Food/Supplements Green tea

[Ed_Gein]

Bumping it as well, want to know a good brand to use. Started having it and like the taste so may as well start having a couple of cups a day of it.

The gym instructor at my gym said it tastes awful, before i first tried it. Like wringing out a sweaty sock into a mug and drinking it was the analogy he used. I bought some and ended up liking it.

Although i'm not looking to lose weight per se. Sitting at 6'0/77kg, so slightly under if anything and wanting to put on a bit more, but i'm hoping that while i'm adding muscle by doing weights at the gym the green tea is burning up the fat?

 

[estibador]

Tried this stuff for the first time this morning. To be honest I don't particularly like the taste of coffee so when I found out green tea had caffeine I thought I'd give it a go as a substitute for my crawling-out-of-bed morning drink.

I like it, tastes more like normal tea than I expected (my family are English, so I grew up drinking tea instead of coffee) and gave me the same energy hit without the slightly queasy feeling I get in my stomach sometimes from coffee.

Will report back later if any miraculous weight loss, IQ boost or cancer cure occurs.

 

[Shaucob_Burjan]

Thought about this in the but as someone who has had liver issues in the past not sure if it's a good idea for me.

 

[Tazwegian]

Thought about this in the but as someone who has had liver issues in the past not sure if it's a good idea for me.

Unfortunate typo is unfortunate.

 

[Mockcockpit]

I like it, tastes more like normal tea than I expected (my family are English, so I grew up drinking tea instead of coffee) and gave me the same energy hit without the slightly queasy feeling I get in my stomach sometimes from coffee.

Raw sugar tasted more like white sugar than I expected as well! If you ever get the chance, try some of the green tea made at a Japanese tea ceremony. The tea ends up super concentrated, almost a syrup and has a highly recommended caffeine hit. Also, green tea ice cream is surprisingly nice.

 

[andon]

I've been drinking lots of it and i's helping me shed the unwanted pounds. My advice is get on it if you want to detoxify your body and lose weight...

 

[andon]

If you wish to drink and enjoy green tea then get the real Chinese, Japanese, or Korean stuff.

Go to a local asian supermarket and research what is available to suit your taste or curiosity as there are so many various flavors to try.

Or talk with an asian friend who can help with an introduction and perhaps some taste testing, or background and history.

I like so many various versions of related asian teas, all are supposed to promote good health.

Green tea, black tea, red tea, some from rice, others from flowers...the options are endless and all good.

Cheers

 

[aussierulesrules]

There are some really nice tasting herbal teas out there as well. Spearmint is one of the very best I've come across (much prefer it to peppermint) and the native Australian lemon myrtle is another that has a fantastic flavour, IMO (much prefer it to lemongrass). It's probably my favourite. It also has the benefit of reportedly being extremely rich in citral (lemon myrtle oil is apparently 90-98% citral (reportedly the highest concentration of any plant in the world), which is more than that of lemon tea-tree, lemongrass and 9-10 times more than is found in lemons and limes). Citral is apparently high in antioxidants and according to the likes of wikipedia it also has "strong antimicrobial qualities", like tea-tree oil. It's meant to have a relaxing, calming effect on your body though, so is probably better suited to being taken when you want to unwind and relax, rather than when you want a stimulating pick-me up (which you can get from drinks like tea and coffee (which both have caffeine of varying levels) and others.

There's an interesting article here about which ones have which effects on the body. Yerba mate is an interesting one ("a boost in the morning") which I've gotten a few boxes of recently (they had/have them at NQR stores for about $1 a box! (with 2 years before their use by date): http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/tea-medicine-in-a-cup-20110811-1inyq.html

 

[ablett]

Unless the green tea is organic you are drinking a cup of chemicals.

It's the ECGC properties contained in green tea that supposably raise your metabolism but sorry to disappoint but you want find any proven research that it has any fat burning effects what's so ever.

You could drink a hundred cups a day but if you are eating more calories than you are burning it ain't going to help , if you burn more calories than you eat then you will loose weight & don't need any fat burners.

There is a theory that in parts of Asia where the locals smoke & also drink pure green tea leaves & there's no history of lung cancer so they believe its due to the antioxidants in green tea.

Organic Coffee bean , not the instant crap, is a proven & better fat burner than green tea.
Plus coffee enhances cognition & is a brain anti inflammatory .

 

[4evablues]

I drink green tea everyday and love it!
Maybe this article may help...

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/11-benefits-of-green-tea-that-you-didnt-know-about.html

 

[manureid]

Pity it tastes like arse

My wife said exactly this line, as I drink green tea and she hates it...And I asked her how she knew it tasted like arse as well.....dirty biatch!

 

[FavoriteSun]

Not many people drink straight tea or black coffee.

Only beverage that you need to drink for health is water. Green tea might have all of these health benefits but at the end of the day if you replace your coffee, tea, juice, soda etc w/ just water you'll save money and you'll be healthier for it.

 

[IAMDASH]

Not many people drink straight tea or black coffee.

Only beverage that you need to drink for health is water. Green tea might have all of these health benefits but at the end of the day if you replace your coffee, tea, juice, soda etc w/ just water you'll save money and you'll be healthier for it.

At less than 3c a tea bag from my local shop, hardly breaking the bank!

 

[The_Answer3]

Hot waters good for cleansing (apparently...inb4 torn down), if tea helps you consume it, get on it.

 

[Donakebab]

Not many people drink straight tea or black coffee.

Only beverage that you need to drink for health is water. Green tea might have all of these health benefits but at the end of the day if you replace your coffee, tea, juice, soda etc w/ just water you'll save money and you'll be healthier for it.

Real derp post. I'd say the majority of people posting about the health benefits of green tea are also smashing 3l of water per day as well as their few cups of green tea. Water keeps you hydrated and helps flush the body, but green tea has added benefits, so why not drink both?

As for saving money by cutting tea out of the budget? I'd you have to resort to something like this then you should probably find a new job. Do you dumpster dive at the local supermarket too?

 

[FavoriteSun]

You missed the point entirely friend. Try not to overcompensate too badly for pissing away money on crap.

 

[PHX]

What are the best green tea's you guys and gals when drinking?

Lost 8kgs in 5 weeks so far and do recommend green tea. The speeding up the metabolism thing is good but best of it I find is that if I have it when I'm craving a snack it tones down the craving completely.

Lipton is absolutely terrible tasting. Avoid.

I've found that Madura and Nerada Organic are the best tasting tea bag variety.

 

[estibador]

Lipton is absolutely terrible tasting. Avoid.

Amen brother. Lipton is the only one my corner store stocks so I was drinking that without knowing any better.

Then I went round a mate's and he had a different brand, only now do I realise how bad Lipton is in comparison. And he didn't even have some fancy organic brand, it was just Tetley I think.

 

[Monkey King]

Bumping it as well, want to know a good brand to use. Started having it and like the taste so may as well start having a couple of cups a day of it.

Lived in China for a number of years and really got into my green tea. My favourite type of tea is called Tie Guan Yin (light green leaf style, not traditional). The high grade stuff when prepared properly tastes absolutely divine.

The way the Chinese get into their tea like how wine-snobs get into their wine; comes in different qualities at vastly different prices. The best stuff can get pretty pricey, but like a good wine, this is generally what tastes the best. And also like wine, the cheaper stuff can sometimes taste a little nasty.

If anyone is interested, Jonathan from - http://www.tealand.com.au/ - knows his tea and imports directly from China. Posts it to your door with free delivery for orders over $20. He's a little pricey for the good stuff, but his tea is quality and I've ordered from him a number of times with no issues.

 

[Godzke]

If you're worried about the caffeine in Green Tea and you hate its taste, then drink Rooibos Tea instead. Technically not a 'tea', but it tastes amazing and is caffeine free with very similar health qualities to Green Tea.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Bloody hell folks, licorice root tea, get around it!

It is bloody terific and so sweet (naturally) it's no wonder they make lollies based on it.

Is also one of the main/most used ingredients in Traditional Chinese Medicine and has been for centuries, thanks to it's supposed ability to stimulate/strengthen your spleen (very early on in the digestion process) and whip it into action, thanks to its natural, non-sugary sweetness.

Not the easiest tea to find (I've found it in Mornington, Mt Eliza and Chadstone so far), but well worth it and I've been having it every day for a few weeks now. Is great to mix in with other herbs, teas, or vegie juices, to make them tastier/sweeter and I imagine it would even work well in soups that need a bit of sweetening.

Just hits the sweet spot instantly and it's much better for your health to get it from something like this than from a high-sugar hit of lollies, donuts, or anything like that.

 

[RiCHii]

Bloody hell folks, licorice root tea, get around it!

It is bloody terific and so sweet (naturally) it's no wonder they make lollies based on it.

Is also one of the main/most used ingredients in Traditional Chinese Medicine and has been for centuries, thanks to it's supposed ability to stimulate/strengthen your spleen (very early on in the digestion process) and whip it into action, thanks to its natural, non-sugary sweetness.

Not the easiest tea to find (I've found it in Mornington, Mt Eliza and Chadstone so far), but well worth it and I've been having it every day for a few weeks now. Is great to mix in with other herbs, teas, or vegie juices, to make them tastier/sweeter and I imagine it would even work well in soups that need a bit of sweetening.

Just hits the sweet spot instantly and it's much better for your health to get it from something like this than from a high-sugar hit of lollies, donuts, or anything like that.

Is it anything like Black Adder licorice tea? Someone recommended licorice tea to me as I really enjoyed the taste, later found out that there were many benefits from it like green tea does. But a word or warning, stay clear of this stuff if you have high blood pressure!

 

[aussierulesrules]

It is indeed, because Licorice is the main ingredient in Black Adder tea, which I actually saw in a health food shop yesterday. The other ingredients in it are Fennel seed and oil; Peppermint and Anise Seed, which would all have their own health giving properties.

They describe that tea as being good for "relieving nervous tension and aiding digestion", with the main selling point on the front of the box being that it aids digestion. Apart from licorice, peppermint is very renowned as a digestive aid. I've actually been using Fennel in my cooking in the past week or so, as it has a strong aniseed flavour, like licorice.

I'm actually seeing Licorice tea quite a lot now that I'm looking for it and you can get it in 100% pure, or mixed in with other ingredients, like it is in Black Adder.

I've been reading up on it a bit more since I wrote my post on it though and it definitely is something that you need to be careful of if you have high blood pressure, or heart disease, or if you're taking certain medications, especially Warfarin, apparently, as licorice is a potent medicinal herb and can counteract certain medications, or alternatively work with some of them to have a "double whammy" effect on whatever they are treating. So it's best to discuss it with your GP if you're on any meds. I also read that it should be avoided by those who are pregnant, or nursing. Some also don't recommend that you take it daily (especially if you're taking it say 3 times a day) for more than about 4-6 weeks at a time. This is all for the western version of Licorice, Glycyrrhiza Glabra, but some or all of the above apparently also applies to the Chinese version as well, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis, except perhaps for the part about only taking it for 4-6 weeks at a time and then taking a break from it.

According to this article below, the Chinese version (that I referred to in my earlier post- the one used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries/millenia) and the western version are not identical in nature, but both have their own unique healing properties and so-on: http://www.herbslist.net/chinese-licorice-root.html.

As well as traditional Chinese medicine, Liquorice root is apparently used in Greco-Arab and Unani medicines, as well as in the traditional medicines of Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Pakistan, India and other Asian nations.

When I run out of my current packets of the Western version, I'm thinking of ordering some of the Chinese one online, especially if it is one you can just keep on taking daily. It's so sweet and strong tasting that I only need a small amount of it at a time and I'm finding that one teabag is lasting me about 3 days (when kept in the fridge in a small teacup or jar, which I just add boiling water to from the thermos when I want a bit of it).

I have to say I definitely feel that my digestion has improved since I started taking it. The instant the sweet flavour hits my tongue and tastebuds I can feel my stomach kick into gear a bit, but unlike high-sugar sweet fixes, that hit that similar sweet-spot and give you that sweet fix, it obviously continues to do good work once it gets into your stomach.

Something else that I've found that has a sensation licorice flavour (possibly even better than the actual licorice root) is a herb they sell at Bunnings and other nurseries that they call "Licorice Herb". As far as I'm aware it's not at all related to the actual licorice plant in any way and is in fact in the marigold family of plants, with it's botanical name being Tagetes Filifolia: http://haarsnursery.com.au/licorice-herb

You can just break a piece of it off and chew it for a strong licorice flavour, or use it in cooking, or to make tea, or whatever. I love the flavour even more than the actual licorice root tea. That said, I dare say it doesn't have anywhere near the health giving properties of licorice root, although it probably has some of its own. I notice that you can also buy the seeds of that plant on eBay for just $3.80 including postage, so that is brilliant value if you love your licorice flavour and want to just be able to go out into the garden at any time and pick a bunch of it.

 

[Prem87]

Has anyone tried Roasted Dandelion Root and Chicory Root?

 

[aussierulesrules]

I've now found an even sweeter tea than liquorice and in my research on it I haven't found anything to suggest that there is any need to limit its consumption like you apparently do with liquorice, or that there are any groups in particular that shouldn't take it (like how those with high blood pressure shouldn't take liquorice).

It's called stevia (apparently consumed in Paraguay for hundreds/thousands of years) and many of you may be familiar with it, as it is now popping up a lot in the supermarkets and so-on (in extract form) as an alternative and healthier sweetener to sugar, or artificial sweeteners.

Stevia leaves are reportedly anywhere from 10-40 times sweeter than sugar and as soon as you taste the tea the sweetness just hits you! Unlike sugars though, it will not raise your blood sugar levels, won't rot your teeth and apparently has zero calories (although that may be the extracts, the tea may have like 5 calories or something tiny like that).

So it basically just hits the sweet spot and scratches that itch, but without the negative consequences that so many sugars have. I even saw the plants for sale in a garden centre (may have been Bunnings) a while back, for anyone that wants to grow it themselves and be able to just pick it fresh when required.

Highly recommend the tea (as in just 100% stevia leaves- not so much the extracts you see in the supermarkets, which claim to be 300 times sweeter than sugar, but have other things in them that I'm not familiar with) to anyone that is looking for a super-sweet tea to either drink on its own, or to add to other drinks (like coffee) to sweeten them in a relatively healthy way. I've been adding it to various healthy drinks every day to sweeten them up a bit and it is making them taste a lot better.