – the common type people drink with milk and sugar – but green tea is not as processed as black tea. Less processing means green tea contains more catechins. These are the parts of the tea plant that stimulate your body to release digestive enzymes that get right to work on breaking down food. They also inhibit body fat from accumulating. Green tea has caffeine that joins forces with the catechins to rev metabolism and increase fat burn.
So why do you need to have hot green tea in the a.m.? “It appears green tea should be consumed during the light phase – the morning - of our 24 hour circadian rhythm because that timeframe greatly impacts fat metabolism,” says Dr. Stagg. Take a supplement containing green tea extracted from the leaf or drink the recommended daily dose (10–50 mg) in 2 cups. Add a squeeze of lemon for zing.
Let us be clear: guzzling gallons of green tea isn’t going to transform your body overnight. But it’s a helpful addition to your overall health and wellness. Adding a cup to your healthy eating and exercise routine could help you ditch sugary drinks. Replacing high-calorie sodas, sugar-laden sports drinks and fruit juices with green tea is an instant improvement. Feel daring? Try matcha, a super potent, specially harvested, and most pure version of green tea that comes in a powder form. Feel like cooling off? Pour your green tea over ice.