Drink Green Tea to Trim Your Tummy

Green tea is natures little wonder herb.  Numerous studies have indicated that regular green tea drinkers may have lower chances of heart disease and lower chances of developing certain types of  cancer.  Many people also believe that green tea can help with weight loss.  Perhaps this is because the even levels of energy from the natural caffeine found in this drink can give you the extra zip you may need to get through your workout.  But now there is new research showing that green tea actually targets the hard to get rid of belly fat when added as a supplement to an exercise-induced weight loss program.

How does it blast belly fat and help to trim your tummy?
Scientist are not exactly sure, but believe that it increases the rate that fat is broken down in they body and that tummy fat is the first to go.

What’s the skinny?
Researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University as well as research centers in Florida and Japan conducted a study on 132 overweight adults for a period of 12 weeks.  All participants consumed a diet consistent in daily calories and performed 180 minutes a week of moderate/intense exercise.  Each participant drank a daily beverage containing caffeine, but one group was given 625 mg of catechins.  Catechins sounds like something I wouldn’t want to have, but it’s actually an antioxidant found in green tea.  The group who drank the green tea lost twice as much weight (4.4 lbs compared to just over 2 lbs) and more loss in abdominal fat.

Brew it to lose it!  About 7 cups a day is what you need to consume to get the same benefits as the participants in the study.

10 Tips to Avoid a Holiday Diet Disaster

If you follow the advise of our Pros and eat several small, well balanced meals through out your day, then the day long shopping trips, travel, and Holiday party temptations could ruin all of your hard work.  Allow yourself at least one ‘naughty’ treat and keep these tips in mind.  You’ll enjoy yourself without gorging or feeling deprived.

1.   Pile your plate with fresh fruit
2.   Fill up on lean proteins such as turkey minus the gravy
3.   Add steamed seafood like lobster and shrimp
4.   Choose whole-wheat rolls or wild rice over the white rice or mashed potatoes
5.   Snack on nuts for healthy fats and hard cheeses for protein
6.   Eat a high protein snack before arriving at the party
7.   Don’t skip the fresh or steamed veggies
8.   Choose the hummus dip over the blue cheese dip
9.   Avoid casseroles.  They’re swimming in cream and butter.
10. At 350+ calories per drink, avoid the Egg Nog and White Russians.