These days, the term ”metabolism boosting” has almost become a buzzword in the wellness industry. From celebrities promoting ”skinny teas” to fad workouts, this phrase is all the rage — and it may seem like you need to dish out a lot of cash to achieve it. But if you’re looking to boost your metabolism (for weight loss or general health), you don’t need to buy into the trendy products or services. Instead, you can look to tea — the simple, delicious beverage that may help you ”hack” your way to a faster metabolism.
What is metabolism?
In short, metabolism is your body’s process of breaking down what you eat and drink and turning it into energy that you can use to fuel your day. Essentially, this process combines the calories in food and beverages with oxygen to convert them into usable energy.
This energy is used for many functions, from breathing to repairing cells and circulating blood. The number of calories your body uses to perform these actions is your basal metabolic rate (BMR) or how much your body burns while in a ”resting state.” BMR is often referred to as ”metabolism.”
What determines your metabolism?
Your BMR, or metabolism, is determined by several factors. Some of these include your body size and composition (more muscle mass = higher BMR), your sex (men tend to have a higher BMR), and your age (BMR decreases with age, as muscle mass tends to decrease with age).
So, how can you boost your metabolism?
If you’re looking to improve your metabolism, which would make it easier to lose weight in a resting state, there are a few ways you can do this. Primarily, it’s essential to gain lean muscle mass. This has the highest direct correlation with a speedier metabolism and will help with many other facets of your overall health and well-being.
Beyond this, a few tricks can help boost your metabolism. For instance, certain antioxidants help your body with its fat-burning process. Some specific foods and drinks will help you lengthen your workouts or have more productive workouts overall, which will help with your primary goal of increasing muscle mass. If you choose the right kind here are best teas for weight loss
Best Teas to boost metabolism (and help you lose weight)
Black Tea
Black tea is likely the first thing you think of when you think of tea in general. Black tea is a classic tea that has been enjoyed by cultures worldwide for centuries. Black tea aids in weight loss because it is a powerful agent that helps your body burn fat and top tea for weight loss.
There are two main reasons black tea helps with weight loss: its antioxidant and caffeine content. Black tea is packed with flavones, which have been shown to support your body with excess fat burning.
Black tea is also known to contain more caffeine than other teas, making it a great option to support your workout or get you moving more throughout your day.
Black Teas to Try
There are tons of black teas, but not all are created equal. We recommend a high-quality loose-leaf black tea to ensure you get the most nutrients out of your tea. We also recommend finding a few different black teas to incorporate into your morning routine while keeping things versatile so you always look forward to your morning cup of tea.
1. Morning Black Tea
Morning Black Tea is a garden-picked black tea packed with antioxidants and caffeine. This can be enjoyed hot or iced and is the perfect way to kick off your morning.
2. Masala Chai Tea
Masala Chai Tea is an excellent option for weight loss. This spicy tea has a rich black base and is boosted with anti-inflammatory, metabolism-boosting spices like cinnamon and ginger.
Rooibos Tea
Rooibos tea, also known as red bush tea, is an herbal tea from South Africa. Though this is a caffeine-free tea, it does contain astaxanthin, a compound that may help with the breakdown of fat in the body. While more research is needed to prove the many theorized benefits of astaxanthin, rooibos tea is still a great option to cure your late-night sweet tooth without the added caffeine of other teas.
Rooibos tea is also known to act as an anti-inflammatory and is incredibly hydrating because it is non-caffeinated. Both of these attributes will aid your body and best weight loss tea process.
Green Tea
Green tea is the first tea you associate with the best green tea for weight loss. Green tea is packed with antioxidants, particularly catechins, which have been positively associated with weight loss for decades. A study found that women who had green tea extract for 12 weeks had more significant weight loss and reduced belly fat. A review of 14 studies in 2014 showed that obese participants lost an average of 0.44-7.7 pounds more compared to those who did not have green tea in 12 weeks.
Because green tea has been touted as a great weight loss ally, many look to green tea extract to help with weight loss. Green tea extract is a main ingredient in many weight loss supplements, and while this is a great way to get your antioxidants in, it leaves the opportunity to get extra hydrated with your cup of green tea.
To maximize the health benefits of green tea, you should brew your own at home using fresh tea leaves. This will help you avoid the additives in bottled green teas or weight-loss supplements.
Green Teas to Try
1. Vanilla Matcha Tea
Matcha tea is an excellent option for weight loss. Matcha has a highly concentrated amount of antioxidants. It is also high in caffeine and L-theanine, which helps keep your energy steady rather than hitting an afternoon caffeine crash.
Drinking a cup of matcha tea before a workout has been shown to boost fat oxidation long after the workout, thus increasing long-term weight loss.
2. Green Mint Tea
Green Mint tea is another excellent green tea option that is packed with antioxidants. Plus, the mint in this tea helps to aid digestion, which can help you feel more full.
Oolong Tea for Weight Loss
Oolong tea is another excellent option if you don’t like the traditional black or green teas. A study in 2009 found that over 64-66% of obese and overweight participants in a six-week research, while drinking 8 grams of oolong tea per day, lost more than two pounds.
Like green tea, oolong tea is packed with antioxidants and has a high level of l-theanine and a medium level of caffeine. Oolong tea differs most from the other options in its unique, woody, yet fruity flavor.
Overall Tips for Drinking Tea for Weight Loss
Drinking tea has many health benefits, but certain types of tea are especially great for boosting your metabolism and helping you lose weight. But overall, the best way to see results from drinking tea is by drinking it consistently. To create a sustainable tea routine, we recommend that you find simple and easy ways to enjoy tea no matter how busy you get.
