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While effective weight loss begins with exercise and a healthy diet, nutritionists agree that changing up your drink routine can also be effective.
If you’re a pumpkin spice latte enthusiast (and who isn’t!) or if you gravitate towards coffee with milk and sugar, try skipping the extra calories in favor of another hot drink that will do wonders for your metabolism.
We’re talking about green tea. Thanks to a biologically active compound called catechin, green tea possesses properties that help to break down excess fat and boost metabolic activity. Nutritionist and founder of Truism Fitness Jamie Hickey points to a recent Ohio State University study that concludes green tea may cut obesity and inflammatory biomarkers linked with poor health. “Because green tea improves gut health, it staves off inflammation and prevents weight gain in the long run,” Jamie adds.
While green tea is undoubtedly good for you, green tea infused with ginger delivers extra health benefits.
That's because ginger is thought to promote weight loss due to its high content of antioxidants - particularly gingerol, which stabilizes blood sugar levels and prevents overeating.
Ginger is also a natural anti-inflammatory. Not only will it help kick metabolism into gear, but it reduces joint pain that may have made it hard to exercise. It's potent enough that the Arthritis Foundation recommends ginger as a top spice for those with arthritis!
Ongoing research suggests that ginger has been shown to inhibit cellular aging and lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
While it's true that evidence for these benefits is stronger in animal studies than for people, research is consistent in showing that consuming ginger enhances calorie burn and reduces hunger.
Therefore, combining a superfood like ginger with green tea is only going to double up on health benefits. Something like this green tea-ginger option, which also offers probiotics, will support digestion and naturally increase metabolism.
It's enough to make you rethink your whole morning drink routine!
