One thing is for sure, if you enter the word “tea” into a search engine, you will bring up dozens of websites touting tea as a miracle cure for obesity.

But is it?

While there are some studies that may demonstrate a link between tea consumption and weight loss, the fact remains that losing weight requires dedicated and permanent lifestyle changes.

But don’t despair: While tea isn’t a cure for obesity, it can still be used as an effective weight loss tool.

Consider this:

• The average American drinks one-fifth (that is 20%) of their daily calories
• A cup of tea (without added milk or sugar) contains about 2 calories

By substituting teas and tisanes (herbals) for sodas, juices, alcohol and other calorie laden beverages, dieters can make a significant reduction their calorie consumption by changing what they drink rather than what they eat.

(This does not mean, of course, that people shouldn’t watch what they eat. But for those who don’t need to lose a lot of weight, trading in calorie-laden drinks for tea may result in appropriate weight loss. Similarly, those who need to lose more weight may find that giving up a beverage is easier than giving up a beloved food, and that this change can help them on their path to a healthier lifestyle.)

Here are some tips for using tea as a weight-loss tool:

• There are thousands of flavored teas and tisanes on the market, ranging from fruit and herbal flavors to such decadant delights as caramel and chocolate. These can be great for helping dieters to curb cravings.
• Wine lovers should note that high-end specialty teas can have incredibly complex flavor nuances akin to those of wine. But unlike wine, tea has no calories!
• Flavored teas can be blended with ice to make low/no calorie slushies, great for summer months!
• Some tea/tisane blends are made with sweet herbs and spices that don’t require any additional sugar. Cinnamon, hibiscus, and mint flavored teas/tisanes are a few examples that come to mind.

[Editor’s note: Our blog is chock full of great articles on this topic. Use our search feature to find them!]

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