Green tea has been used by the Chinese for literally thousands of years to help them to lose weight, live longer, and feel healthier. It should come as no real surprise that there is a lot of science supporting its use, considering how often researchers have talked about its benefits over the years. What does green tea actually do and how can it help people lose weight and live healthier?
There’s no simple answer to this question that scientists have found yet, but it appears that green tea contains several compounds unique to this plant that are only rarely found in other plants (and in much lower quantities). It contains a plethora of antioxidants which fight cancer and keep it from forming in the user’s body over time. Beyond that there are unique compounds called polyphenols which help boost metabolism and decrease appetite. These are similar to what’s found in coffee, but what’s different is that this is not caused by the caffeine content but instead by direct biological signals to the person’s brain.
There are some difficulties in actually receiving all of these benefits that green tea has to offer, however. Drinking the tea, while certainly good for you, is not the best way to absorb these antioxidants, polyphenol compounds or the weight loss benefits it has to offer. Instead, people are advised to take natural and unprocessed green tea as a supplement. This is not really possible to eat on its own, as it’s far too bitter. Researchers, however, do not give up so easily and have in fact found other methods of taking this compound daily.
Green tea once it’s fermented and burnt into a liquid loses nearly all of its antioxidants and other benefits. This has been known for years among researchers, who have been looking for ways to harness the innate benefits of green tea that it naturally has, but without having to eat the leaves themselves (something that’s both extremely difficult on the palate and stomach). What was developed instead was the use of green tea extracts, concentrated forms of the tea that a person consumes directly through supplementation.
Green tea extract preserves the polyphenols and antioxidants that are so important for our bodies. These compounds have actually been shown in recent studies to help people to lose weight as well, a novel use that is only just now beginning to be studied. The results are promising, a recent study of over 200 participants found that people taking green tea extract each day, even without dietary changes whatsoever, lost roughly 4 times more fat over the course of a two month period. This was compared to a placebo group. It should be noted that neither group actually went on a diet or were told to exercise any more than before.
What does this mean for the future of green tea extracts for health benefits? The research is still out, but preliminary results certainly are promising. Though there needs to be more studies to confirm all of these benefits, so far, it appears that green tea extracts help reduce carcinogens, stabilize blood sugar levels, increase metabolism, decrease weight gain, and help to absorb fat we eat. If verified, these certainly are some stellar benefits, and likely represents one of the most effective supplements in the world given its health impacts.
Were you aware that coffee, at least naturally when it’s picked, is actually a berry? There’s a seed inside, which is what we call the coffee bean. These are roasted, ground up and then made into a beverage, imparting their flavor into water as they are steeped. Yet, coffee beans are not naturally brown/black, but instead are green. Recently it’s come to the attention of scientists and researchers that we may be losing many of the great compounds, antioxidants, and metabolic boosters that are naturally in coffee through the roasting process. Primarily, a compound known as chlorogenic acid, or CGA, is listed as one of most important compounds lost. This antioxidant has been shown to block fat uptake into the body, and help to boost metabolism. It also has been shown in studies to decrease carbohydrate absorption and help to keep blood sugar stable.
Although Dr. Oz does not typically promote any particular product, he has mentioned the great results that often come with the use of green coffee extract. A study he conducted in order to test its efficacy found that, among a sampling of 100 women, those that took green coffee extract lost significantly more weight than those on the placebo. This group lost 2 pounds per week, while the placebo group lost 1 pound or less per week. This lends support to numerous other studies that found, even without changing your diet or exercise routine, you can lose weight reliably just by taking this supplement.
Dr. Oz indicates that there’s several things you need to keep in mind when you select a supplier for Green Coffee extract, such as having at least 45% chlorogenic acid. You want to have a product that also contains GCA (Green Coffee antioxidants) which helps consistently with weight loss. You want to get pure green coffee extract, and oftentimes these will have up to 80% chlorogenic acid. These are the best quality products available.
There are several key ways that green coffee produces these results. It helps to block fat: blocking the fat you take in through foods to prevent your body from using this and absorbing it into your cells. Secondly, it limits the absorption of carbohydrates, helping you to burn stored fats instead of making more lipids to then store in your cells. Helps to regulate blood-sugar levels in users, allowing those users who experience issues with their “crash” due to blood sugar drops, and subsequent cravings, to avoid these consequences.
There are several antioxidants that are found in green coffee which are destroyed when it’s roasted. These have been shown to help boost metabolism and decrease appetite, but also help to reduce the risk of many diseases, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. CGA is a great addition to any weight loss attempt, as the diet helps to boost metabolism, and burn stored fat. Beyond that, cutting the uptake of fat into our body through absorption of fat we eat helps to limit the damage we can do to our bodies when we “cheat” during any sort of weight loss program. These are just some of the benefits to green coffee extract, but each person will find something they love about the use of green coffee for themselves. Science is still open ended about the benefits and long term results of this treatment, but it’s clear that one this is true, it certainly helps people lose weight quickly.
Is the secret to weight loss in all of our cupboards right now? A few recent studies say this may in fact be so, though it’s not in the form we’re most familiar with. Coffee has been shown in numerous recent studies to not only provide weight loss, but to do so at a level unlike what has been seen with any other natural ingredients in the past. Green coffee is the natural and unroasted version of what we use in our “morning cup of joe” but has been shown in clinical trials to be a tremendously effective weight loss treatment. A recent study from the ACS (American Chemical Society) found that green coffee extract daily actually resulted in sustained and significant weight loss in users, even without changes in their diet.
The results from this study were, over a period of 22 weeks, that those taking green coffee extract (700mg twice per day) lost significantly more weight than the placebo group. On average, a green coffee participate lost around 30 pounds over this period, while the placebo group lost around 3 pounds. This study represents one of the first true attempts to quantify weight loss derived from these natural substances, and the results are quite good for users. Participants simply took their dosage of green coffee extract, and as a result saw these weight loss results. It’s typically thought to be necessary to take green coffee through a capsule such as this, as it is very bitter and difficult to take otherwise. Caffeine from these supplements are fairly low, about half a cup of coffee worth.
The ingredient that was linked to these weight loss results is known as Chlorogenic acid. This substance has been linked to weight loss for several decades, however, it’s only rarely bioavailable via regular foods we eat. Green coffee is the exception to this, as the extract makes this substance extremely bioavailable for our body to use. This compound has been shown to increase metabolism and decrease appetite, but only recently has it been shown that green coffee is the best way to take this.
On average in the study, participants lost 10.5% of their total body weight, with a 16% decrease in body fat. This is a tremendous result, when users did not change their diet whatsoever. It was thought that this level was less than the idealized case, because participants went on a placebo at points throughout the study. Those users in the study actually ate an average of over 2400 calories per day, this clearly is far more than you’d expect someone to eat that’s losing weight so quickly.
One of the more exciting results from this study was that those on green coffee GCA did not experience any side effects during the study. Green coffee is a naturally occurring substance, so it’s clear that is likely has very limited risk to those taking it. It’s really no different than drinking coffee, which we’ve been doing for thousands of years. Participants did have a roughly 2 beat per minute decrease in their heart rate, which has both good and bad potential impacts. Those on any prescription medicines will of course want to talk to their physician before going on any weight loss program, even this one.
This isn’t the only study which has demonstrated these positive results. Another study from an Italian University found that in mice, green coffee extracts also caused significant reduction in weight gain and more favorable fat accumulation (less around hips/thighs and stomach). Green coffee appears to block the uptake of fats we eat as well, at least in part. These results are indeed promising, and demonstrate the potential power of GCA for those people struggling to lose weight. Chrologenic acid is lost during the coffee roasting process for the most part, which is why these benefits are not found in roasted coffee.
A major advantage that I have received from writing a book with sound and proven medical solutions to relatively common health concerns is that I have had the chance of meeting many people around the world. Many of the stories I’ve heard related to human health and empowering people to heal have given me a great deal of encouragement in my mission. Whenever I hear feedback given from a patient or someone is read my book it is very rewarding. There is a great deal of satisfaction knowing that people are willing to help restore their own health and to live better lives. Though the vast majority of people will find great enthusiasm for improving their health, there are still many who will get stuck trying to lose weight or improve their bodies.
Many people try to stick to a series of recommendations religiously, never missing a workout, and trying to take supplements has recommended every day, but still something within themselves just won’t change. Many feel tired, have “brain fogging”, or just anxious and depressed about their bodies. These are all things that are regularly encountered, yet the frustration nearly always comes from those trying to lose weight. Stubborn weight is often a result of something deeper beneath the skin, where the body and the mind are on different wavelengths.
Stress is a natural process, and naturally the way we handle stress impacts our overall health and well-being. The more that we can use our parasympathetic nervous system, the better off we will be according to recent studies. There is a necessary period of time that is required to renew and repair our body systems, balancing and harmonizing them together. If this system is engaged regularly our body will be under a state of stress which relates to the large-scale stress-related diseases we see today. If we think about this type of relaxation and stress as similar to resistance people experience from drugs, we see that a person will reduce their susceptibility to disease by reducing her addiction to this state.
There are several key ways that stress impacts our bodies metabolism. These have been well documented in studies and have significant clinical support.
Let us first understand how stress causes the creation of a barrier between ourselves and our weight loss.
The next time that you begin to feel stressed just take a moment and think why you are feeling this way. Next time you eat and have cravings, particularly for foods that are high in fat, ask yourself is this a result of external stress. Is your heart rate elevated? Or perhaps you’re feeling guilty for your cravings, or about how you look. These are negative drivers and should be removed. Think positively about yourself and your future weight loss, and tell yourself that you can succeed.
There are some simple ways in which you can help burn fat effectively, this article is a culmination of nearly 25 years as a personal trainer and life coach. Below are some of the ways I have hit 3 to 4% body fat that’s required for competitions, I’ve stayed below 9% for the rest of the year. You have likely got all the basics down, but there are certainly ways to help burn fat that you probably have never thought of before.
One of the secrets to achieving such awesome results is increasing your cardiovascular exercise progressively, up to as much as 30 to 45 minutes each day, six or even seven days per week. By the end this you will be so lean and so healthy, that you wonder why you haven’t tried it before. Now you should not be just starting out with this amount from the get-go, particularly if this is an unusual amount of exercise. This progression is going to be a slow process of increasing your cardio exercise daily.
Typically whenever I talk about this sort of thing response I get is always complaints. People actually seem to be afraid of cardio, and it’s hard to understand why. Yes, cardio exercise is difficult, but it’s also probably the most healthy exercise you can do. You may be thinking, “But so many other people tell me 20 minutes is all that’s necessary three days a week”, or, “Cardio causes people to burn muscle!” Neither of these things are true in reality. Cardiovascular exercise does help you burn fat, however it does make muscles leaner in the process. Bulking up can be achieved after losing the stubborn fat, but not before. This is why so important to have cardiovascular exercise as part of your daily routine.
Whenever you see professional fitness trainers or bodybuilders talking about their daily routine, what is the one common denominator between them all? Is always daily cardio exercises, generally lasting at least 30 minutes per day. This is not something you do all the time, but you build up to it and use it for short periods of time in order to reach a peak, get over plateaus and remove the last amount of stubborn remaining fat.
There is still some debate in academic circles about when is the best time to do cardio exercises, there are other people who are concerned that these exercises might break down muscle along with fat. Research actually has shown that while there are some risks of this, early morning exercise before your meal is actually the most effective at burning fat, with maximal weight loss often be achieved during this time. You’re supposed to fast for around eight hours overnight, freeing up your body stores of fat to be burned in the morning. There’s much less glucose in your bloodstream after 8 to 12 hours of sleep without any food, this enables you to burn fat much more effectively. We do cardio in the morning your metabolism will actually stay high throughout the day. This helps to decrease the amount of fat you might store throughout the day.
Very low carb diets or “ketogenic” diets can be difficult to do on their own, and many people report feeling quite poorly during them. You often lose muscle along with the fact, as low carbs and a high level of activity do not work together. These types of diets actually set you up for failure, as most people experience big rebounds their weight once they go off a low-carb diet. People might do this to cut out excess fabric before competition, but it’s really sustainable for any serious length of time. Maintaining a high level of cardiovascular health requires daily cardio exercise, there’s just no way around it.