Healthy weight loss is mainly determined by the habits you establish each day and how they reinforce your desired results. Although adjusting your lifestyle to work towards your fitness goals may seem like it’s based on the elimination of your favorite unhealthy foods, try to reframe your mindset to appreciate the foods that you can and should be eating instead of focusing on what to avoid. The evening time can be a breeding ground for bad habits such as binge eating and drinking. But there’s one dietitian-approved hot drink for your bedtime routine which will help you to lose weight effectively and keep it off: ginger tea.
To learn more, we spoke with Lisa Richards, registered nutritionist and creator of The Candida Diet, about the benefits of ginger tea for weight loss.
Ginger tea
Ginger tea is great for weight loss and sleep according to Richards. She explains that in order to achieve weight loss, sleep should actually be a top priority and could be the one thing standing in the way of your goals. "We now know that sleep and metabolism have a greater correlation than we often realize. During the REM portion of sleep, our metabolism ramps up and our bodies burn more calories. This process can be enhanced by consuming certain nutrients or food compounds before bed. Hot drinks are a great way to get in these metabolism-boosting ingredients before bed while also helping us relax in preparation," she says.
Incorporating ginger tea into your bedtime ritual will help to boost your sleep, in turn, enhancing your body's ability to lose weight by speeding up your metabolism. Richards notes, "Several studies have shown ginger's impact on speeding up our body's calorie-burning capabilities along with additional benefits like improved blood sugar and cholesterol levels." A metabolism boost is great for weight loss as it helps to burn more calories and maximize your body's energy stores.
When you prioritize sleep, your body will have more energy throughout the day, giving you more strength in your workouts which is a key part of weight loss. In a study monitoring athletic performance in collegiate basketball players who were getting 10 hours of sleep a night, it was found that the students became more athletic and experienced increased energy after focusing on their sleep. While your goal is not likely to become a collegiate athlete, having more energy in your day will allow you to live more comfortably and easily lose weight as your body has the proper fuel to function.
Bottom line
If you're working to integrate more healthy habits into your routine for weight loss, ginger tea will soon be your secret weapon. Not only does it contain a multitude of nutrients and antioxidants to ease inflammation, increase digestion and boost your metabolism, but your sleep will also benefit, and you'll find yourself waking up well rested and ready to make healthy choices throughout the day. Forget about a nightcap to send you off to sleep--ginger tea is your key to success heading into 2023.
