Tea It Up

kvanness01

What’s one of the easiest, yet most effective, things you can do to
increase your metabolism and energy levels?

Your first answer, given the nature of this blog, might be breathing.

And you are correct! Breathing, especially deep breathing, is an
energy and metabolism booster. But today I want to tell you about
another way to easily enhance your energy levels and metabolism.

Simply drink more water and tea each day.

Green tea contains a compound called epigallocatechin (EGCG) that has been
shown to help burn fat. Consumption of green tea can increase your metabolism for
as long as 24 hours.

Tea also contains a number of very beneficial compounds, called flavonoids. When
you drink tea, your body absorbs these flavonoids, raising the levels of anti-oxidants
in your body.

Anti-oxidants are very important to help prevent the propagation of free radicals.
These are destructive molecules that have been implicated in everything from
aging, to heart disease, to Alzheimer’s disease, to cancer.
If you have asthma or any other type of breathing problems, you should
make sure that drinks such as tea and foods that are naturally rich in
anti-oxidants, such as fruits and vegetables, are an important part of
your diet.

Not only do they contribute to your overall health, they can also help decrease
the inflammation that is part of the allergic response and a contributor to asthma.

Tea may also help support your immune system. One of the amino acids found
in tea helps activate the immune system’s first line of defense, which helps
reduce risk of infection.

I guess the Brits and the Southerners have been on to something big all these
years. Of course, England is renowned for its love of tea and the afternoon tea
break. (Although with all of the Starbucks and Cosi’s on the streets of London, it
appears that coffee has made significant inroads.)

And in my Southern heritage (mom’s side of the family), iced tea is a daily pleasure,
no matter what the time of year.

Many people (myself included) have been under the impression that only green
or herbal teas provide any benefit. The fact is, black tea varieties contain just about
the same level of flavonoids as green tea.

If you enjoy green or herbal teas, by all means continue drinking them. They are
good for you. But if black (or “regular”) tea is more your thing, you can enjoy it even
more knowing that it is good for you.

You Can Do It!

Karen
www.BestBreathingExercises.com

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