It’s January—time to make (and to TRY to stick to) those New Year’s resolutions. Everyone makes them (and says they won’t!), but sometimes they get harder and harder to keep.
According to StatisticBrain.com, 38% of people make weight- or heath-related resolutions every year. No surprises here—losing weight ranked as the No. 1 resolution; staying fit and healthy ranked a close #5 and quitting smoking ranked #7.
Read more at www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics
The good news—tea can help! (You probably already knew that.) We picked 5 of the Top 10 most commonly made resolutions and pinpointed how tea can help you reach these goals!
No. 1 Resolution: Losing Weight
There’s been a bit of debate as to whether drinking tea regularly can help you shed pounds and inches. But a new research review published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition does find that tea drinkers tend to sport slimmer waistlines. After looking at several studies on the effects green, white and oolong tea have on body weight, Dutch researchers found that tea’s natural ingredients—catechins and caffeine—help increase energy expenditure, or calories burned at rest. The compounds also increase fat breakdown in the body. But remember—dieting still means watching calories and getting moving. Try swapping your regular-soda cheat once a day with a cup of sugar-free chilled tea.
Read more at Prevention.com.
No. 4 Resolution: Enjoy Life to the Fullest
Tea can help you feel less sluggish. New research is helping us understand why tea time is such an essential part of the day—the components of tea help us be more alert and relaxed. The caffeine in some teas increases alertness because it prevents the sedative adenosine from working as a receptor. This increases the activity of the central nervous system.
But tea provides the right amount of balance as well. Research shows that theanine, which is an amino acid present in black and green tea, especially the matcha, gyokuro and anji bai cha varieties, reduces anxiety and calms us because it increases the number of inhibitory neurotransmitters (which balance our moods) and modulates serotonin and dopamine (which makes make us feel good). So—carpe cuppa!
No. 5 Resolution: Staying Fit and Healthy
No more “my stomach hurts” excuses. Tea is also really good for the gut. Science is continually showing how certain foods can boost good or bad gut flora (or bacteria), and drinking tea accomplishes the former. Tea is full of antioxidants like thearubigins, epicatechins and catechins, which protect our cells from free radicals, therefore protecting against blood clots, cancer or hardening of the arteries. Additionally, the research suggests that regular tea drinkers have a lower risk of heart disease and stroke, plus lower cholesterol. So when you feel better, you’ll want to look better—and get to the gym more often!
Download our free Wellness & Tea 101 E-Book
No. 6 Resolution: Learn Something Exciting
Want to return to school—or just take a cooking or steeping class? Don’t forget to sip! Several studies have evaluated the role of tea in strengthening attention, mood and performance—and the results are promising. Results from new research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that drinking tea improved attention and allowed people to be more focused on the task at hand. People who drank tea produced more accurate results during an attention task and also felt more alert than subjects drinking a placebo. These effects were found for 2-3 cups of tea consumed within a period of up to 90 minutes. It is thought that the amino acid theanine and caffeine, both present in tea, contribute to many of tea’s psychological benefits.
Read more at www.worldteanews.com/news/new-studies-show-numerous-health-benefits-tea?et_mid=646051&rid=235596855
No. 10 Resolution: Spend More Time with Family
Consider this: Drinking one to two cups of tea daily has been shown to improve mood and attention. When you’re happy and alert, you can probably handle more family gatherings throughout the year!
