Oolong Tea – Weight Loss at its Best

There is a growing clamor for fast, effective and (if ever possible) immediate lose-weight-tea. Tea – plain or otherwise – is known for its antioxidant, anti-aging and weight-losing abilities. Something like a “buy-one-take-all” come-on for the novice interested in the not-so-new art of tea drinking. So manufacturers of weight loss products come up with a lot of “home herbal remedies” – teas included. Oolong is one of those teas.

Oolong tea is the most expensive of all teas, with a hefty price tag that is said to cost almost $100 per pound of the tea. (Yes, it’s that expensive.) Monkey picked oolong tea – also known as an anti-obesity oolong tea – is the best of them all. (If you’re wondering, the name is not just a monicker: it is said that Buddhist monks used real, trained monkeys to harvest the budding, freshest and tender leaves from the top of tea trees.)

Simply put, it is a cross between black tea (oxidized part) and green tea (non-oxidized part). It tastes more like green tea without the grassy taste and after-taste. Originating from the Wuyi cliff in Fujian, China, it is also grown in other areas of Japan and some parts of Taiwan. Oolong in English means Black Dragon Tea. (So if you see a tea product that is named this way, relax, it’s just oolong tea.)

Speaking of names, did you know that oolong is being sold under different names? Wu Long Tea and Wu Yi Tea (no doubt named after the Wuyi cliff in China) are just some of those names. So don’t be confused when you’re looking for oolong and you see these instead.

Oolong tea can help you lose weight, but it is best combined with a healthy diet of fresh fruits, vegetables and proteins to better the effects of losing weight. Doing regular exercise will also help in burning calories much faster.

And aside from it being an effective fat burner, it also strengthens the immune system, increases metabolism, reduces wrinkles and gives you smoother skin (plus, it effectively delays the aging process by stimulating the cells’ regenerative properties) and, get this – it promotes healthy teeth and gums. Just like basil tea, it is said to relieve pain and discomforts caused by gum problems.

Oolong curbs the appetite, making you feel less hungry during the day. This doesn’t mean though, that you don’t need to eat. Of course, you still need to eat your regular meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner). The feeling of hunger for snacks in between would be the one suppressed by the tea. Well, usually you get to eat a lot of sugary and/or too salty foods during snacks, so not eating at those times would be a welcome change for your body. Also, the tea will give you more energy as it burns your calories in a safe way.

The proper way of brewing oolong tea is:

  • Boil the water to a temperature of around 185 to 200 degrees.
  • Let the boiled water cool for a couple of seconds.
  • If you are using new leaves, pour just a little of the water over the leaves. This will bring out the bitterness and gets the leaves ready for infusion. Discard the liquid. Pour the rest of the water and infuse for about 1 to 3 minutes. (If you are using an older batch of leaves, make sure that you infuse longer than that.)
  • Do not put sugar or honey to enjoy the full benefits.

Drink this a few cups a day and you are well on your way to becoming a healthier, happier person.