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For most of us, the first hot drink of the day is one of the most important steps to our morning routines. Whether you’re a coffee drinker, tea drinker or enjoy something else in the mornings, our daily caffeine fixes are what gets our days started.
But is your morning caffeine fix helping or harming your diet? While it is true that some morning drinks, like full-fat lattes or artificially-flavored coffee creamers, may be worse for you than a plain cup of coffee, the opposite is also true: there are some morning drinks that are way healthier than the simple go-to.
In fact, there is one hot drink you can have every morning that might even help boost your metabolism to promote weight loss and fat burning.
You’re going to want to start stocking up on green tea. Many experts have found that green tea can enhance your metabolism and burn fat at a faster rate. And the more efficiently your metabolism runs, the easier it is to lose weight or maintain a steady weight.
A study at Oklahoma State University even discovered that people who drank four cups of green tea per day were able to shed 1.3 pounds more than participants who only drank water, over a period of two months.
"Green tea is a healthy addition to your diet since its consumption has been considered a natural metabolism booster for centuries thanks to special antioxidant compounds,” Dr. Josh Axe, founder of Ancient Nutrition, told SheFinds.
"Green tea isn’t just beneficial due to its antioxidant content; it’s also been shown to be a natural fat burning beverage, in part due to its caffeine. Sipping on a cup of matcha [or] green tea is not only soothing; drinking it regularly may help to reduce body fat and lower cholesterol levels."
Green tea stands out from other types of tea because it contains an antioxidant called catechin. This, paired with the caffeine that is naturally found in green tea, speeds the metabolism, breaks down fat and helps you burn more calories.
Changing up your routine is never easy, so if you’re not already a tea drinker, it could take some time to actually get into the habit of drinking a cup of green tea every morning.
A cup of green tea contains about 40 to 50 milligrams of caffeine, while a cup of coffee typically contains 95 milligrams. So if you’re going to try to make the switch from coffee to green tea, try starting with two cups of green tea each morning so your body doesn’t start to miss the caffeine it is accustomed to.
Or, try mixing up your morning drink with a different type of green tea. This recipe for a matcha green tea turmeric latte is a great place to start…
