Workout and Diet Advice for Women over 45

We all know Green Tea is healthy, has antioxidants, helps melt body fat, and keeps teeth healthy.  Well if you didn’t know you do now.  Plus the amount of caffeine in Green Tea is much lower than in coffee – up to 2/3 lower.

In terms of antioxidants, Catechins are what make green tea special. They make up the bulk of the green tea antioxidants, and therefore the tea’s healing potential.

Green tea contains about 30% catechins, whereas black tea contains only 4% of Theaflavins. Both are powerful antioxidants. But green tea has far more in quantity, which explains why it is associated with more health benefits.  In addition the cancer-fighting Catechin, called EGCG makes up a large percentage of the total Catechin antioxidants

So that is a good reason to include green tea in your beverage intake; but how about including green tea in your cooking?  For many Asians adding green tea to recipes is natural.

Here are some ideas, that I picked up from “Tea with a Twist”, by Lisa Boalt Richardson:

Matcha  –  this is actually the tea that is ground into a powder, which you whisk into hot water to make tea.  And since you are consuming the actual leaves, your absorption of antioxidants  is greater than from other teas.

• Stir a teaspoon of the powder into a smoothie.   And over the upcoming holidays dust it on those deserts you are sure to indulge in.  It is a contrast to the sweetness and also adds a touch of “healthy” to the desert.

Dragon Well –  one of the most popular drinking teas in China.

• Chop the leaves, combine with spices and coat your chicken breast before cooking.

Gunpowder  –  this tea is pan-fried before being rolled into pellet-type shapes

• Use a cup of this green tea as a substitute for broth when making soup; add chopped leaves to the soup for additional greens.   I have done this – prior to reading about it  –  and wondered if people would think I was nuts.  Now I can admit to putting tea in my vegetables.

Sencha  –  the most popular green tea in Japan.  Sencha leaves are steamed before being rolled into needle form.

• You could add a couple of tablespoons of the leaves to dough or cookie batter, right before baking.    And this is much healthier than the other type of leaves people might be  tempted to add to brownies; though that other type of leaf will leave you more mellow.

Kukicha  –  often referred to as “twig tea”, this is made from thinly cut stalks of sencha leaves (among others).

• Add a few tablespoons to a marinade for fish or shellfish.

Some additional tips on Geen Tea use:

• Green tea helps reduce the risk of skin cancer  –  it can help repair DNA damage caused by UVB rays and lower risk of melanoma  –  according to an animal study in Cancer Prevention Research.
• According to a 2009 study, drinking 3 cups of green tea a day lowered stroke risk by 21 percent.
• Use the tea within 6 months of purchase.   It is easy to get carried away and buy up lots of types of tea and green tea.  (I have been guilty of this.)  Since green tea is purchased and consumed for its antioxidant value, you need to know that stored Green Tea retains its antioxidant levels for 6 months!