Green tea has been around for thousands of years and is more popular than ever. For centuries green tea has been a staple in the diets of many families around the world. And the benefits of this beverage are not just limited to a pleasant drinking taste. Numerous scientific studies have shown that green tea has numerous health benefits and that drinking it can improve your health.
The idea of health benefits related to green tea consumption has been discussed for years. Eastern medicine recognized the benefits of green tea thousands of years ago with Asian families passing down these beliefs through many generations. There are few beverages with such impressive health benefits as green tea. And now it seems the rest of the world has discovered this secret.
As discussed previously, the benefits of green tea are many and far-reaching. The potential health benefits of drinking green tea vary from preventing bad breath to protecting the heart to protecting against some forms of cancer. Many of the benefits attributed to green tea are largely due to its high content of antioxidants. The health benefits of green tea are varied in large part due to its chemical makeup, which has a positive effect on so many different bodily systems. Of course the most publicized benefits revolve around anticancer activities, cardiovascular benefits and even the potential of lowering LDL cholesterol levels.
Besides substantial health claims, green tea has been said to aid in weight loss efforts. It appears that much of the fat loss benefits claimed regarding green tea lies in its thermogenic effects. Whether searching for health benefits, weight loss, or both, some studies have recommended as many as ten cups per day to see benefits. Because green tea contains caffeine, this may pose a problem for some people. Decaffeinated green tea is available but that could cancel some of the thermogenic properties if weight loss is the goal. Health food stores also offer capsules as an alternative to drinking the tea although the health benefits may differ.
As with other types of food and drink, organic teas are becoming recognized as a healthy choice with consumers. Many believe that the organic versions are healthier options while providing environmental benefits. In grocery stores everywhere, the tea aisle has become an absolute joy for organic food shoppers. In addition, it is easy to find a variety of sources on the Internet of quality organic green tea.
Of course, health decisions should not be based on this information alone. It is prudent to check with a medical practitioner on the potential benefits of including green tea in the diet. A medical professional, an herbalist, or local bookstore can provide complete information about the proven and perceived benefits of green tea. As another resource, the Internet is loaded with information and resources on green tea.
Green tea is one of the most popular herbal supplements in the world. Adopting tea drinking as a new habit can be quite challenging but the potential health benefits could prove to be phenomenal.
Brewing
Traditionally, unlike darker teas, green teas are usually brewed using water that is below boiling point (about 80°-90°C), as water that is too hot is believed to turn the tea bitter. Green tea spefically comes from the steamed and dried leaves of the Camellia sinesis plant, which is a shrub native to Asia. The main difference between green tea and black tea is that gren tea is made from unfermented leaves, wheras black tea is made from fermented leaves.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Monday, February 26, 2007
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Find a Hobby
One of the joys of life is finding a hobby that you enjoy for the rest of your life. There are many hobbies that keep one’s mind interested and sharp. For people that don’t have a hobby you can find yourself stressed and generally unhappy. Here are some tips on finding hobbies that will keep you occupied.
Broaden Your Horizons
It is important to broaden your horizons so that you can find the things that you are interested in. For instance, if you never try something new, you won’t be able to know if you like it or not. There are many people that try a few different hobbies before getting immersed in one. In fact, many people find a hobby which they never thought they would be interested in.
There are also many magazines that focus on specific hobbies whether they are fishing and hunting, skateboarding, sailing or gambling, what ever you think you might be interested in you should first check out a few magazines to see if it interests you. Magazines are a low cost way to find out if you are interested in a hobby or not. If you find that you have some free time, make the best of it, find a hobby that interests you.
Broaden Your Horizons
It is important to broaden your horizons so that you can find the things that you are interested in. For instance, if you never try something new, you won’t be able to know if you like it or not. There are many people that try a few different hobbies before getting immersed in one. In fact, many people find a hobby which they never thought they would be interested in.
There are also many magazines that focus on specific hobbies whether they are fishing and hunting, skateboarding, sailing or gambling, what ever you think you might be interested in you should first check out a few magazines to see if it interests you. Magazines are a low cost way to find out if you are interested in a hobby or not. If you find that you have some free time, make the best of it, find a hobby that interests you.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Stock up on Vegetables
One of the best ways that you can make an impact on your health and diet is by eating lots of fresh vegetables. Vegetables have plenty of vitamins and minerals that does your body very good. Here are some tips on how to get the most out of your vegetables.
Vegetables are extremely important and good for everyone. They are usually very low in calories and can be eaten as snacks or even as a main dish. You should seriously consider eating more vegetables each day. While adults are required to eat at least 4 servings of vegetables per day, make sure that these are actual vegetables and not starches like rice, potatoes and bread. While potatoes are vegetables, most people get enough starch and carbs in their diet. You should focus on green and yellow vegetables.
There are many great vegetables that you should eat including broccoli, carrots, peppers, green beans, squash and cauliflower. While many times people choose not to eat vegetables because they are bitter or don’t taste good, if you eat them often enough, your tastes will change and you will learn how to suit them to your taste by adding sauces or mixing them with other tasty vegetables to enhance flavors.
Vegetables are extremely important and good for everyone. They are usually very low in calories and can be eaten as snacks or even as a main dish. You should seriously consider eating more vegetables each day. While adults are required to eat at least 4 servings of vegetables per day, make sure that these are actual vegetables and not starches like rice, potatoes and bread. While potatoes are vegetables, most people get enough starch and carbs in their diet. You should focus on green and yellow vegetables.
There are many great vegetables that you should eat including broccoli, carrots, peppers, green beans, squash and cauliflower. While many times people choose not to eat vegetables because they are bitter or don’t taste good, if you eat them often enough, your tastes will change and you will learn how to suit them to your taste by adding sauces or mixing them with other tasty vegetables to enhance flavors.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Lose 10 Pounds in 30 Days
If you are looking to slim down and look great, here is an easy way to lose 10 pounds without starving, eating crazy food items and without changing your lifestyle radically. Most people don’t realize that weight loss is usually very easy if you are disciplined and determined. The easies way to accomplish these goals is to put yourself on a decent diet that doesn’t make you do the things you don’t want which includes starving yourself, eating food items that you don’t like or changing your meals radically.
Eat 25% less. Most adults usually need about 2000 calories per day; you can literally lose 2.5 pounds per week by cutting down your intake 25% and exercising one hour a day. Cut your caloric intake from 2000 calories to 1500. While you will notice that you are eating less, it won’t put you over the deep end and make you feel like your starving. However, you might be hungry from time to time, but by the second or third week, you will be used to the caloric intake. Two great ways to cut down 500 calories per day is to get rid of the soda in your diet. At 140 calories a serving, soda is something you can do without.
Exercise 1 hour a day. It’s as easy as that, the easiest way to exercise is to walk for an hour, whether in the mall, on a treadmill or around the block. You can lose about 250 calories or more walking 3 mph for one hour. Using both these techniques, you can remove 650 to 700 calories each day, enough for you to easily lose 10 pounds in 30 days.
Eat 25% less. Most adults usually need about 2000 calories per day; you can literally lose 2.5 pounds per week by cutting down your intake 25% and exercising one hour a day. Cut your caloric intake from 2000 calories to 1500. While you will notice that you are eating less, it won’t put you over the deep end and make you feel like your starving. However, you might be hungry from time to time, but by the second or third week, you will be used to the caloric intake. Two great ways to cut down 500 calories per day is to get rid of the soda in your diet. At 140 calories a serving, soda is something you can do without.
Exercise 1 hour a day. It’s as easy as that, the easiest way to exercise is to walk for an hour, whether in the mall, on a treadmill or around the block. You can lose about 250 calories or more walking 3 mph for one hour. Using both these techniques, you can remove 650 to 700 calories each day, enough for you to easily lose 10 pounds in 30 days.
Stay Away from Processed Food
One of the many reasons that we eat processed foods is because they are extremely convenient. With many of us having busy lives, there is less and less time to buy, prepare and cook healthy foods. Here are some tips on how to stay away from processed foods.
Processed foods are foods that are already prepared, for instance, TV dinners, snacks such as chips and cheese doodles and fast food. They are extremely easy to buy, eat and they usually taste good, unfortunately they are not healthy for most people.
It is easy to stay away from processed foods; open thing that you must change is your planning. The reason that most people eat healthy foods is because they are too tired to cook or don’t have enough time to go to the supermarket and buy fresh fruits and vegetable to eat. Make sure you plan your weekly meals out. While you don’t have to go to the supermarket every day, try to go twice a week to pick up fresh foods.
Once you have plenty of fresh foods at home, set a time to cook and prepare your meals. You can usually prepare two meals at a time, your dinner and lunch for the next day. By planning your meals and making time to purchase the right types of foods, you can eat healthier and lose weight.
Processed foods are foods that are already prepared, for instance, TV dinners, snacks such as chips and cheese doodles and fast food. They are extremely easy to buy, eat and they usually taste good, unfortunately they are not healthy for most people.
It is easy to stay away from processed foods; open thing that you must change is your planning. The reason that most people eat healthy foods is because they are too tired to cook or don’t have enough time to go to the supermarket and buy fresh fruits and vegetable to eat. Make sure you plan your weekly meals out. While you don’t have to go to the supermarket every day, try to go twice a week to pick up fresh foods.
Once you have plenty of fresh foods at home, set a time to cook and prepare your meals. You can usually prepare two meals at a time, your dinner and lunch for the next day. By planning your meals and making time to purchase the right types of foods, you can eat healthier and lose weight.
Skip the Empty Calories
If you are trying to lose 5, 10 or even 20 pounds, you can lose this weight quick just by skipping the empty calories. What is an empty calories, it is usually a food or beverage item that has lots of calories but very little nutritional content.
Here are some tips.
For instance, one of the most infamous empty calorie products is soda. Soda is known to have over 100 calories per serving. When you look at soda, you realize that soda is just sugar and water. Most people have enough sugar from other foods and don’t need more sugar especially at such a high expense of calories.
Other food items that are extremely high in calories, but have low nutritional value is fast foods. You probably can do without French fries and many giant hamburgers. Some fast food items can have lots of fat, sugar and little vitamins and minerals which the body needs.
Snack foods are another area where you can skip the empty calories, why bother eating 300 calorie donuts when you can enjoy lots of fresh fruits and vegetable. If you want to lose weight, skip the empty calories and instead enjoy many fresh fruits and vegetables.
Here are some tips.
For instance, one of the most infamous empty calorie products is soda. Soda is known to have over 100 calories per serving. When you look at soda, you realize that soda is just sugar and water. Most people have enough sugar from other foods and don’t need more sugar especially at such a high expense of calories.
Other food items that are extremely high in calories, but have low nutritional value is fast foods. You probably can do without French fries and many giant hamburgers. Some fast food items can have lots of fat, sugar and little vitamins and minerals which the body needs.
Snack foods are another area where you can skip the empty calories, why bother eating 300 calorie donuts when you can enjoy lots of fresh fruits and vegetable. If you want to lose weight, skip the empty calories and instead enjoy many fresh fruits and vegetables.
2 Top Exercises
If you are looking to lose a few pounds and increase your muscle, nothing is better than exercise. Exercise is extremely important and has lots of positive effects such as increase muscle tone, loss of weight including fat and it helps your body work better sending more oxygen to the brain and helping other important bodily processes. For most people that don’t have lots of time, they aren’t sure which exercises they should do, here are two types of exercises that are great for almost everyone.
- WalkingWalking is possibly the perfect exercise; it gets your circulatory system moving faster and can help you lose weight. Walking is low impact and that means you are less likely to hurt or injure yourself while walking than practically any other exercise. Another great reason to walk is because you don’t need any special equipment, just a comfortable pair of shoes.
- DumbbellsDumbbells are a great way to increase muscle tone. They are effective for both men and women and you can store them and exercise with them in even the smallest apartment. Dumbbells are easy to use and there are about 5 or 6 great exercises that can help you improve your upper body strength and lose weight in the process. Dumbbells are very convenient and affordable, usually costing less than $20.
- WalkingWalking is possibly the perfect exercise; it gets your circulatory system moving faster and can help you lose weight. Walking is low impact and that means you are less likely to hurt or injure yourself while walking than practically any other exercise. Another great reason to walk is because you don’t need any special equipment, just a comfortable pair of shoes.
- DumbbellsDumbbells are a great way to increase muscle tone. They are effective for both men and women and you can store them and exercise with them in even the smallest apartment. Dumbbells are easy to use and there are about 5 or 6 great exercises that can help you improve your upper body strength and lose weight in the process. Dumbbells are very convenient and affordable, usually costing less than $20.
Meditation Works!
If you are looking for a great way to increase your energy, focus and lower stress, one of the more popular techniques is meditation. Meditation is not hocus pocus, believe it or not it is just sitting comfortably and quietly either focusing intently on a few ideas or trying to relax the mind so that it doesn't focus on anything.
Here are some tips:
There are two main types of meditation, one is when you focus one specific quality and it can be any quality that you choose. Some people focus on spiritual qualities, others on tasks that the need to perform. Find a quiet and comfortable spot to concentrate for about 20 minutes and try to keep your focus.
For many people that would like to clear their mind and relax, there are many types of mediation processes that work well in which you try to clear your mind so that you feel relaxed and peaceful. One of the techniques is Transcendental meditation. TM is not a religion and only requires you to focus your energy on one word, so that you can clear your mind of other scattered thoughts.
Meditation has been proven to work by many physicians around the world. Most notably for lowered stress levels and blood pressure.
Here are some tips:
There are two main types of meditation, one is when you focus one specific quality and it can be any quality that you choose. Some people focus on spiritual qualities, others on tasks that the need to perform. Find a quiet and comfortable spot to concentrate for about 20 minutes and try to keep your focus.
For many people that would like to clear their mind and relax, there are many types of mediation processes that work well in which you try to clear your mind so that you feel relaxed and peaceful. One of the techniques is Transcendental meditation. TM is not a religion and only requires you to focus your energy on one word, so that you can clear your mind of other scattered thoughts.
Meditation has been proven to work by many physicians around the world. Most notably for lowered stress levels and blood pressure.
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