
Tea is kind of like a gateway drug into a healthy lifestyle.
At Happy Lucky’s, we’re all about helping support your healthy lifestyle goals. Since eating healthier and losing weight is the most common New Year’s resolution, how can tea help?
If weight loss is one of your goals, starting and ending each day with a warm cup of Oolong tea can help. Why? Because scientific studies show that Oolong tea can boost your metabolism, lower cholesterol, aid in digestion, and can help stabilize blood sugar (2, 3, 4).
Oolong is special because of a unique antioxidant called catechin and caffeine combo that puts your body into fat-burning mode. It also contains polyphenols that help block fat-building enzymes. (1,5)
“The value of Oolong tea to weight loss has three basic components,” says evolutionary biologist and neurogeneticist Dr. Sharon Moalem, MD, Phd, author of The DNA Restart: Unlock Your Personal Genetic Code to Eat for Your Genes, Lose Weight, and Reverse Aging.
“Oolong tea kicks up your basal metabolic rate, helping you burn through calories painlessly; it contains compounds that bind to the fats in our gut and help them pass through us; laboratory results show specific polyphenols that help melt off belly fat,” Dr. Moalem says. (1)
If drinking Oolong tea, in tandem with healthy eating and exercise, can help you achieve your optimal weight and health goals, then Happy Lucky’s is here to help with 18 different Oolong teas to choose from, each one with a delicious complex flavor and sweet fragrance.
Oolong is the most difficult type of tea to manufacture with many steps often over several days. After the leaves become pliable from withering, they are gently rolled or twisted to release leaf juices and begin oxidization. At the appropriate time, they are lightly heated, arresting further oxidation. These consecutive steps are repeated nonstop for up to 48 hours. Oxidation levels are usually between 20%-90%. One could say oolongs “walk the middle path” between green and black tea.
Another study done in 2003 found that drinking Oolong tea can help regulate the amount of blood sugar and insulin in one’s bloodstream. This, along with other supplementary drugs, has been used to treat type-2 diabetic disorders (4).
Oolong may also help improve bone health. According to studies done that looked at long-term health of habitual tea drinkers, tea drinking is correlated with retention of minerals in the body. This helps protect your teeth against decay, strengthens your bone structure, and can prevent osteoporosis (5).
If stress is holding you back from being the healthiest version of you, then start managing it — WITH OOLONG. In a study done in Japan, Oolong’s natural polyphenols were directly connected to reducing stress levels. Decreased stress can help you focus on what matters most to you, and it can help you focus on more mindful interaction with the world and yourself (6).
Drinking tea, in general, is a great companion for a healthy lifestyle. You’ll begin to feel energized and glowing after a few cups (maybe that’s the caffeine). That feeling can lead to eating better, exercising more, being mindful, and being an overall healthier person. It’s up to you, but tea is always there to help you along the way. If you pair your daily cup with healthy eating and moderate exercise, you’re well on your way to being a healthier happier human. Tea: the magical elixir that gives our bodies yummy antioxidants, focused energy, and pure comfort. It can help support our overall health goals, and it tastes fantastic.
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References
- Video with Dr. Sharon: http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/regimen-only-plan-you-ll-need-improve-your-health?video_id=5125372081001
- “The effects of catechin rich teas and caffeine on energy expenditure and fat oxidation: a Meta-analysis”. PubMed, 2011. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21366839
- “Oolong tea increases metabolic rate and fat oxidation in men”. PubMed, 2001. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11694607
- “Antihyperglycemic Effect of Oolong Tea in Type 2 Diabetes”. American Diabetes Association, 2003. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11694607
- “Epidemiological Evidence of Increased Bone Mineral Density in Habitual Tea Drinkers”. JAMA Internal Medicine, 2002. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/211409
- “ l-Theanine reduces psychological and physiological stress responses”. Elsevier, 2007. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301051106001451