Now more than ever, people are trying to lose weight by thinking green. Green tea is one of the hottest products on the market today. Its medicinal qualities have been known for years. But can green tea actually enable you to shed those unwanted pounds?

Research conducted for the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition states that a green tea diet can speed up your metabolism and oxidize fat without increasing your heart beat. This means that you can achieve a fast metabolism with green tea without suffering heart trouble. In other words, green tea enables you to increase your expenditure of energy without causing adverse health effects.

If you find the taste of green tea difficult to swallow, you can obtain green tea extract in a pill. The 500-milligram capsules should be consumed two or three times each day in order for you to receive maximum benefit. (more…)

You might have heard of the GI diet and wondered if it had anything to do with the nation’s military forces. Actually, this meal plan is not connected with any branch of the armed services. But it is definitely an important part of the war on fat. By following the GI diet, you might be able to successfully fight the battle of the bulge.

To begin with, it is important to define our terms. GI refers to glycemic index. The GI measures just how quickly the body breaks apart food in order to develop glucose, which has been referred to as a major energy source for the body. The GI was the brainchild of Dr. David Jenkins, a nutritional expert at the University of Toronto.

If food ranks high on the GI scale, it means that the food breaks down quickly. As a result, the body is not satiated and goes looking elsewhere for food. However, food that is low-glucose breaks down less quickly, which means that it makes you feel satiated. The GI diet, therefore, is made up of food that is low on the GI barometer. If you follow this food plan, you will be eating lean meat and fish, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and fruits and vegetables. In addition, you can partake of dairy, as long as it is low-fat. However, you’ll be passing up cake, cookies, bread, and other foods that are comprised of white flour and therefore high on the GI. (more…)