[DebbieLN]

Has anyone implemented green tea into thier diet? Does it help with weight loss or is it just good for you. I'm not talking the sugary drinks, more like plain green tea. thanks all!

[PhotoChick]

I drink green tea all the time - in the afternoon at the office, sometimes at home after dinner. It's not part of my "plan" per se - I just like a hot drink in the evenings and dont' want to drink coffee. So I switched to green tea.

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[azmom]

I love green tea..I especially like the hot type they serve in Japansese restaurants. I have tried all kinds of store bought brands but I can't find anything close to what the Japanese restaurants serve. Does anyone know what they use?

[Darkblue]

Japanese tea is often "matcha" tea. It's a bright green, frothy tea. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matcha

If it's a smooth, pale greenish tan, it might be Oolong tea.

I drink black and green teas daily. Green tea is also said to help with rheumatoid arthritis, and has antioxidants. I usually drink bagged green tea or green leaf tea, and sometimes flavor it with a little bit of local raw honey.

[Ija]

I drink chilled green tea every day. I haven't noticed any effects on my weight loss beyond helping me get enough water, but I love it!

[greeneggsandtam]

I've cut coffee out since Thursday and have only had green tea, and water. (And a box of wine) haha oops weekend, birthday- don't judge me! lol
Anyhoo- I'm trying to get off the coffee and as I understand it green tea has so many benefits. They say it will boost your metabolism somewhat , but it's only been five days. I'll wait and see for about a month whether or not there are any noticeable differences.

[murphmitch]

I drink Jasmine green tea or Oolong. It tastes most like the kind in Asian restaurants to me.

[finsmith]

It's possible to lose weight with Green Tea. I’ve actually seen it work. My boss lost over 20 lbs when she added green tea to her diet. After a while she also decided to change her regular diet to eat healthier and exercise more, but the green tea started working it’s magic even before then. Like any person, she ‘fell off the wagon’ for a while and noticed her weight coming back at a rapid pace. As soon as she noticed this she started drinking the tea again.

One secret to drinking green tea is that you have to know the right way to brew it to gain its natural benefits. This also improves the taste of the tea, which many people consider bitter if brewed improperly.

If you don’t like regular tea, you can turn it into iced tea. This is an especially delicious way to drink this tea now that summer is upon us!

Many don’t realize that not just any tea can help you lose weight. Green tea has more benefits than black tea and could be the difference between losing weight and staying the way you are right now.

If you’re interested in trying to lose weight with green tea (my mom just started to try it!), I recommend researching it to make sure you’re doing it right. You don’t want to waste your time by brewing it improperly! One book that helped me understand these benefits is Lose Weight with Green Tea by Patricia Rouner. It’s easy to read and explains exactly what you need to do to profit from drinking green tea and how green tea is better for you than other teas and coffee.

[ssmiley23]

what is the correct way to brew it?

I drink green tea everyday, just because its a superfood(drink?). I wish there was a way to make it taste better. Anyone have a good recipe for green iced tea?

[Lunula]

I drink green tea everyday - I'm not sure if the tea itself has anything to do with my weight loss, but having something flavored (I'm so sick of just water and I hate diet drinks) has helped a lot.

For ssmiley23, I got a cast iron (Tetsubin) for Christmas last year. I did some research and found that for green tea, the "correct" way to brew it (at least this is a good starting point) is to use 2.3 grams of loose leaf green tea (about 2-3 teaspoons) for every 8 oz. of water. Heat the water to just below boiling (you can bring the water to a boil & let it sit for 2-3 minutes before using it). Then brew the tea for 2-3 minutes, any longer than that and you're risking making the tea bitter. Also, I swish hot water in the tea pot to warm the iron first, supposedly it makes the tea better. Also, there are tons of varieties of green tea, and some can be brewed at higher temps, or for longer -- so just have fun experimenting!

I had no idea how to use loose leaf tea - but now I'm 100% addicted to it. I found a great website that has sampler teas so you can taste all the different kinds. I love green and white tea now. And they are definitely good for you!

So, even if they don't directly aid in weight loss (not sure if they do or don't) but they are healthy & definitely help with the boredom of drinking plain old water, especially if you dislike diet drinks like I do.

[finsmith]

I agree with the other person who told you how to brew it properly. The trick is not to have the water be boiling like you would for black tea. You can microwave it until you see just the little bubbles at the bottom before it comes to a full boil or you can boil it on your stove or in a tea kettle. If it comes to a full boil, set it aside for a couple of minutes and then steep the tea for a few minutes (how long you steep it depends on personal preference for the taste, you may have to experiment with that to find the taste you enjoy). I hope this helps!