How to Make Green Tea Lemonade for Weight Loss

People are becoming more aware of the health effects of carrying around extra weight and are looking for innovative recipes that can help them lose some pounds.

One such beverage that is gaining popularity among health conscious people is green tea lemonade.

Besides being absolutely delicious and refreshing, it is simple to make. Plus, the ingredients – green tea, lemon, honey and cinnamon – are readily available in your kitchen.

However, the best part is that these ingredients support weight loss.

Here’s a look at the benefits of these ingredients for weight loss.

Green Tea

Green tea contains the antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which helps burn fat and also keeps your metabolism rate high.

A 2007 study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition suggests that EGCG has the potential to increase fat oxidation, which highlights the anti-obesity effects of green tea.

Ingestion of green tea extract can increase fat oxidation during moderate-intensity exercise and can improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in healthy young men, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2008.

Lemon

Vitamin C helps your body burn more fat and lemon is one of the best sources of this vitamin. Getting an adequate intake of vitamin C helps the body burn 30 percent more fat during exercise, according to a 2005 study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

A 2008 study published in the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition found that the polyphenols in lemons act as antioxidants and help stimulate the liver to burn fat.

Plus, lemon is high in pectin fiber, which helps fight hunger cravings and keeps you feeling full longer.

Honey

Honey is another important ingredient that promotes weight loss. Honey has a slow effect on blood sugar compared to regular table sugar. This aids in controlling appetite and maintaining weight.

A 2010 study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition reports that alterations in meal-induced responses of ghrelin and PYY (3-36), but not meal-induced thermogenesis, is responsible for the potential “obesity protective” effects of honey.

A 2011 study published in Nutrition Research suggests that compared to sucrose, honey may reduce weight gain and adiposity, presumably due to lower food intake, and promote lower serum triglycerides but higher non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations.

Cinnamon

For the best weight-loss results, cinnamon also plays a key role. However, cinnamon alone cannot result in weight loss. Eating fewer calories and following a strict exercise routine is a must.

A 2006 study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition notes that cinnamon extract helps improve body composition by increasing lean mass and decreasing body fat.

How to Make Green Tea Lemonade for Weight Loss

Looking at the benefits of the ingredients, green tea lemonade is clearly a great beverage to include in your daily weight-loss diet.

Things you’ll need:

• Water – 2 cups
• Green tea bag – 1
• Honey – 2 to 3 teaspoons
• Lemon zest and juice – from 1 lemon
• Cinnamon stick – ½ inch

Steps

1. Put 2 cups of water in a pan.

2. Gently scrape the zest of 1 lemon using a zester, grater or a sharp paring knife and add it to the boiling water. Make sure the lemon is thoroughly washed.

3. Add a piece of cinnamon stick to the water.

4. Cover and allow the water to boil.

5. Turn off the heat. Put 1 green tea bag in the hot water, cover and let it steep for 3 to 5 minutes. Then, set the tea aside to cool down.

6. Strain it.

7. Add the juice of 1 lemon to the prepared tea.

8. Add 2 teaspoons of organic honey to it and stir gently.

9. Keep your green tea lemonade in the refrigerator to cool down or add few ice cubes and drink it immediately.

In addition to its lemony and refreshing taste, this green tea lemonade will help burn fat and remove toxins from your body.

Additional Tips

• If you want, you can add a pinch of cayenne pepper to your green tea lemonade for extra benefits.
• You can make a large batch of this beverage and store it in the refrigerator. Drink 1 or 2 glasses of it daily.
• Always use organic lemon and good quality honey to make this beverage.
• If you do not have a cinnamon stick, add a little bit of cinnamon powder to this refreshing drink before serving.
• After using the green tea bags, store them in the refrigerator. There are many beauty uses for used green tea bags.

Resources:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17906192
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/87/3/778.long
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15930480
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2581754/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21504975
http://www.nrjournal.com/article/S0271-5317(10)00254-X/abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2129164/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2901047/