Green Tea Drinkers.....Help?

misty2ann
misty2ann Posts: 127
in Food and Nutrition
I have read that drinking green tea is bennificial in weight loss. I have a hard time drinking it because it just doesn't taste very good. lol I have recently begun to cut all soda from my diet and would like to drink green tea instead. Has anyone really seen a difference in weight loss when adding green tea to your diet? Is there anything that you add to it to make it taste better? Thanks!
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Replies

  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    its not magical. if you dont like it dont worry. you arent missing out on anything drastic. if you feel compelled to get green tea into your body, they have pills you can take.
  • almonds1
    almonds1 Posts: 642 Member
    I drink green tea and soda....not together lol but I do drink both..


    I drink mine black just like my Java... Try Baileys lol...
  • cdnider
    cdnider Posts: 7
    Add a little honey or lemon to it. Also there is lots of flavored green teas that are taste really good. kind of fruity
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    I make mine with ice and lemon and lime juice and stevia. Sometimes I add water, carbonated or non.

    When I make my green tea sodas, I use carbonated water and a cup of pre-brewed tea that I allowed to steep usually overnight. My favorite recipe is:

    Republic of Tea's strawberry hibiscus (2 tea bags)
    Republic of Tea's Pomegranate Green Tea (2 tea bags)
    Plain green tea bag (1 or 2)
    Lime Juice
    Stevia

    It looks pretty too. Celestial Seasonings Cherry Herbal tea goes well too.
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
    The difference to weight loss is so negligible it's not worth thinking about. Same with any other foodstuff or pill that claims to boost metabolism or fat loss... just exercise and maintain a calorie deficit. There are no secret keys.

    Green and white tea are however really good for you in other nutritive respects. They're loaded with antioxidants. You can get some nice flavored brands - Stash has great Jasmine Blossom and Moroccan Mint varieties.
  • Karrix
    Karrix Posts: 288
    White and black tea have just as high antioxidants and taste much better. I always drink teas with flavor, plain green tea tastes too much like grass.

    White tea with pomegranate = best.
  • Kymmu
    Kymmu Posts: 1,650 Member
    Keep trying brands, some have lemon to help.
    I like Rooibos red leaf tea.
  • SoozeE512
    SoozeE512 Posts: 439 Member
    I recently started drinking green tea and while I'm not crazy about the flavor either, I still push myself to drink it sometimes just for the antioxidants - but there are plenty of other ways to get antioxidants into your diet. I'm not sure it helps with weight loss but it certainly will help in terms of general health.

    Funny enough, I saw a commercial on TV the other day for "Mega-T Green Tea" which was advertising that it 'helps you lose weight' but in small print at the bottom of the screen, there was a message along the lines of 'Only results in weight loss with diet and exercise'. So what did I learn from that ad? Diet and exercise help you lose weight, and the company selling Mega-T is making big bucks making people think they can lose weight just from drinking their product....because after all, who's paying attention to the fine print when they're showing pictures of people with successful weight-loss?
  • chrissayya
    chrissayya Posts: 28
    For taste..I recently found a berry green tea..I think made by Lipton..it's delicious :)
  • brookebattaglia
    brookebattaglia Posts: 28
    I really don't like green tea, however I know how beneficial it is with antioxidants so I have been trying different types of green tea and I have found that they make "green tea with white tea, green tea with mango, green tea with orange and passion fruit." I don't drink my tea with honey or sugar and all of these taste absolutely awesome! Definitely try it out!.
  • ashley67203
    ashley67203 Posts: 95
    You might try making it as iced tea first to get used to it and then switch over to hot once you've acquired a taste for it. I don't care much for the expensive and/or flavored varies - some of them taste kind of fishy and others are just too mild. I like the Kroger brand the best. I like to seep the bag for way too long to really make the tannins come out, give it some body.
  • dancingdeer
    dancingdeer Posts: 373 Member
    Have you tried Tazo Brand - Zen? It is my favorite green tea - it has mint and lemongrass in it, so it's not as "grassy" tasting as some varieties are!
  • brianna182
    brianna182 Posts: 12 Member
    matcha lattes are really good, i think pretty much all coffee places have them.. obviously they are a lot more calories than green tea because theyre made with milk, and sweetener(if you want it) but matcha is really good for you, even better than regular green tea, and they do not taste the same
  • brianna182
    brianna182 Posts: 12 Member
    agreed.. zen tea is delicious
  • Guitarjon
    Guitarjon Posts: 204 Member
    I thought it was just me who lived white/green tea win pomegranate. As a rule I'm not a big fan of flavoured teas but I really like the pomegranate one!
  • 1positive1
    1positive1 Posts: 1
    I love mint green tea - I find my favourite brand is Nerada. It is very fresh smelling and I find I don't want to have cake or chocolate with it - unlike white tea.
  • PeachKitty
    PeachKitty Posts: 22
    I always drink my tea with a squeeze of honey, it's just far too bitter without it.

    I'd say that green tea helps weight loss, but doesn't necessarily cause it on it's own. It's also got other health benefits, if I'm suffering an allergic reaction, then if I drink green tea it tends to calm it down.
  • juliekaiser1988
    juliekaiser1988 Posts: 604 Member
    It's the quality/ brand that you buy that makes all the world's difference. Believe me!!

    I think the cheap stuff tastes like dirt. Or grass. Or just gross.

    The best ones to buy are:

    #1: Starbuck's version of Tazo China Green Tips (in a canister). Very clean tasting. Not cheap.

    #2: Two Leaves and a Bud Green Tea

    #3: Store bought version of Tazo China Green Tips (in a box)

    #4: (my current one in use) The Republic of Tea Green Tea

    This is imperative to buy quality teas or the results are just NASTY.

    I use either Splenda or Sugar Free Honey to sweeten mine. I use two tea bags and a full 20 oz of boiling water.
  • MTGirl4Life
    MTGirl4Life Posts: 84 Member
    Hi have been drinking green tea for about 3 years.... off and on. I have found that I do not like most brands. I have found the brand "Salada" is pretty tolerable as a hot tea; and I do not add anything to it. If you like lemon, you might want to try to squeeze a few drops in. As with most things, the more you drink/eat it, the more tolerable/enjoyable it will become (especially once you are off of your pop (I am a former 40 to 80 oz per day pop drinker). I believe green tea helps with my digestive system; and I definately notice a difference in my nails (stronger). I try to drink 1 to 3 cups per day on weekdays... weekends are hit & miss.
  • juliekaiser1988
    juliekaiser1988 Posts: 604 Member
    Hi have been drinking green tea for about 3 years.... off and on. I have found that I do not like most brands. I have found the brand "Salada" is pretty tolerable as a hot tea; and I do not add anything to it. If you like lemon, you might want to try to squeeze a few drops in. As with most things, the more you drink/eat it, the more tolerable/enjoyable it will become (especially once you are off of your pop (I am a former 40 to 80 oz per day pop drinker). I believe green tea helps with my digestive system; and I definately notice a difference in my nails (stronger). I try to drink 1 to 3 cups per day on weekdays... weekends are hit & miss.

    I agree with the digestive part. I don't think I can "go" without having my green tea. I was having serious BM problems (or lack thereof to be exact) and I had three differerent GI docs tell me: drink green tea. Every day. And Bingo. Magic.
  • countdowntotarget
    countdowntotarget Posts: 108 Member
    As an English person - I am by nature a Tea expert !!!! (not) - and I have to force myself to drink the green tea rather than my normal cuppa (just not natural when there is PG Tips to be drunk !) BUT I find the Yo Chung diet green tea to be by far the nicest one I have tried - normally I have to wait for it to go cold and just down in one - but this one is quite pleasant.

    On a more positive note - I read in one of my fitness magazines one of the normal teas (Typhoo I think) is doing a 50:50 tea bag - half green tea / half normal which I will be trying as soon as I find it :)
  • Koshkaxo
    Koshkaxo Posts: 332 Member
    There are many flavoured green teas out there that have all th same benefits without the somewhat bitter taste of plain green tea.
    Tetley makes a very yummy pomegranate green tea that comes in an airtight can for freshness :)
  • BeccaAnderton
    BeccaAnderton Posts: 80
    Sorry if this has already been posted but; I find when you brew green tea, you should only do it for like, 15 seconds and that way it's not as strong or as bitter (I guess it's just personal preference though). Can't say I've noticed a massive difference in weight loss though unfortunately, but I only have one big mug at breakfast time :)
  • LisamarieBond14
    LisamarieBond14 Posts: 133 Member
    I use Green tea with lemon (Tetley's do a great one in the UK) or Green tea with cranberry (Twinings)

    I'm not a huge fan of green teas but I actually really enjoy these! The cranberry one just tastes like a sweet berry juice (I hate cranberry juice too!)

    Edit - I usually leave them brewing for around 3-5 mins
  • n25philly
    n25philly Posts: 75 Member
    add lemon, not only will it add some flavor, but citrus helps your body absorb the good stuff from green tea better.
  • Annmarie49
    Annmarie49 Posts: 84
    I drink green tea every day, about 3-4 cups. Don't think it does anything for the weight loss tho!!!!

    I don't like the unflavoured ones! In the UK, Tetley have started doing Green Tea bags with: Lemon/Honey/ginger/Blueberry flavours and is so much more palatable, quite pleasant actually and now i enjoy it.
  • prettythinlove
    prettythinlove Posts: 127 Member
    I know in a few months it will be summer in the USA and all the other countries on the other side of the world, so this recipe may be helpful!

    Instead of drinking HOT green tea in summer. replace the boiled water for cold water and ice! Really refreshing and you burn calories drinking it! (beacause your body works harder to bring the water up to your body temperature)
    And if you don't like the taste, just add honey or lemon :-)
  • kacjp
    kacjp Posts: 4 Member
    Don't go near the tea bag ones - they are crap. Being a Japan addict - I find the traditional Japanese green tea, not adapted for Australian/English/American taste is actually the best and make it the traditional way in a teapot (don't keep the leaves in very long if you don't like it bitter).

    Go to an asian grocery store and ask. Also, if you ever go to a Japanese restaurant and you like their tea, ask where they get it from! Also, by adding the green tea at a lower temperature, the tea isn't as bitter and has more health benefits.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_oWbxVwv1U

    Actually, I recommend this video - the other one I didn't watch til the end and they use a bag :)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vtmd0R6YH4
  • Libby81
    Libby81 Posts: 734 Member
    Twinnings do a lovely green tea with raspberry and blueberry where the fruity taste balances out the bitter green tea. Its the only one I can stomach. Like others have said though it's no magic tea, so if you don't lik eit no biggy just get your water in and you'll be fine
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    There is no benefit to forcing yourself to consume something you don't like.

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