Green Tea Health Benefits

In a study reported on in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition "research subjects who drank green tea as part of a controlled diet saw an increase in metabolic rate. The authors concluded that 3 or 4 cups of green tea could increase metabolic rate by 4% over 24-hours. That translates into burning an extra 50 to 100 calories a day." ~ Calorie Count and About.com Thyroid Disease.

Nutrition - 11 Benefits of Green Tea : Lowers blood cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, helps bones, reduces inflammation, etc.

Health Effects of Tea

I had stopped drinking the green tea due to its bitterness, but I've read the the higher quality green tea is more potent and tastes sweeter. I'm going to try it again, and I won' t be purchasing the dollar store green tea this time. I drink a few cups of inexpensive black tea everyday, and I think I'll mix it up bit with some fancy green tea.

Update 1/25/11: I ordered Gyokuro Imperial Green Tea from Teavana(Thanks Eva!). I automatically received $4.00 off the order, which was a nice surprise, so my order was about $20.00 including shipping. My birthday is this month; this will be a gift to myself. I'm hard to shop for, so I usually tell my husband that I'll pick out my own gift. He's making me a cake - homemade from the heart.

Dieting Success

I haven't posted much about recipes lately because I've been de-emphasizing food in my life while I diet. I love cooking and creating recipes, but it had gotten to the point in my life where my days were revolving around food. I had lost balance, so I've had to push it out of my life for a while. I've been eating very little, and very simply. Portion control and not baking has really helped. I was in such a state of lack of control that I felt I needed to leave my frugal zone and try Nutrisystem for a while. While it was pricey it helped me get back that balance. I love food just a little too much. It's not any one particular group of foods either. I love different tastes and textures. Variety is important for me. This is why the Nutrisystem weight loss program was a success for me. They offer all that taste and texture sensation in their foods and meal plans, so that it never gets boring. I did the diabetic Nutrisytem because I figured the extra protein and low carbs would be better for me. I've only been really hungry a few times. The diet has been fairly easy to follow.

I'm keeping up with the weight loss by maintaining that portion control that I learned, and continuing to follow the plan on my own. I found an older 1992 Nutrisystem cookbook that has been very helpful. I think it's the only one that has been published for following the plan on your own, or at least pointing you in the right direction with recipes and meal planning. I found a copy at my library.

The Nutri/System Flavor Set-Point Weight-Loss Cookbook


I've lost about 16 pounds so far. It's been slow going, but I have not been gaining back any weight, so that's success for me. I plan to lose another 18 pounds in order to get me within range of a normal weight for my height and build. This will be my pre-baby weight. My daughter is five years old, and I've been carrying this weight since she was born, and then some.

It has been an expensive weight loss journey, but I'm gaining back my health and control over my body. I quit Nutrisystem(prepackaged meals) after two months. This was enough for me to get back my balance, and gain an understanding of how I need to cook and eat in order to continue with the weight loss.