5 Reasons to Drink Green Tea

It’s no secret CrossFitters love coffee. Not only is it Paleo, it’s a natural energizer that gives a little extra edge when working through a tough WOD. So we here at The Rx Review understand why caffeine is a prized item amongst CrossFitters and have even gone to the extent of including coffee vouchers in our giveaways.

While we all adore coffee and embed it into our morning routine there are some unwanted side effects that make drinking it slightly less appealing. There’s the dreaded coffee stained teeth, the afternoon fatigue and not to mention ladies, the countless trips to the bathroom if we overindulge (I’m hoping someone can relate).

But I’m not here to preach on the negative effects of coffee, unfortunately my addiction is just too strong for that. I’m here to provide an alternative that offers caffeine and contains weight loss properties.

It’s time to talk green tea. Thanks to Oprah (and I’m sure many other doctors and dieticians), the weight loss benefits of green tea have become well known in the west in recent times. So I want to sing it’s praises one more time and give you five reasons to switch that the third cup of coffee to green tea.

1. It Contains the World’s Most Popular Psychoactive Drug…Caffeine: It turns out coffee is not the only source of caffeine. Each cup of green tea has around 35mg of caffeine. Ok I will admit that pales in comparison to coffee which has anywhere upwards of 100mg per cup. The upside is if you tend to feel sluggish late in the afternoon and find yourself fighting the urge to drink coffee, green tea provides the perfect alternative to satisfy your caffeine craving.

2. Improves Dental Health: Green tea has been known to prevent tooth decay when consumed on a regular basis. Goodbye to those undesirable coffee stained teeth and not too mention those expensive dental bills.

3. Helps to Burn those Unwanted Calories:  Just when it couldn’t get any better we turn to the weight loss properties. Green tea has proven to increase our metabolism and improve the body’s ability to burn fat. One recent study found that green tea was responsible for burning an extra 78 calories each day in participants who were required to consume one-cup everyday. I like to say a cup a day keeps those calories away!

4. Slows the Ageing Process: The antioxidants found within green tea have been known to keep the skin youthful. This is partly because the tea has an anti-inflammatory effect on the body. In addition, studies have shown that green tea applied topically can reduce the appearance of sun damage; this is no doubt an added benefit for us Aussies who have the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world. So what are you waiting for? Take a cup and enjoy the health benefits of green tea.

5. Cholesterol levels: Regular consumption of green tea has proven to reduce bad cholesterol in the blood and improve the ratio of good cholesterol to bad.

After delving into the many benefits of green tea I can honestly say it seems like the wonder beverage. With that said I think it is time to reunite with my teapot and channel my inner English side.

Although I really should credit the Chinese for this drink as legend has it that in 2737 BC Emperor Shen-Nung discovered the tea when the leaves fell into the water he was boiling to drink.

Whatever the case may be it looks like I’ll be reaching for my teacup in the morning instead of the coffee mug. But let’s face it when something promises to keep the body lean and the complexion youthful who needs convincing (not me)!