Info imaging health

People have been drinking green tea for health promotion for well over 4,000 years. Medical research has confirmed what the Chinese have been saying for centuries: that green tea contains special health preserving and revitalizing power. It can speed up metabolism, keep your hunger pangs at bay, and keep you feeling refreshed all day long.

If we already know about this super drink, then why are the sales of soft drinks and Starbucks continuing to rise? My guess is that green tea is not one of the buttons people can choose from on a vending machine. We want convenience, but then we complain that we are getting fat and sick. Here's the answer, plain and simple. Stop the insanity and start drinking the tea!

Green tea contains more powerful antioxidants than any other product on the market. Even Raisinets! (I say that because it is amazing how the makers of candy try to insult our intelligence by boasting health properties on their packages!) At any rate, antioxidants prevent free radicals from harming our bodies. This is important for our overall health and well-being.

Caffeine is a stimulant that is present in green tea in much smaller amounts than in black tea or coffee. In small amounts, it can be an excellent energy enhancer, but it is best to limit one's intake, as excess caffeine consumption is unhealthy. Have you ever drank so much coffee that you get the jitters? That is not a good sign. You will not get that feeling from green tea, no matter how often you drink it. Too much is never a problem.

Not to get too hung up on ingredients, let us take a look at the health benefits of drinking green tea. It is a good thing to be aware of what a beverage is made of, but you do not want to spend all of your time analyzing instead of drinking. No one ever asks for the ingredients of a Big Mac, but people gobble them up knowing it is unhealthy. You already know green tea is healthy, so focus on that instead of what is it made of.

HEALTH BENEFITS #1: WEIGHT LOSS
Green tea extract increases metabolism, reduces cravings and aids in weight loss. Green tea may safely increase daytime metabolism as much as 30-40% and increase energy production, as well as a significant fat burning effect. If you have been struggling to lose weight, this should be enough to make you want to start drinking green tea today!

HEALTH BENEFITS #2: ANTI-STRESS
L-Theanine is a natural relaxant and is an amino acid found in green tea. It produces tranquilizing effects in the brain, which diminishes stress, worry, and anxiety. It also allows the brain to focus and concentrate better. You will not get a drowsy or groggy feeling either. It simply calms you by helping to increase electrical brain activity commonly present when you are relaxed.

HEALTH BENEFITS #3: BALANCES CHOLESTEROL
Green tea lowers the bad LDL cholesterol while increasing the good HDL cholesterol. It also reduces blood pressure, reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes and acts as a blood thinner. In a recent study, green tea extract prevented cancer of the breast, lung, liver, prostate, skin, esophagus and colon in animals. Drinking two or more cups of green tea a day may reduced the risk of breast cancer by 50 percent and the overall risk of all cancers by ten percent.

HEALTH BENEFITS #4: LONGEVITY & ANTI-AGING
Those who drink green tea often demonstrate a lower mortality rate than those who do not drink it. Why? One reason could be that green tea stimulates the immune system.

HEALTH BENEFITS #5: BONE HEALTH
The regular consumption of green tea can both reduced risk of osteoporosis while reversing pre-existent bone degeneration.

HEALTH BENEFITS #6: ORAL and INTESTINAL HEALTH
Drinking green tea protects teeth and gums from disease and kills oral bacteria that cause cavities and bad breath. The polyphenols in green tea even promote the growth of friendly bifidobacteria in the intestine, improves digestion and prevents gastritis and stomach cancer.

I am sure there are probably even more health benefits associated with drinking green tea, but you get the idea that it is more than good for you. Before I became a green tea drinker, I had chronic asthma and allergies, low energy and I was 70 pounds overweight. Green tea did not cure everything, but it is one of the main reasons I am now medication free and no longer overweight.

If you are suffering from any of the problems I had, or any listed above, start drinking green tea. You will be amazed at how much better you feel, both mentally and physically.

About the Author:

Bill Winch is a Personal Wellness Coach whose mission is teaching and coaching others who are struggling with getting healthy, losing weight safely and keeping it off for good. He is also a Certified Business Growth Specialist, former High School and College Business Educator and Counselor, and mentors from his home office in Rochester, NY. If you are interested in receiving his Free Report "9 Weight Loss Myths Exposed" visit his website by clicking on FREE REPORT or by calling him directly at (585) 271-3767 for a free wellness consultation.