I hate to admit it, especially being a certified personal trainer, but I was hooked on Diet Coke. I'm not a coffee drinker, so I thought I needed a replacement drink for coffee to give me that morning buzz, that liquid kick-start. I knew drinking diet soda wasn't good for me, actually no soda is good for you and I really wasn't drinking it because it was a "diet" soda, I just liked the taste of it better than regular soda. I've read tons of articles on the negative effects of soda, especially diet sodas with artificial chemical sweeteners (the dangers of artificial sweeteners is whole other topic!), but I found myself living in denial.
I thought to myself hell, it's my only vice and how bad could a few a day be? But after some deep thought I realized that being a health and fitness professional and a firm believer that I should always practice what I preach, I knew I had to kick this bad habit. As with all bad habits, I knew this one wasn't going to be easy.
Like quitting any bad habit, be it smoking, not exercising or over-eating, the first step was to admit to myself that yes, I am a diet Coke addict. Then I knew I had to commit to change in my life and make myself realize the hard work I was facing to kick this unhealthy habit. Now I am also a believer in "moderation," which means on occasion having a diet Coke when I really craved it was OK, but the key is never to abuse this golden privilege.
In my quest to find a healthier beverage I discovered iced black tea (un-sweetened) and soon after started doing some research on Green tea. I was so totally blown away by the many health benefits of Green tea and since made iced and hot Green tea my new beverage of choice. I think after you have read the following you might do the same.
From all my research I did on Green tea, it's a clear fact that for centuries the Chinese have known about the many health and medical benefits of this extraordinary tea. To be honest it didn't come as a big surprise that the Chinese people were hip to Green tea, they have been way ahead of the curve in regards to preventative and alternative medicine for years.
Green (and Black) tea comes from the Camellia Sinensis plant. Research shows that Green tea is rich in Catechin Polyphenols, especially Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which is a proven and potent anti-oxidant.
The difference between the two is that the tea leaves are processed in very different ways. Green tea leaves are steamed which prevents the compound Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), also known as Epigallocatechin 3- gallate from being oxidized. On the other hand Black tea leaves are made from fermented tea leaves resulting in the Epigallocatechin gallate compound being changed. The change in the EGCG compound in Black tea greatly lowers the positive health benefits of the tea.
Centuries ago, the Chinese first used Green tea as a natural remedy to treat headache and depression, but over the past years research has proven that Green tea is an effective component in the treatment of several forms of Cancer. (Studies show that properties of Green tea aids in slowing the growth of cancer cells).
Green tea also is used as a treatment and helps the management of Cardiovascular Disease, Impaired Immune Function, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Infection, regulating body temperature.
A traditional use of Green tea is to control blood sugars in the body.
Researchers passionately support the evidence that the use of Green tea will help prevent the development of Type 1-Diabetes and slows the progression of the diseases once it has developed.
Green tea promotes proper digestion, improves mental processes, and medical studies suggests it slows the effects of Alzheimer's as well as Parkinson's Disease.
There is substantial research signifying that Green tea lowers total Cholesterol Levels and significantly improves the ratio of good cholesterol - HDL or High-Density Lipoproteins to bad cholesterol- LDL or Low-Density Lipoproteins.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study that was conducted at the University of Geneva in Switzerland that stated, drinking Green tea raises the metabolism and increases fat burning. Wow, what great news for dieters to replace that diet soda with a glass of iced or hot Green tea.
Drinking Green tea also reduces the risk of heart diseases, heart attack and stroke by diminishing the serious risk of Thrombosis, a life threatening condition in which a blood clot is in a vein or artery, creating a dangerous loss of circulation to the area served by the vessel. If it breaks away, it often travels to the lungs causing pulmonary embolism.
Green tea can even help prevent tooth decay and promote oral health. Just as its bacteria-destroying abilities can help prevent food poisoning, it can also kill the bacteria that cause dental plaque.
Green tea can also be found in happinesslifetime.com skin care products. It delays skill cell aging, soothes and heals stressed skin, firms skin and balances tone and helps prevent and repair sun damage.
What can't Green tea do?
We now make it a point to educate all our personal training clients, yoga and martial arts students at The Fitness Underground-Los Angeles about the benefits of drinking Green tea.
If you have any questions please feel free to ask a certified personal trainer! Contact Us at:
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