You know green tea is good for you, but oolong and these other types of tea have magical properties that boost metabolism, kill cravings, and melt fat
A steaming cup of tea is the perfect drink for soothing a sore throat, warming up after a dip in the pool, or binge-watching Downton Abbey. But certain teas are also perfect for doing something else-helping you shed extra pounds.
I first learned about the weight-loss power of tea when my mother fell victim to diabetes. A former nurse back in Korea, she urged me to look into Eastern remedies when it became clear that Western science couldn't help her. And time and again, as I pored through the studies, the same answer kept popping up: tea. What I learned in my research, and collected in my new book, The 7-Day Flat Belly Tea Cleanse, in which test panelists lost up to 10 pounds in just one week, was that certain teas not only melt fat by boosting metabolism, but can actually prevent our bodies from forming new fat cells.
Each of these 5 Best Teas for Weight Loss has its own individual, magic properties, from dimming your hunger hormones to upping your calorie burn to-literally-melting the fat that's stored in your fat cells. Oh, and they can also help reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes too. (Stick to 3-4 cups-or tea bags-of tea per day, and choose brewed varieties over bottled to avoid extra calories and sweeteners.)
Start with these five delicious varieties, and check out The 7-Day Flat-Belly Tea Cleanse now to start losing weight through the magical powers of tea!
1.
The Metabolism Booster: Green Tea
Drink this: Lipton, YogiBecause: It unlocks fat cells
Before a workout, turbocharge the fat-blasting effects by sipping a cup of green tea. In a recent 12-week study, participants who combined a daily habit of 4-5 cups of green tea each day with a 25-minute sweat session lost an average of two more pounds than the non tea-drinking exercisers. Thank the compounds in green tea called catechins, belly-fat crusaders that blast adipose tissue by triggering the release of fat from fat cells (particularly in the belly), and then speeding up the liver's capacity for turning that fat into energy.
2.
The Pound-a-Week Melter: Oolong Tea
Drink this: Bigelow, StashBecause: It boosts metabolism
Oolong, a Chinese name for "black dragon," is a light, floral tea that, like green tea, is also packed with catechins, which help to promote weight loss by boosting your body's ability to metabolize lipids (fat). A study in the Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine found that participants who regularly sipped oolong tea lost six pounds over the course of the six-week time period. That's a pound a week! It also has a calming effect. Drink a cup if you're a nervous flyer, or to calm yourself after a hard day's work-and if you're a particularly anxious person, sip these 4 Teas Better Than Therapy!
3.
The Cravings Crusher: Mint Tea
Drink this: Tazo, TeavanaBecause: It wards off the munchies
Fill a big teacup with soothing peppermint tea, and sniff yourself skinny! While certain scents can trigger hunger (a trick Cinnabon figured out long ago), others can actually suppress your appetite. One study published in the Journal of Neurological and Orthopedic Medicine found that people who sniffed peppermint every two hours lost an average of five pounds a month. (Although tea is relatively low in caffeine-about 25 percent of what a cup of coffee delivers-decaffeinated varieties are great to have on hand for a soothing bedtime treat.) Consider also adding a few drops of peppermint oil to your pillow or burning a minty candle to fill the room with slimming smells. For a stress- and belly-free mind and body, alternate your mint tea tea with one of these 5 Teas That Melt Fat Fast.
4.
The Fat Blocker: White Tea
Drink this: Twinings, The Republic of Tea, Celestial Seasonings SleepytimeBecause: It prevents new fat cells from forming
White tea is dried naturally, often in sunlight, making it the least processed and richest source of antioxidants among teas (as much as three times as many polyphenols as green tea!). A study published in the journal Nutrition and Metabolism showed that white tea can simultaneously boost lipolysis (the breakdown of fat) and block adipogenesis (the formation of fat cells) due to high levels of ingredients thought to be active on human fat cells. If there's such a thing as diet tea, this is it. And while you're on the 7-Day Flat-Belly Tea Cleanse, chill out with these delicious and refreshing 5 Best Iced Tea Smoothies for Weight Loss!
5.
The Hunger Halter: Rooibos Tea
Drink this: Celestial Seasonings, Harney & SonsBecause: It regulates fat-storage hormones
Rooibos tea is made from the leaves of the "red bush" plant, grown exclusively in the small Cederberg region of South Africa, near Cape Town. What makes rooibos tea particularly good for your belly is a unique and powerful flavanoid called Aspalathin. Research shows this compound can reduce stress hormones that trigger hunger and fat storage and are linked to hypertension, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Yup, sometimes the kettle can be as effective as the kettlebell.
