Weight loss through tea: Benefits and DIY recipes for oolong tea, green tea, and herbal teas.

Drinking tea to lose weight (excerpt)

Oolong tea, also known as blue tea, is a semi-fermented tea and a unique category of tea among my country's major tea types. Oolong tea combines the processing methods of green and black tea, resulting in a quality between the two. It possesses the rich flavor of black tea and the delicate fragrance of green tea, and is known for its "green leaves with red edges." The pharmacological effects of oolong tea are particularly evident in its ability to break down fat and promote weight loss and fitness. In Japan, it is known as a beauty tea and a health tea.

The popularity of oolong tea is entirely due to its fat-dissolving and weight-loss effects, a claim that is indeed supported by science. Tannins, the main component of tea, have been proven to be closely related to fat metabolism, and experimental results have shown that oolong tea can indeed lower blood cholesterol levels, making it a truly valuable weight-loss tea.

Experiments have shown that drinking 1 liter of oolong tea daily can inhibit cholesterol rise, but the amount should be determined according to individual physical conditions. When food is too greasy, it is best to pair it with oolong tea, which not only provides a feeling of fullness but also helps to remove the greasiness. Take 3 grams of oolong tea, 18 grams of Sophora japonica fruit, 30 grams of Polygonum multiflorum, 18 grams of winter melon peel, and 15 grams of hawthorn flesh. Decoction these four herbs together, remove the dregs, and use the decoction to brew oolong tea. This has the effect of weight loss and lowering blood lipids.

green tea

Green tea, also known as unfermented tea, is made from suitable tea tree shoots through typical processes such as fixation, rolling, and drying. Depending on the drying and fixation methods, it is generally classified into pan-fired green tea, oven-dried green tea, sun-dried green tea, and steamed green tea, all characterized by "clear soup and green leaves, with a strong astringent taste." Green tea is the oldest type of tea, dating back over 3,000 years, and is also the most produced type of tea in my country, with its main production areas distributed in provinces such as Zhejiang, Anhui, and Jiangxi.

Green tea is also a good choice for weight loss. When brewing green tea, the water temperature should be controlled between 80 and 90 degrees Celsius. If brewing green tea powder, use warm water at 40 to 60 degrees Celsius. The ratio is 2 grams of green tea powder to 450 ml of warm water. Do not drink the first brew of tea; simply pour in hot water, shake it briefly, and then discard it. Drink the brewed tea within 30 to 60 minutes, otherwise the nutrients in the tea will become unstable. Green tea powder should not be brewed too strong, otherwise it will affect the secretion of gastric juices; it is best not to drink it on an empty stomach.

Flowers and herbs that can help with weight loss

Roses: A beauty and slimming product, it can promote blood circulation, remove blood stasis, and regulate endocrine function, making it most suitable for women who are overweight due to endocrine disorders.

Roselle: Detoxifies, promotes urination, reduces edema, and stimulates bile secretion to break down excess body fat.

Bitter orange flower: Cleanses the blood, promotes blood circulation, soothes the liver, harmonizes the stomach, and regulates qi. It is suitable for women who are obese due to spleen and stomach imbalance.

Lemon slices: diuretic, regulate vascular permeability, suitable for women with edema and puffiness.

Cassia seeds: promote gastrointestinal motility, clear accumulated stool from the body, and lower blood lipids and blood pressure.

Dried tangerine peel: It can aid digestion, expel stomach gas, and reduce abdominal fat accumulation. It is found in many traditional Chinese medicine weight loss formulas. Dried tangerine peel is warm in nature, and its effects are enhanced when combined with neutral or slightly cooling ingredients such as cassia seed and lotus leaf.

Stevia leaves: a natural sweetener, a great companion for those trying to lose weight, with virtually no calories. Perfect for those who crave sweetness but are afraid of gaining weight, mainly used in combination with other herbal teas as a sweetener.

Lotus leaf: A slimming remedy since ancient times, it can clear heat, promote urination, reduce fat, and relieve constipation. There is a beverage made from lotus flowers, leaves, and fruits that not only refreshes the mind but also improves complexion and aids in weight loss. To fully utilize lotus leaf tea for weight loss, a few tips are needed. First, it must be a strong tea; the second brew is less effective. Second, drink it six times a day. Those with constipation can drink four packets a day, divided into four servings, to promote bowel movements and further aid weight loss. Third, it's best to drink it on an empty stomach. The advantage is that you don't need to diet; after drinking lotus leaf tea for a period of time, you will naturally lose your cravings for oily foods.

Peppermint: It has many benefits, including for obesity and diabetes.

Licorice: It can inhibit cholesterol, enhance immunity, and suppress inflammation. However, it can raise blood pressure and is not suitable for people with high blood pressure.

Fennel: It can promote urination and sweating, remove waste from subcutaneous fat, and prevent obesity. The fennel here is not the fennel used in fennel dumplings, but a perennial herb called "sweet fennel," and we are drinking its seeds.

Bodhi wood: It can promote urination, break down fat, and help eliminate waste from the body.

Rosemary: Promotes blood circulation, lowers cholesterol, and inhibits obesity. It has many benefits and makes a wonderful herbal tea.

Mulberry leaf tea: In Traditional Chinese Medicine, mulberry leaves are called "mulberry leaves" and are believed to eliminate body fat. Its medicinal effects are extremely broad, including relieving coughs, clearing heat, treating dizziness and blurred vision, relieving eye fatigue, reducing swelling, purifying the blood, curing dysentery and abdominal pain, nourishing the liver, and beautifying the skin. Drinking mulberry leaf tea can also aid in weight loss. The diuretic effect of mulberry leaves not only promotes urination but also helps eliminate excess water accumulated in cells, thus reducing swelling. Mulberry leaves can also clear excess neutral fats and cholesterol from the blood, thus purifying the blood.

The herbal teas introduced above can be used alone or in combination. Different herbal teas can be paired according to different body types. Long-term adherence will naturally lead to unexpected weight loss results.

DIY Slimming Tea

1. Shuangwu Tea

Ingredients: 5g oolong tea, 30g Polygonum multiflorum, 20g dried hawthorn, 20g winter melon peel.

Instructions: Put Polygonum multiflorum, winter melon peel and hawthorn into a pot and cook until the hawthorn is soft. Filter out the residue and use the liquid to brew oolong tea.

2. Jade Plate Gourd Tea

Ingredients: 25g oolong tea, 25g dried lotus leaves, 10g dried gourd, 5g orange peel.

Instructions: Grind dried lotus leaves, aged gourd, and orange peel into a fine powder and mix it into the tea leaves. When you want to drink it, take a small amount and brew it repeatedly until the tea becomes weak.

3. Qingluo Drink

Ingredients: 50g dried lotus leaves, 5g oolong tea, 6g loofah peel, 5g watermelon rind.

practice:

(1) Wrap dried lotus leaves, loofah peel, watermelon rind and oolong tea in gauze, soak and wash them in clean water and set aside.

(2) Put 5 cups of water in a clay pot, put in a gauze bag, boil it until the water boils, and drink it as tea.

Efficacy: It can promote diuresis and lower lipids, and is suitable for patients with hyperlipidemia and obesity.

4. Five flavor tea

Ingredients: equal parts of hawthorn, malt, dried tangerine peel, poria cocos, alisma plantago-aquatica, medicated leaven, prunella vulgaris, red adzuki bean, radish seed, cassia seed, and agastache rugosa.

Instructions: Grind the ingredients into a fine powder. Use 6-12 grams each time, brew with boiling water, and drink as tea.

Efficacy: It has the effects of diuresis and dehumidification, lipid reduction and stress reduction, and weight loss.

5. Corn silk tea

Corn silk consists of the style and stigma of corn. It is produced throughout China. It has a sweet and neutral flavor and is believed to have diuretic, swelling-reducing, liver-soothing, and gallbladder-benefiting effects. Steeping 10-15 grams of corn silk in boiling water and drinking it as a tea substitute can have a certain weight-loss effect.

6. Lotus leaf tea

Take fresh lotus leaves, cut them into pieces, dry them in the sun, and steep them in boiling water to drink as tea. One month constitutes one course of treatment, followed by a 10-day break before resuming. Noticeable effects can be seen after three courses of treatment.

7. Peach Blossom Tea

The beauty and weight-loss benefits of peach blossoms are well-documented in ancient texts. The *Shennong Bencao Jing* states that peach blossoms "improve complexion," while the *Qianjin Yaofang* records that they can "slim the waist." Peach blossoms can be picked in spring or dried in the shade. Use a few petals each time to make tea; the quantity should not be increased. Discontinue use if diarrhea occurs after consumption.

Some taboos regarding tea drinking:

(1) Tea leaves are classified as cooling or warming depending on the processing method. People with a hot constitution should drink cooling tea, while those with a cold constitution should drink warming tea.

(2) It is best to drink black tea in the evening. Green tea is an unfermented tea with a high content of tea polyphenols, which is more stimulating; black tea is a fully fermented tea, which is less stimulating. For people with weak spleen and stomach, adding a little milk when drinking black tea can have a warming effect on the stomach.

(3) People who are usually easily agitated or sensitive, have poor sleep, or are physically weak should drink less or no tea in the evening.

(4) When drinking tea in the evening, use less tea leaves and do not brew the tea too strong. It is best to drink it after dinner. Drinking tea on an empty stomach can inhibit the secretion of gastric juices, hinder digestion, and in severe cases, it can cause palpitations, headaches, and other symptoms of "tea intoxication".