You have probably heard about the health benefits of drinking tea, especially green tea. Tea has been known around the world for thousands of years as the “longevity” beverage. Tea has been drunk in China since at least 3000 BCE. Tea is part of the Camellia Sinensis plant, and comes as black tea, which is fully oxidized, green tea, which is un-oxidized, and oolong, which is partially oxidized.

Green tea has been harvested as young, healthy, dark green leaves, and then is gently steamed, keeping its green color and potent phytonutrients intact. All tea, however, is rich in tannin, flavinols, polyphenols, and several vitamins: vitamin C, vitamin P, vitamin K and vitamin B. True tea does contain caffeine, but in lower amounts than it is found in coffee. It is well known to help banish fatigue, raise energy levels and boost mental powers.

Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley have found that green tea is a great antioxidant scavenger, reducing free radicals in the body. Antioxidants seem to slow or prevent cell damage that occurs from exposure to excess oxygen by creating a barrier around cell tissue. Those who get lots of antioxidants in their diets seem to be able to slow down the aging process and avoid or at least put off the development of many chronic, degenerative diseases, like heart disease, cancer and diabetes*.

Moderate caffeine intake seems to promote good blood circulation, so if you have strong adrenal glands, the caffeine in tea in moderation might actually be good for you. Green tea has a lot less caffeine than black tea does. Even though it contains caffeine, tea seems to act as a nerve sedative, and can relieve headaches*. Tea also acts as a diuretic, and as such, can promote better kidney function*.

Researchers at the University of California have also found both oolong and green tea to help prevent arteriosclerosis, which leads to heart disease. Green tea has also been shown in many studies to prevent cancer, and to inhibit the development of pre-cancerous lesions as well.

The Camellia Sinensis plant is known to be antibacterial and antiviral*. So you can use your tea to apply directly to cuts and burns as well, including sunburns. And when drunk or taken as an extract, it seems to help boost your immune function*, probably because of its antimicrobial action.

Green tea is really a powerhouse of a beverage, and the polyphenols it contains have also been shown to support healthy blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels*. In addition, they have been shown to protect your DNA from damage that comes from chemicals and also radiation. This means that drinking green tea, and/or taking green tea extracts, can be very useful for all of us who are exposed to more and more chemicals in our modern-day world. If you live near a nuclear power plant, fly a lot (where you are exposed to high levels of cosmic rays), or are undergoing radiation therapy, you might want to consider adding green tea or a green tea extract to your diet.

Green tea extracts can be very powerful, as the antioxidants and polyphenols can be concentrated, without the caffeine. However, you want to make sure that you get a brand that conserves the polyphenols, as some green tea extracts don’t actually have much of this most important part of the green tea in them. We recommend one with around 100 mg of polyphenols per serving. If you can find one that is nanized, or broken down into very small particles, you will be able to digest and absorb more of the nutrients even if your digestive system is in some way compromised, like many of ours are.

Last, but not least, green tea is well known for its thermogenic effect, meaning that it can help your body burn calories. One study showed that three 90 mg doses of green tea extract caused an additional 266 calories to be burned every day. So if you are trying to lose weight, adding green tea or a green tea extract may be just the ticket to help with your weight loss.*

* This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Karen Pijuan
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/super-health-benefits-of-green-tea-134400.html

Eating healthy is an imperative part of living well. What I mean by this is that you need to nourish your body in order to feel great. This is a fact. You can’t live day-in and day-out on fast food and expect to feel like a million bucks. You won’t! The reality is you’ll feel tired, and have little energy to run on. This is plain and simply because fast food doesn’t provide your body with the necessary nutrients. In fact, it doesn’t offer many nutrients at all. Cheeseburgers and fries are mostly salt, fat and cholesterol. Before you know it, you’re seeking out natural remedies for high blood pressure.

Americans are guilty of eating horribly. Many of us eat out twice each day. That’s a lot! Most likely it’s breakfast and lunch. Everyone is looking for something quick and convenient. Oh, and they want it to taste good, of course. This is a bad habit to get into. Whether you think about it or not, your health depends a great deal on what you consume. When you eat a healthy, well-balanced diet, you feel great. Energy levels increase and your appearance improves. Plus there’s the small factor concerning your heart.

You don’t want high blood pressure! Luckily there are actions you can take to prevent high blood pressure. And there are convenient natural remedies for high blood pressure. Some come in the form of pills and others in the form of a beverage. Which you take for your condition is between you and your doctor. Now, one other thing you can do in order to lower your blood pressure is eat low-fat, low-cholesterol foods. Don’t saturate your bloodstream with fat and salt. This way your heart doesn’t have to work so hard. Eating right makes all the difference.

It’s true that some individuals reach the point where medicines and supplements are necessary. Those natural remedies for high blood pressure provided by your doctor may concern your genetics. Part of this affliction is inherited. I know we hate to think about it, but it’s true. Fortunately we have more and more natural remedies for high blood pressure to turn to. The sooner you get yours checked out, the better. Live healthy and live well.

Ann Marier
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/natural-remedies-for-high-blood-pressure-111832.html

Good nutrition, regular exercise, and a commitment to healthy living. These concepts are not new, but nowadays they are often easy to forget amidst the onslaught of popular diets promising instant results. When it comes to getting serious about shedding the pounds, however, try to avoid the quick-fix fad diet and follow these simple dos and don’ts instead:

Â? DO eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains. These foods are high in fiber, and increasing your fiber intake may actually help you manage your hunger and feel full for longer periods of time. That’s because high-fiber foods typically have a very low energy density (the number of calories in a particular volume of food), so you can eat a larger volume of food without consuming a lot of calories. Research has also shown that people who consume a diet high in fiber tend to excrete more calories in their stool, since fiber actually helps to block the absorption of calories consumed and lead those calories out of the body.

Â? DO plan ahead. Planning ahead for your meals and snacks every week will help you stick to a healthy diet. At the beginning of each week, decide on a meal plan and write down everything you will need. This will help you avoid making “impulse” purchases at the grocery store that may not support your commitment to good nutrition.

Â? DON’T avoid carbohydrates. Carbs may be getting a bad rap these days, but the truth is that healthful carbohydrates (such as fruits and veggies, whole grains, brown rice, oats, legumes and nuts) contain fiber, and in addition to its role in weight loss, fiber provides countless health benefits. When incorporated into your daily diet, fiber can help prevent some of the most prevalent diseases of our time, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. Fiber also plays a critical role in maintaining digestive health. Specifically, it promotes healthy elimination by “sweeping” toxins from the intestinal tract and moving waste through the colon.

Â? DON’T skip meals. If you think skipping meals is the way to weight loss, you couldn’t be more wrong. In fact, it could have the exact opposite effect: prompting your brain to enter starvation mode so that you essentially feel hungry all the time. But simply by eating smaller portions of food 5 or 6 times daily, you will be stimulating thermogenesis (the energy required by your body to digest food). This will in turn constantly fuel your metabolism, which is the key to losing weight.

Â? DO drink plenty of water. Water is essential for every function in the human body, so it’s no wonder we’re always being told to drink more of it. When it comes to weight loss, researchers have found that the more water you drink, the more your metabolism will increase. A good rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces each day.

Â? DO write down everything you eat and drink. Sometimes just the simple act of recording what we eat and drink every day can help us be more aware of our dietary habits and prompt us to maintain a healthy diet. Be sure to jot down every meal, snack and beverage you consume so that you have a detailed account of everything you put into your body. Once you see your habits on paper, it will be easier to correct them and get back on the right course.

Â? DO exercise regularly. In addition to the tremendous cardiovascular benefits it provides, regular exercise will help boost your metabolism and accelerate your weight loss efforts. For best results, you should exercise three times each week for at least thirty minutes each session. Try to choose one or two exercises you enjoy so that you will be more apt to do them.

Brenda Watson
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/sensible-ways-to-shed-the-pounds-135298.html

Do they work in the same way? Have a hybrid been made from the two? What would happen if someone were to mixed the two together?

A sports drink is meant to replenish essential nutrients that you have lost while doing strenuous exercise.

An energy drink (caffeine) is meant to give you a boost of energy, not replenishing anything.

A hybrid of the two might be useful for the end of a long game or activity, but downright awful results for any other time.

What is “the power of regeneration” and how do you get it from all natural foods that are mixed in concentrated health drinks? Regeneration is the opposite of “degeneration”, which is what happens to the human body over time if not treated properly. Most people in the world today are in a constant state of degeneration, but those who have discovered the secret of concentrated nutrition are revealing the potential for regeneration with all natural foods formulated into concentrated health drinks.

The Philosophy of RegenerationÂ? is a phrase that has actually been trademarked by Sunrider International, the largest herbal health food company in the world. Dr. Tei-Fu Chen developed the Philosophy of RegenerationÂ? after thorough study of Chinese and Western medicines. According to the philosophy, the body can balance itself when nourished and cleansed with the proper nutrition. That is why all natural foods concentrated into powerful health drink formulas can help the body keep a balance between yin (nourish) and yang (cleanse) and the five organ systems.

This sounds complex, but the simplicity of it is that when all your systems are in balance, your body is functioning so efficiently that it has time to “regenerate”. When you are taking in the proper nutrients through all natural foods that have been concentrated into these powerful health drinks, your body has the resources to create and sustain excellent health and fitness for life. Instead of having to spend so much energy digesting unhealthy foods, your body has the energy to work on areas that might have been damaged through years of poor eating or through injuries and illnesses.

Let’s say you have suffered from chronic pain for years. You decide to change your diet to include all natural foods and concentrated health drinks. Then, instead of your body degenerating without any help from your previous food and drink choices, you begin to feel relief. What’s happening is that damaged, old, dying cells are being replaced more rapidly by healthy, new cells that now are stronger because they are built with more powerfully nutritious tools.

When you are cleansing out fats and toxins on a daily basis with sophisticated health drinks and you are nourishing your body with concentrated all natural foods, then you are creating that balance of the systems, which allows for regeneration to take place.

If you are constantly pouring in acid forming foods, sugary drinks, or isolated nutrients from highly processed food and beverage products, you are causing your body to degenerate. You would have to eat an enormous amount of fruits and vegetables to create the regenerative effects possible from concentrated nutrients. When you consume all natural foods that have been concentrated into powerful formulas and health drinks that provide real whole food vitamins and minerals then you are living the philosophy of regeneration. You are taking your health to a new level.

Before you know it, you are feeling years younger and you start to believe that you really can live a healthy, energetic, disease free life until the day you pass away peacefully in your sleep. This is far different from how most people wind down their golden years. Far too many end up in hospitals and nursing homes unable to care for themselves. The sad part is that it doesn’t have to be this way. The philosophy of regeneration is real. You just have to start shopping differently for nutrition. Look for concentrated all natural foods and health drinks that are made with whole food ingredients, as close to nature as possible.

Unfortunately, it’s not enough to just buy fruits and vegetables from the store, you need to step up to a higher level of nutrient dense foods to really begin to feel the power of regeneration. So, pay attention to all natural foods and health drinks that are concentrated for maximum effectiveness if you want to feel results quickly.

Cliff Smith
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/concentrated-health-drinks-provide-the-power-of-regeneration-with-all-natural-foods-563464.html

For 4,000 years, Asians have regarded green tea as more than just a beverage. It was used as herbal medicine and treatment for everything from headaches to depressions and even to weight loss.

Researches have been conducted over the last few years to identify what compound present in green tea makes it a potent health drink. The scientists have found that the tea contains several antioxidants which are responsible for many of green tea’s health benefits, including a weight loss benefit.

A research study by American and Swiss scientists on the weight loss benefits of green tea was concluded and the results of which were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Urology. During the course of their study, they have found that green tea contains certain compounds that contribute to losing weight.

Lead researcher, D. Abdul Dulloo said in a press release that there are only two ways to achieve weight loss – either reduce energy intake or increase energy expenditure. Green tea it seems, has compounds that can increase the body’s normal metabolism rate which is where it gets its weight loss benefit.

At the University of Geneva, where the study was conducted, Dr. Dulloo and his colleagues experimented on ten healthy young men. They theorized that the main contributor to green tea’s helping remove those extra pounds is its caffeine content. To test this hypothesis they placed the study’s participants on a typical “Western” diet which is about forty percent fat, forty-seven percent carbohydrates, and thirteen percent protein.

Thrice everyday, the researchers measured their subjects’ energy expenditure (the measurement used in determining the number of calories burned in 24 hours) and monitored their respiration quotient to find out how well they utilized their carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

When they interpreted the data they collected, they found out that the men receiving regular dosages of green tea extract showed a significant increase in their 24-hour energy expenditure and a reduction in their respiration quotient (which means that more fat is burned, thereby achieving maximum weight loss). On the other hand, those men who were only given caffeine or placebo with every meal showed only minimal increases in their metabolism rates.

The scientists construed that the substance catechin polyphenol present in green tea adds to its weight loss benefit. These substances may alter how the body uses the hormone norepinephrine which is responsible for increasing the metabolism rate, thus leading to weight loss.

In their conclusion, the scientists inferred that green tea owes its weight loss benefit to the presence of antioxidants and the substance catechin polyphenol. These substances help decrease fat and calorie burning leading to the lose of those extra pounds.

Julie Health
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/the-weight-loss-benefit-of-green-tea-79356.html