Tea: Losing Weight the Healthy Way

I conclude that tea help lose weight. Well, true, I know of some friends and family who switched to tea (from other caffeine and/or soda drinks) and I lost weight too (making me a certified tea believer), but that’s not the point. The reality is that a lot of people from different cultures have chugged down a feasible amount of tea, some dating as far back into the last century. Several cultures attest to this claim of mine.

Contrary to the common notion that afternoon tea time was introduced by the British, it was in reality, very popular in the 17th century and weaved its way into the daily lives of the aristocrats. Madame de Sevigne – one of history’s greatest letter writers in 17th century France—even wrote about a certain dying Monsieur who drank 40 cups every morning and became well. Of course, we may consider this tale exaggerated, but it is good to note that people of that century considered tea as a healthy way to while their rich time away.

The British started their tea drinking in 1662, when King Charles II’s wife, Queen Catherine made tea very popular among the wealthier classes of society. Soon, tea replaced ale as the national drink, as everyone tried to mimic high society. Tea drinking remains as a popular activity in England up to this day, as the English are particularly known for their afternoon tea (taken in the late afternoon with scones, pastries and cakes capped by a cup or two of tea).

The popularity of tea’s medicinal properties has always been attributed to the Chinese. Medicinal tonics have been used by the Chinese since time immemorial. Also, since tea is an efficient aid to the digestive system, a lot of Chinese (and even some of their Asian neighbors) prefer to drink tea after every meal. They even had proper procedures for brewing, steeping and serving tea the right way – this preparing-and-drinking-tea art form reportedly started in the 8th century.

Tea drinkers are usually slim compared to their caffeine-drinking counterparts. This is because most teas are natural laxatives – it helps in cleansing the intestines via regular bowel movement. (A word of caution: It would be best to drink tea and then stop for about a day or two. This is so that your body won’t get used to having usual help with waste elimination. Still recommended that your body should be able to function well still, with or without the help of teas.)

Nowadays, all teas still come from the same plant: the Camilla Sinensis bush. There are 5 types of tea prevalent to this day:

  • White tea – said to have the most benefits as they are made from immature leaves.
  • Green tea – not fermented so they retain the color of the leaves.
  • Red or black tea – fermented tea leaves.
  • Oolong tea – partially fermented, sometimes have a bitter taste.
  • Scented teas – a mix of flowers or flower petals with green or oolong tea. Jasmine tea is said to be the most common of these teas (some women even use this as a relaxant after a stressful day).

Three different cultures with one striking similarity – their love of tea. And this is not just because of the eliteness that society endows upon the act. These people sincerely believe that tea in any form is beneficial to the body. This should be proof enough that we should also begin believing in the power of the tea.