The “Country Strong” star is a big fan of green tea. A self-described wellness-junkie, Gwyneth has often said she won’t leave her house without a cup of green tea. She’s not the only celeb sipping the benefits of this so-called “miracle” tea. Oprah, Jennifer Lopez, and Madonna are all reportedly indulging in green tea time.
Celebrity nutritionist and Contributing Editor for Women’s Health magazine, Keri Glassman, calls it the superpower of brews. Keri shares the top five ways researchers found green tea can benefit our health now!
Green Tea Benefits:
1. Melts Belly Fat:
Overweight and adult exercisers burned 7% more abdominal fat when they drank caffeinated green tea compared to other caffeinated beverages.
2. Keeps Teeth Healthy:
Drinking two or more cups of green tea a day is associated with a lower risk of tooth loss.
3. Lower BMI:
Those who drank the equivalent of two or three cups of green tea a day reported lower BMI and body weight.
4. Prevents Stroke:
Drinking 3 or more cups of green tea a day lowered stroke risk by 21 percent.
5. Reduces Risk of Skin Cancer:
Green Tea can help repair DNA damage caused by UVB rays and lower risk of melanoma.
Don’t limit yourself to just sipping this “magical” brew. Keri suggests thinking outside the teabag and making it part of your everyday cooking. Generic green tea works well in the recipes below, and since “variety is the spice of life,” Keri rounded-up different green teas to try with various foods. Most of these green teas below can be found at local health food stores.
1. Matcha Green Tea:
The leaves of this type of green tea are ground into powder, which you can whisk into water for tea. It tastes strong and grassy. Suggestion: Sprinkle one tablespoon on top of non-fat Greek yogurt or mix into smoothie.
2. Dragon Well Green Tea:
This yellowish-green flat leaf tea is one of the most popular drinking teas in China and has a soft, chestnut flavor.
Suggestion: Chop the tealeaves, combine with spices, and use them to coat chicken or steak before cooking.
3. Gunpowder Green Tea:
This Chinese tea is pan-fired before being tightly rolled into small pellet shapes and has a robust taste with a sweet finish. Suggestion: Throw steeped, chopped leaves into soup while it simmers to add extra greens.
4. Sencha Green Tea:
The most popular green tea in Japan, sencha has a mild and slightly sweet flavor.
Suggestion: After mixing the dough or batter for cookies or muffins, fold two tablespoons of dried sencha tea leaves directly into it and bake as usual.
5. Kukicha Green Tea:
This is called “twig tea” and has a light, smooth taste with roasted, woody notes.
Suggestion: Add a few tablespoons of Kukicha to marinade for fish or shellfish. Kukicha balances out sweeter varieties, like halibut or scallops.
Check out more wellness advice from Keri Glassman at www.womenshealthmag.com.
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