Drink these teas to avoid snacking
Drinking herbal teas throughout the day is an effective way to help kick the annoying habit that so many of us are guilty of. Herbal teas prevent feelings of craving and restlessness because they give the body nutrients and a feeling of fullness.
Drinking warm tea throughout the day is like a meditation that can carry over to the way you eat food. Drinking tea 30 minutes before meals can help one feel satisfied. Sipping tea throughout the day is a great way to slow down your overall style of eating and drinking.
It is also a great way to pacify emotional hunger cravings. Many of us eat when we are in need of comfort. This is especially true in the winter when we crave extra warmth and comfort. A warm cup of herbal tea is a healthier substitute for snacking on comfort foods.
Green tea is one of the healthiest teas on the planet and the perfect one to introduce into your daily tea sipping routine. As safe weight loss ingredient that has the ability to oxidize fat in the body, green tea also has a wealth of antioxidants that are good for your heart.
Green tea is readily available in many different varieties. If in doubt, start exploring the many types of green teas from around the world. Experimenting with their different tastes, is enough to help you from snacking during the day.
Chamomile tea neutralizes excess stomach acid and both prevents and treats indigestion. It tones underactive stomachs and calms stomach aches, spasm and tension. It is a relaxing nerve tonic and can relieve tension eating.
Tension eating occurs when we eat on the run, have too many working lunches or when we nibble nervously on crackers and cookies when we are stressed out or depressed. Poor digestion ensures as do those few extra inches around the waistline. A few cups of chamomile tea every day can help with this form of mindless eating.
Mint is one of humanity’s most favorite and uplifting flavors. It has a relaxing effect on the muscles of the digestive system and also helps us focus on the work we are doing. This is an effective way to avoid snacking as we so often snack because we are bored or unfocused. There are many mint teas available, Peppermint and spearmint tea are the most common varieties and are available in your local health food store.
Peppers contain capsaicin, which improves digestion, metabolism and the overall fat burning process. It is said to be a “thermogenic chemical” which will help speed metabolism and decrease appetite. There are teas you can buy in your local health food store, such as Aztec sweet chili that contains cayenne pepper, an excellent spice with warming and energizing properties that aso curbs cravings.
Chickweed can break down fat in the body. Chickweed tea has the added benefit of curbing cravings and aiding in digestion. Adding burdock root to the tea will efficiently flush away the fat molecules that have been broken down by the chickweed. Burdock has laxative properties in addition to being a diuretic. It also improves fat metabolism. Simmer burdock root in water for about 20 minutes to brew a tea to drink between meals.
Lemon tea is another great one to sip throughout the day. It’s easy to make (just squeeze fresh lemon juice into a cup of hot water) and it’s naturally uplifting. Lemon tea is especially nutritious because lemons contain flavonoid compounds that have antioxidant and anti-cancer properties.
Lemons are a great source of vitamin C, one of natures’ most prized nutrients, also useful in fighting inflammation. If you tire of lemon tea, try limes instead. Soon you will find yourself adrift on a tropical island instead of carving that oily potato chip or sweet piece of candy.
Ginger’s fragrance is warm and spicy and is used in traditional medicine to treat colds, fevers, loss of appetite, nausea, inflammation and genitor-urinary and lung infections. It is also known to protect the liver. In addition, ginger is a stimulant and aphrodisiac.
Cinnamon is also warm and spicy with a bit of sweetness. It is thought to be an aphrodisiac that relieves tension and invigorates the senses.
Cinnamon is a perfect complement to ginger tea. Add 3 cups of cold water to a saucepan and heat on high. Peel one-fourth cup fresh ginger root and slice thin. Add one-eighth tsp ground cinnamon or 1 whole cinnamon stick to water. Add ginger to water. Bring mixture to a boil. Cover the pan and remove from heat. Let the tea sit for 15-20 minutes. Sip while reading a good book!
Super sulforaphane – Sulforaphane is found in broccoli, and according to research coming from UCLA, this compound is a powerful weapon against free radicals, which cause cell damage. If you don’t like broccoli, then you can get sulforaphane in the form of a supplement. You can “hide” broccoli, however, in salads by adding broccoli sprouts.
How many calories in one of those big soft pretzels? We’re looking at over 500. The size of these treats varies, some soft pretzels are gargantuan, and those have perhaps 700 calories. Big pretzels don’t have any redeeming value, as they are made with white flour. If you must have a soft pretzel, have only half, and save the other half for next day. Best time to eat one of these? With quality protein within one hour of your workout.
