14 Things I Should Do During Lunch Break

What you do during your midday break might vary depending on your job, company culture or personal priorities—but the experts agree all workers should try to do these 14 things during lunch hour:

1. Make a plan. “Don’t squander your lunch break because it’s ‘free time,’” Taylor says. Time is a non-renewable resource, wherever you are, whatever the time of day. Try your best to plan it out and make the most of it.

You should also plan your activities immediately after lunch, Kerr suggests. “Giving thought to how you prioritize and schedule events in the afternoon can maximize your productivity. For example, scheduling a meeting or conference call right after lunch may end up causing you  stress over the lunch hour or you may end up squeezing the lunch break in order to get back in time and be ready for the meeting.”

2. Take a real break. Breaking from work for 60 seconds to chow down your lunch at your desk doesn’t count. “In order to get a period of true respite, the time has to involve an actual break from work,” Levit says. Try not to check your e-mail, bring work with you or talk about work during lunch.

3. Get up from your desk or work space. “Staying at your desk is a big no-no in my book,” Kerr says. “There are more and more reports on the dangers of sitting too long, so even just getting up to walk to another room to eat is important, or better still, getting outside for some fresh air and a quick walk can do wonders for the body and spirit.”

Even if you don’t sit at a desk, you should get away from your work space during lunch, as it will help you clear your mind.

4. Eat. Don’t try to be a hero and starve yourself for the sake of being a hard worker or checking off another “to-do” item, Taylor says. “You’ll pay for it later when you can’t concentrate and throw your body off balance. If you’ve earned a headache or are lightheaded at 4 p.m., you haven’t ultimately gained anything.”

5. Enjoy your food. Lunch should be about having lunch, Woodward says. “Treat yourself to something you enjoy that fits with your diet,” he adds. “If you have a favorite place or a particular food you enjoy make sure to go and enjoy it at least once a week. You only live once.”

It’s OK to splurge from time to time—but try to stick to healthy meals as often as possible.

6. Do what you can’t do in the morning or evening. Some errands—like going to the Post Office or the bank—must be handled during work hours. “Be strategic and use your lunch break to accomplish some of those personal errands that can’t be handled before or after work, or on the weekends,” Taylor says.

But be careful that you don’t cram too many personal errands into your lunch break, Kerr warns. “You’d just end up swapping one stress for another kind of stress without getting the re-energizing benefits a good break can offer.”

7. Use the time to connect with someone new.  “I used to work in an office of 3,000 people, so it was pretty much the norm to not recognize most everyone in the elevator,” Woodward says. “Our workplace interactions can be so fleeting that we really never actually get to know the people we spend most of our days with. When you don’t really know those you interact with it’s easy to dehumanize them and take them for granted. Take some time to get out of the office, grab a sit down lunch, and get to know your co-workers.”

8. Catch up with old friends. If you have a friend who works nearby, try to meet him or her during lunch occasionally. “Remember, your personal life needs tending to just as much as your work-life, so be sure to take the spare time you have and use it to fulfill your personal needs,” Woodward says. Your midday break is a good opportunity to catch up and socialize, in person or by phone—but don’t lose track of time, and don’t treat it like happy hour.

9. Have a system for dealing with your absence. This will allow people inside and outside the company to know when you will be back, how to contact you in an emergency or have an alternative point of contact, says David Shindler, author ofLearning to Leap and founder of social learning site,The Employability Hub. It may also help you relax and avoid obsessively checking your e-mail during lunch.

10. Engage in activities that will help you re-energize. Take a walk outside, visit the gym or meditate. Get out and do something that will make you feel better about yourself. “A quick dose of sunlight and fresh air is the perfect elixir for the midday blues,” Woodward says.

11. Network. Even if you’re perfectly happy in your job, and you’re not looking for a new one, it can’t hurt to continuously build and maintain your professional network. “This is critical to success in any line of work,” Woodward says. “However, finding the time to connect with those in your network can be tough.”

Attridge adds, “Strategically, lunch is an excellent time to continue to build relationships and network with others whether that is by having lunch with them or calling them to catch up.”

12. Don’t get stuck in a routine. Many of us are creatures of habit. Maybe you go to the same pizzeria everyday or eat with the same colleague. You might always use your lunch break to run errands or make personal calls. Try to mix things up in order to clear your head and boost your energy.

13. Avoid all screens. Try to stay away from your iPhone, iPad, Blackberry and computer. “Give your eyes a break,” Taylor says. Most office jobs require you to stare at a screen all day—so try to avoid that during lunch.

If you can’t help it for whatever reason (maybe you want to shop online or e-mail a friend), get up from your desk so your body perceives this as a true break, Levit adds.

14. Don’t take too long or too short of a break. If you’re allotted an hour for lunch, take it. Maybe not every

day, but when you can, use the full sixty minutes to get out, eat, exercise your mind or body, catch up with an old friend or a colleague and/or tackle items on your personal agenda.

However, if everyone else in the office takes shorter breaks, follow suit so you don’t stand out.

“Don’t take breaks that are too long or too frequent, as people will start to notice,” Levit says. “And don’t pressure colleagues to adhere to your break schedule. You are primarily there to work–not socialize–so let them do what works best for them.”

“You have the ability to make your lunch hour an invigorating boost to your afternoon by doing what you enjoy; be it a brisk walk listening to music, talking with a close friend, being in nature, even if briefly, or spending time on your favorite project or pastime,” Taylor concludes. “It’s your time to refresh.”

BURN FAT,SLIMING AND NOURISH

WHAT IS HEALTHY LIVING?
Our physical appearance is a reflection of our state of health. Being overweight is an indication of a highly toxic body due to poor digestion and blood circulation and an inefficient defecation cycle. It is also a manifestation of an unhealthy lifestyle characterized by a high cholesterol diet and a sedentary lifestyle. When one is showing signs of aging, it is a warning that the body is starting to deteriorate and is becoming a sure candidate to chronic diseases, cardiovascular and heart problems. Hence, managing our health is essential to sustain ourselves, not just to look good but also for us to function at our peak while doing our daily activities. However, there is more to healthy living than just eating well, exercising and seeking cure when the need arises. Edmark’s Healthy Living Catalogue presents four basic steps called the Power 4 Slimming and Beauty Program that will jumpstart your journey to health and over-all fitness.
	STEP 1 : DETOXIFYDetoxification is an indispensable step towards your journey to healthy slimming. When your digestive system is clogged, your body is unable to absorb essential nutrients. Before nourishment or slimming can take place, you must first detoxify your body of excess fats and toxins.
	STEP 2 : BURN FAT AND NOURISHNext is burning fat from the body and getting the right amount of nourishment. You will notice that as fat is burned, your body’s metabolism is improved. You will start feeling lighter and more energetic, and the body becomes better at assimilating vitamins and nutrients from the food that you eat.
	STEP 3 : BALANCE AND CLEANSE Follow-up with a routine that will balance your body’s acidity and alkalinity. Cleanse your system with a rich supply of oxygen. Fortify your immune system with vitamin C and speed up the slimming process with Calcium.
	STEP 4 : REJUVENATE Finish up by rejuvenating the body with a dose of antioxidants that will provide maximum blood and heart health benefits, and proteins for healthier and smoother skin.

70+1 Ways to Lose Fat

Have a clear goal that anyone in the world can measure and understand.

Drink tea. Research suggests that those who drink tea (black, green, or white, as long as it’s from real tea vs. herbal tea) have lower BMI’s and have less body fat.

Eat cayenne pepper. A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that when compared to placebo, capsaicin (the active ingredient in cayenne) increased fat burning.

Decrease/eliminate simple carbs.  They do nothing for you outside of creating a favorable environment for gaining fat.

Eat more veggies. They fill you up, without providing many calories.  Just avoid the high fat/high calorie dressings.

Eat more fruits: No one ever gained weight from eating more fruit even the so called “high sugar” fruits, like bananas, melons and others.

Lift weights. Heavy weights. Build more muscle, burn more calories.

Cut down rest time between sets. This will keep your heart rate elevated causing an increase in calories burned.

Do intervals. No more strolls through the park.  Study after study after study continues to show intervals are more effective (and in less time).  And physically just look at the body of a sprinter vs. the body of a marathoner.

Eat more protein. Replacing refined carbohydrates with lean protein will not only help satiate you, but will also increase your metabolism, through something called the thermic effect of food.

Eat protein more frequently. Piggy backing on #10, it’s important to also time your intake so you’re eating protein regularly throughout the day … not just in one lump sum, like most do at dinner.  Every meal and snack should include some protein.

Supplement with fish oil. A study published in Lipids fed mice diets enhanced EPA and DHA (fish oil).  The researchers learned that the mice fed diets higher in omega-3 fats had significantly less accumulation of body fat.  Other studies have shown similar results.

Do full body exercises, such as squats, deadlifts, pullups,chinups, pushups, etc. You’ll get more bang for your buck out of each workout.

Cycle carbs depending on workout routine. Sure, carbs are important, but you surely don’t need as many if you’re not working out or if you workout just 30 minutes per day and then are sitting most of the other 23.5 hours.

Start meals with a salad.  Salad will provide some bulk to help fill you up, so you eat less calories overall.

Include low-fat water based soups as snacks. include this with a salad and the two of them will fill you up before getting to the calorie laden meal.

Don’t forget the fiber. Think of fiber like a sponge; it absorbs water and makes you feel full. Focus on fiber, not carbs.

Drink water.  Professor Dr. Brenda Davy and her Team from VA Tech found that giving people 2 cups of water before each meal resulted in greater weight loss after 12 weeks.  The reason?  It helps fill you up.

Add beans to your salads. It’s a nice way to add some additional fiber, protein, and healthy carbs.

Replace one meal/day with a large salad and lean protein.

Self monitor.  Keep a journal. There’s no better way to track what you’re putting in your mouth.

Watch your portions. Avoid the buffet line and never super size a thing; instead make sure you’re following what the nutrition label recommends for a serving.

Weigh and measure foods. You won’t know how much you’re eating unless you pull out the food scale, measuring cups and spoons.

Switch to calorie free drinks. All calories count, whether they’re liquid or solid, so unless it’s low fat milk, opt for tea or water.  Or something I was introduced to in the Netherlands – large bunches of mint, lemon and hot water.

Weigh yourself. Studies show daily weights help enhance weight loss efforts.  Don’t live and die by the number.  And of course a scale doesn’t decipher between fat and lean body mass, but it can still be of benefit to keep things “in check.”

Eat whole eggs. Daily.  A study published a couple years ago showed that those who ate whole eggs vs. a bagel for breakfast ate less at the next meal.  A similar study showed eating whole eggs increases HDL (good) cholesterol.

Eat breakfast (which is convenient with #26 above). A review published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that those who ate breakfast are more successful with long-term weight maintenance.  Other research has shown the same for weight loss.  Grab hardboiled eggs, scrambled eggs, Greek yogurt, a piece of fruit and handful of nuts, or make a smoothie.  It doesn’t have to be fancy.

Eat the bulk of you meals in the AM and eat progressively less throughout the day. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition showed that eating the bulk of your calories earlier in the day positive influences weight changes.

Stay upright-you burn more calories. This means not sitting in front of a computer, TV, phone, etc all day.  Stand and you’ll burn more and be more productive.

Ask your waiter to doggy bag ½ your meal before serving it to you. If you wait and tell yourself you’ll just eat half.  You won’t.  So don’t even have it put in front of you.

Use the stairs, skip the escalator and elevator. These won’t make or break success, but every little bit helps, so get in all the movement you can.

Eat low energy dense foods. These are foods that are high in water and lower in calories, such as fruit, veggies, soups, salads, etc.  Studies at Penn State University have showed that the inclusion of these foods helps individuals eat less total calories overall.

Don’t grocery shop hungry. Rather than stick to your list, you’ll buy everything in the aisle; foods that are sure to sabotage your goals of getting lean.

Replace side dishes with steamed veggies. Restaurants will often allow you to switch the fries or chips with steamed veggies; all you have to do is ask.

Bake, don’t fry

Switch to smaller silverware; it forces you to take smaller bites.

Use a grill

Order dressing on the side, dip the fork in dressing, and then in the salad. This saves a ton more dressing than if one was to order it on the side, then poor the entire cup on the salad anyhow.  Less calories equals less weight.

In the airport? Carry your luggage, don’t roll it.  Again, not a deal breaker in terms of success…just another way to increase energy expenditure.

Skip the “Venti lattes” and opt for plain coffee or, better yet, tea. Those extra large “designer” coffees can pack a wholloping 500 or more calories per serving!

Got oats? Plain rolled oats will help fill you up more than the high sugar breakfast counterparts.  Moreover, 1 serving provides a lot less calories than the sugar coated alternatives.

Fidget. A study published in the journal Science showed that those who fidgeted more often, changed posture frequently, etc weighed less than those who did not.  This extra movement was termed NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis).

Laugh often. A study presented at the European Congress on Obesity found those who laughed hard for approximately 10-15 minutes each day burned an additional 10-40 calories/day.  Multiply that by 365 and those calories can add up!

Don’t use email within your office—get up and walk to a co-workers desk.

Switch to water first thing in the morning vs. juice; you’ll save 100+ calories.

Steam your veggies—don’t sautée oil

Leave something on your plate at the end of the meal-every little bit counts.

When out to eat, split a meal. The portions are usually big enough to feed a family.

Skip dessert

Don’t socialize around the food tables at parties; you’re more likely to pick, even though you may not be hungry.

Don’t eat your kids leftovers; every little bit of food adds up, including these “BLTs” (bites, licks and tastes)

Keep chips, dips, and other high fat snack foods out of the house—it’s not about willpower, it’s about being realistic.

If you have a dog, take it for a walk—don’t just let it out in the back.

If you don’t have a pet, offer to walk a neighbors dog.

Use smaller plates and bowls, there will be less room for you to fill up and it makes less food seems like more.

Skip buffets. You will feel you like you have to get your moneys worth and overeat.

Slow down.  It takes approximately 15-20 minutes for the stomach to sense it’s full.  If you woof down your food like a starving dog, you’ll likely out eat your hunger.

Decrease your food intake by 100 calories per day; theoretically this translates to nearly 1 pound per month (1 lb = 3500 calories).

Buy a pedometer and accumulate at least 10,000 steps each day.

When possible, walk or bike to do your errands.

Don’t buy in bulk, unless you’re buying toiletries or feeding an army. The more that is there, the more that you’ll eat.

Stay away from the alcohol—I don’t care if it’s low-carb anything, alcohol provides 7 calories/gram, which means a lot of empty calories and just 1 drink lowers your inhibition so you overeat other calories too

Plan ahead. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail

Pack your meals for the week on Sunday; you never want to be without options.

Keep some healthy snacks — like nuts — in your glove compartment so you’re prepared at all times.

Take before pictures and write down your goals.

Get new friends. If your friends prefer pizza, wings, nachos and beer on a regular basis, find one’s who are like minded and want to be healthy.  Research has suggested that friends enhance (or can hurt) success.

Put yourself first. Many people (women in particular) put everyone else ahead of themselves and let their health fall by the side.

Be honest with yourself—you’re not fooling anyone by “sneaking” different foods.

It’s not all or nothing; if you fall off the bandwagon, jump right back.  Don’t let yourself continue to fall until all progress has been lost.

Wake up early to exercise; you’re more likely to get it done if you don’t wait until after work.

Good Luck!

Egg Yolks MORE Dangerous than Smoking?

One of the examples that “they say” over and over again is that eggs are bad for you and too many cause heart disease.

We disagree and believe egg yolks are great for you and should be included regularly in the diet.

Yet I opened my email yesterday morning and in came a brand new study, out this week, suggesting regularly eating egg yolks is almost comparable to smoking cigarettes (in terms of their effect on atherosclerotic plaque build up).

What is this some kind of ‘yolk?!’ Get it?

Right.  Let me back up.

It was plastered all over the media “Egg yolks are almost as dangerous for smoking for atherosclerosis.”  And in an instant, the uphill battle that’s been fought to overturn the “eggs are bad” silliness was again leaning towards eggs being “bad.”

So I thought maybe what I was seeing was just some writer trying to sensationalize things with the attention grabbing headline.  Gave them the benefit of the doubt.  Until I was able to see the entire, full length “study” — study in quotes because we feel it’s junk science in our opinion …

… lo and behold, the study did in fact conclude that egg yolks are nearly comparable to cigarettes!

Let’s dissect this study to the core for you because we’ve of course have already seen this study reviewed on the news, on different websites, and in mainstream newspapers and it’s scaring consumers.

“We have worked hard pushing for eggs to get the love they deserve.  We eat them daily — mainly from “happy, bug eating, dirt scratching, sun loving, free roaming chickens” (as the farmer calls them where we get ours), but we also like Eggland’s Best if the farm isn’t an option.

Anyhow, the study.

The problem, unfortunately, is that this study has more holes in it than Swiss cheese.  Basically the researchers did what’s called a correlation study, based on self report from the subjects, and showed that those who had a high intake of eggs had similar levels of atherosclerotic plaque to that of smokers.

What they didn’t do, however, is consider pretty much any other factor that also can play a role in plaque development.

To take a step back.  Think of plaque like sludge in pipes.  The more hardened sludge you have in your “pipes,” the harder your heart has to work to pump blood around your body because your blood is going through a smaller “tube.”  Similarly, if a piece of that plaque breaks off, you can then set yourself up to have a stroke or heart attack.  I’m no cardiologist, but neither are what I’d call “good situations.”

So basically this study is what’s called a correlation study – and correlation doesn’t mean causation — in other words, doing one thing (eating eggs in this case) doesn’t ’cause’ heart disease.  This study simply examined the correlation between these two things.  While correlation studies aren’t completely useless by any means, there are certainly better ways to study relationships and cause and effect.

One way is to control as much as possible — the confounding factors — to isolate the question that’s trying to be answered.

It’s really impossible to control for every factor.  But with this study there were a ton of controllable factors, which all can play a role in atherosclerosis, that weren’t examined.

To start:

• Exercise wasn’t even a factor in this study.
• Saturated fat wasn’t examined.
• Sugar wasn’t.
• Fruit and vegetable intake weren’t.
• Overall calorie intake wasn’t.
• Fiber wasn’t either.
• In fact, no other dietary factor was examined as part of this equation (at least that they mentioned).
• And while we’re at it, no other lifestyle habits were either.
• How often people sit vs. stand & overall general activity and movement, even outside of just basic physical activity weren’t either.

Now I understand it’s tough to control for so many factors, but if you’re trying to determine the effect of something on atherosclerotic plaque, which doesn’t have just one “cause” I suggest at least trying to control for a lot more than was done in this study…

…or, further, then making a strong conclusion like “egg yolk consumption is almost as dangerous as smoking.”

“The majority of the data suggests egg yolks are a great source of many, many nutrients.  Unfortunately this study may swing that pendulum back and scare people away from these little golden nuggets of goodness; one of the best (and affordable) protein sources in the diet.

And there it is again — “THEY SAY.”  Well, WE say eat whole eggs and enjoy them!!!

Here’s a favorite egg recipe that takes 2 minutes to cook.

Eggs in a Cup

Crack 2 eggs (preferably free roaming) into a cup.
Add a pinch of salt and pepper (to taste)

Beat the egg until well mixed.

Put the cup in the microwave and microwave for 1-2 minutes, depending on the strength of your microwave.

Done.

Do us a favor and click the like button below if you found this article useful!  Thanks for your support.

Here’s the reference if anyone is interested in the entire paper.
J. David Spence, David J.A. Jenkins, Jean Davignon. Egg yolk consumption and carotid plaque. Atherosclerosis, 2012

Read more at Men's Health: http://blogs.menshealth.com/bellyoff-nutritionist/egg-yolks-more-dangerous-than-smoking/2012/08/15/#ixzz26WsCdTMA

Less Sleep = MORE Weight

We’ve talked about the importance of sleep in the weight loss/weight maintenance puzzle.  It’s one of those pieces to the puzzle that’s often overlooked.  However, this is a big mistake as more and more science continues to mound that supports the sleep/weight gain theory.

So here’s the simple message — sleep more, weigh less … with most research suggesting the 8 hour mark being ideal for losing and maintaining your body weight.

But just when you think the “chapter” in this story is closed, another interesting study comes out …

… showing that as little as 80 minutes of less sleep per day adds up in terms of the calories you eat.

Check this out:

The study was recently presented at a conference.  The two groups of participants were divided — one group slept their usual time, while the other slept approximately 80 minutes (just 1 hour, 20 minutes) less per night.  This went on for eight nights.  The following days, subjects were allowed to eat as much as they wanted.

The other piece to the puzzle – the group who slept less didn’t burn any more calories, so they weren’t waking up 1 hour and 20 minutes early to go out to Mohr Results Boot Camp or do any other type of workout.

And boy did they – this small amount of sleep “deprivation” — just 1 hour, 20 minutes, resulted in the subjects overeating 594 calories extra (the equivalent of nearly 7 cans of soda!).  All else being equal, this amount of calories would lead to over a 1 lb weight gain each week!

Wow.

All for a little shut eye.  Now the exact reason this happens is still being determined.  There are some data that suggest specific hunger hormones, namely ghrelin, are affected.  Or maybe it’s as simple as when you don’t get enough sleep, you have to eat more to boost your energy the following day to stay awake.  Maybe since you’re awake for longer, you’re eating more.  Regardless, this weight gain/sleep connection has been shown time and time again.

Here’s a similar study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that compared 2 levels of sleep — 4 hours vs. 8 hours — and measured food intake the following day.

They learned after just a single night of getting just 4 hours of sleep (sleep deprivation) the subjects at 22% (an average of 559 calories) more the following day compared to the group who got just 8 hours of sleep!

While this short term study was small, it definitely opens the door for more research on this topic to see if continued sleep deprivation (defined as 4 hours in this study) and subsequent overeating could be a major cause of obesity.

Bottom Line:

Burning the candle at both ends and thinking just “1 night of lack of sleep won’t hurt me” is false.  Sleep is an easy part of the equation to control — even aiming for just 1 more hour each night will help.  Every little bit of additional sleep helps!

Now go lay down!

Useful Tips On Losing Weight And Burning Fat!

Here are the teas that I discovered burns fat very fast.

Lipton, Slimming teas and Green Teas. However, I do want to know the benefit of taking each tea over the other. So today, I’m going to discuss and classify each tea based on their nutritional value and rate of fat burning starting with the least fat burning tea.

Black Tea

A good example of black tea is Lipton tea bags. Granted, this tea also has caffeine but research shows that it has less than 25% the amount of Caffeine compared to most Coffee.

This tea is the highest consumed tea by most families majorly because it is very cheap and affordable. Most families use this as their breakfast, others add it to their breakfast. People don’t use it for weight loss, but as a meal.

The low amount of Caffeine in this tea promotes more blood flow to the brain which helps to increase our alertness and focus during the day.

Black tea also contain an anti-oxidant known as Quercetin, which helps to fight inflammation (culprit of fat gain and disease) and boost the immune system. I guess this is one of the greatest benefit of black tea.

Lipton can be served hot or cold, depending on how you want it. Personally, I prefer cold teas in the afternoon and hot teas in the morning. When I make lipton tea, I add plenty of Milk with no sugar.

However, at other times, I just take it that way, with no sweeteners or I add honey, if I have it in the refrigerator.

Green Tea

As a weight loss enthusiast, I’m sure you must have seen or heard that people say that Green tea is the fastest weight loss tea. Nothing could be further from the truth. Granted, Green tea has lesser amount of Caffeine, but it has a faster fat burning rate than black tea. It is not the fastest weight loss tea as people claim.

But Green tea has incredible health benefits. It contains a compound known as Catechin Polyphenols which is an extremely powerful anti-oxidant. This compund actually kill Cancerous cells in the body without harming the healthy body tissue containing this Cancer cells. Additionally, Catechin Polyphenols helps in keeping the cholesterol levels in the body very low and safe and also prevents a heart disease for users.

Other researched statistics on Green tea shows that drinking green tea regularly can increase the fat burning rate of the body by 43%.

Here are other health benefits of Green tea

• Maintains the body’s blood sugar levels
• Has ability to burn as much fat as 4kg in 4-6 weeks according to a doctor
• Forces the body to burn fat as main energy source
• Prevents rises in blood-insulin levels.

No wonder many credible sources have praised this wonderful tea. It is worth it if you can include this in your diet.

Green tea in Nigeria is distributed by some Chinese network marketing companies. If you have access to any of them, just write me an email as I have lost contact with my former supplier.

Wu-long Tea

I guess you may never have heard this before. Wu long tea is another type of tea that has the highest potential to burn fat than the two teas above combined.

Even though Green tea is well known and very popular, Wu-long tea has been shown to burn 220% more fat than Green tea. What an eye opener!

Interestingly, every component in Green tea is in Wulong tea but it has been modified in production to deliver greater results in burning fat.

Many Chinese companies gives it different brand names. Basically, they all fulfill the same benefit.

You can drink this tea everyday hot or cold if you like with a little sweetener like honey. I prefer taking it like it is with nothing.

Slim Down: The Right Way to Drink Green Tea for Weight Loss

I’ll admit it: I had a mini celebration when I learned green tea has the incredible power to shift your fat-fightingmetabolism into high gear. And, yes, I kicked my heels in the air when I found research suggesting that exercisers who drink green tea lose twice as much weight as those who don’t.

Fast forward to me pushing a shopping-cart-full of green tea products around my local grocery store. I was buying green tea everything. Ice cream, noodles, etc. Who was I fooling? The weight-loss benefits are in the epigallocatechin gallate (a.k.a. EGCG, a health-boosting antioxidant) found in green tea. Not the green tea flavor….

That got me thinking: To corral the fat-fighting power of this superfood, what kinds of green tea should I be drinking? Is green tea extract effective? Does the temperature affect its potency? Oh, so many questions. Luckily, registered dietitian and Women’s Health’s nutrition expert Keri Glassman had all the answers.

Your Green Tea Questions, Answered

Do you get the same green tea benefits with flavored green teas?
“The benefits of green tea shouldn’t be lessened by the addition of flavors,” says Glassman. We’re talking pomegranate green tea, cranberry green tea, etc. However, if the flavoring includes sugar, it may contain more calories than unflavored teas, says Glassman. Her recommendation: Avoid green teas with any added sugar or artificial sweeteners. My recommendation: Numi’s Jasmine Green Tea.

Does the brand of green tea matter?
Yes. “There can be a difference in the quality of tea leaves and the number of additional, unnecessary ingredients,” Glassman says. As mentioned above, you just want to make sure not to mess up your green tea’s powers by adding sugar. When looking at the label, keep in mind that, while green tea has loads of health benefits, “it is not a significant source of vitamins,” Glassman says. To reap the maximum benefits, look for brands that use all natural ingredients and have no artificial preservatives, such as Traditional Medicinals or Yogi.

What if the green tea is iced? 
Sure, it’s the same green tea, only colder, but keep in mind that iced teas can be diluted with water. The weight-loss benefits are maximized when it’s served hot. Brew a better cup using this tip from the pros at Bigelow: Don’t let the water come to a full boil. Instead, pour the water over the tea bag right before it boils (the point where tiny bubbles begin to form). Then, let the tea steep for about 2-4 minutes.

Can green tea go bad? 
It won’t spoil, but like with most foods, “the fresher the better,” Glassman says. “If using loose tea or tea bags, make sure to [drink up] within six months.” Otherwise, the tea will lose some of its antioxidant powers.

If I’m not in a “tea mood,” will a green tea extract do the trick?
Yes. “Adding green tea extract to water is a great way to get the benefits of green tea while on-the-go,” Glassman says. “Depending on the concentration of the formula, 1 ml of green tea extract can allow you to reap the benefits of drinking roughly 8 to 10 cups worth of antioxidant-rich green tea.”