The 14-Day Green Tea Diet is unlike any other weight-loss plan you’ve ever tried. And that’s a good thing.
The easiest way to explain this plan might be to tell you what it’s not: It’s not a low-carb plan that will leave you hungry, grumpy, and standing outside the bakery looking longingly at crave-worthy cakes. It’s not a calorie-restriction program that requires you to calculate every bite you take like you’re Stephen Hawking looking for a lost planet. And it’s not a new gimmick, temporary trend, or questionable concept based on some study of five blind mice in a college laboratory.
In fact, there may be more research proving the effectiveness of green tea than for any other weight-loss plan in human history. And that’s in part because certain cultures have been using it for thousands of years to control hunger, improve health, and boost metabolism and performance.
Fortunately, there’s never been a better time to immerse yourself in the weight-loss powers of this remarkable drink. A wide variety of green teas are becoming more and more available as Westerners discover their weight-loss powers. In fact, Americans drank 10.7 percent more tea in 2014 than they did in 2012—about 3.6 billion gallons of the stuff, according to the Tea Association of the U.S.A. And the organization predicts that sales will double in just the next five years.
So how can you make this perfectly timed trend work for you?
The properties of this plan are simple. You’ll start each day with one to two cups of green tea and skip your typical breakfast. The reason: A study in the International Journal of Molecular Science found that fasting overnight, followed by green tea intake (at least 30 minutes before your first meal of the day), allowed for the best possible absorption of EGCG, the magic nutrient in green tea. Additionally, you’ll maximize your EGCG levels by creating a 4½-hour window between lunch and dinner, with a green tea 30 minutes before eating.
There’s an added benefit to skipping breakfast: Green tea is proven to increase metabolism, so you’ll begin burning body fat early in the morning and keep burning it all day long. To turbocharge that fat melt, you’ll start your day with the lightest of workouts, a simple 10-minute walk that will tell your system that it’s time to start burning calories. (Although if you want a more rigorous morning workout, you’ll find two short but effective plans later in the book.)
You’ll also enjoy three delicious meals each day, each with a perfect balance of healthy fats, protein, fiber, and micronutrients: one lunch, one dinner, and a Green Tea Smoothie.
Each meal is based on three or more of the Green Superfoods:
Green tea—whether in bags, loose leaf, or powdered like matcha—not only is your go-to drink for melting fat and boosting metabolism but also plays an important role in many of the recipes you’ll discover later in this book. And it serves as the foundation of each day’s Green Tea Smoothie.
Basing your smoothie on green tea helps ensure that you’re always getting a consistent flow of tea-based nutrients, so slimming down becomes automatic. In a study presented at the North American Association of the Study of Obesity, researchers found that regularly drinking smoothies in place of meals increased a person’s chances of losing weight and keeping it off longer than a year.
Green Tea Smoothies are designed to be creamy, filling, and packed with protein, fiber, and healthy fats. (You’ll read more about those important nutrients below.) And because they’re plant-based, these smoothies also help ensure that you’re getting a healthy dose of the nutrients most Americans are missing from their diets. Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine found that dieters who drank 8 ounces of plant-based juices a day over a 12-week period lost, on average, 4 pounds more than dieters following the exact same plan but without the drinks. And a Vanderbilt University study found that people who consume three or more servings of fruit- and vegetable-based drinks each week are 76 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s over a 10-year period than those who don’t.
WHAT TO EAT AND DRINK: Four cups of green tea each day, plus one Green Tea Smoothie per day; you’ll find recipes in Chapter 12.
On this diet, you’ll be focused on getting plenty of folate, a B vitamin found in leafy greens—as well as in beans, lentils, peanuts, and, yes, green tea—that helps control our body’s weight-storage system. Vegetables add essential nutrients, filling fiber, and volume to meals—for relatively few calories. Bright colors signal that the vegetables are rich in polyphenols, micronutrients that help control diet-induced inflammation. And vegetables, especially the leafy kind, have very few calories and a low glycemic load—meaning they load up your body with nutrients without generating a spike in blood sugar.
Research from the University of Otago in New Zealand found that participants felt happier, calmer, and more positive on days when they consumed fruits and vegetables. And further research has identified folate as a critical nutrient for turning off the genes related to insulin resistance and fat storage. A study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that those with the highest folate levels lose 8.5 times more weight when dieting. Indeed, some scientists believe that folate level is the primary indicator of a healthy diet; when folate levels drop, levels of obesity, heart disease, stroke, cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s, and depression go up.
WHAT TO EAT: Lettuces and leafy greens like kale, watercress, spinach, and chard; collard greens and beet greens; cabbage, kohlrabi, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and asparagus; and brightly colored vegetables like red peppers, grape tomatoes, carrots, and beets.
To maximize the effectiveness of your green tea, you’ll seek out natural sources of vitamin C—and that means plenty of whole, delicious fruit. Studies show that vitamin C may improve EGCG bioavailability by preventing oxidation—a good reason to consider adding a splash of lemon to your tea.
But fruits do more than just improve your EGCG absorption. Green fruits like kiwi get their color from chlorophyll, which helps with the formation of new blood cells and the assimilation of magnesium and calcium; it also helps create a more alkaline body environment. Fruits that come in green and red—apples, grapes, and berries—also have their own particular fat-busting properties. For example, in a recent Texas Women’s University study, researchers found that feeding mice three daily servings of berries decreased the formation of fat cells by up to 73 percent. Another study at the University of Michigan found that rats that had berry powder mixed into their meals had less abdominal fat at the end of 90 days than those on a berry-free diet.
Green, red, orange, and yellow fruit can also make you look younger almost overnight: A study in Evolution and Human Behavior found that people who ate more of these had a more sun-kissed complexion than those who didn’t consume as much, thanks to nutrients called carotenoids. In fact, given the choice between a real suntan and a glow caused by diet, study participants preferred the carotenoid complexion.
Another important nutritional component you’ll get from fruit: fiber. A recent study at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center found that for every 10-gram increase in soluble fiber eaten per day, abdominal fat was reduced by 3.7 percent over five years.
Melons belong on your 14-Day Green Tea Diet table as well. Research at the University of Kentucky showed that eating watermelon, for example, may improve lipid profiles and lower fat accumulation. And a study of athletes at Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena in Spain found that watermelon juice helped reduce muscle soreness—great news if you’re following the workouts at the end of this book!
WHAT TO EAT: Any fruit is a nutritious addition to your diet, but focus on citrus fruits, berries, apples, grapes, melons, coconuts, kiwis, and bananas. Avoid dried or canned fruits, which are higher in sugar than fresh fruits. NOTE: If you’re selecting which apples to buy, an analysis in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that Red Delicious, Northern Spy, Cortland, Ida Red, Golden Delicious, McIntosh, and Macoun were the most nutritious varieties.
A green fat is one that comes from green plants like olives and avocados, as well as from trees, in the form of tree nuts and coconut. (Peanuts count, too.) Though it may seem counterintuitive to add fat to a meal if you’re trying to lose it, eating a moderate portion of unsaturated fats, like the kind found in olive oil, avocados, and nuts, can ward off the munchies and keep you full by regulating hunger hormones. A study published in Nutrition Journal found that participants who ate half a fresh avocado with lunch reported a 40 percent decreased desire to eat for hours afterward.
Changing the kind of fat in your diet will also help you increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids while reducing omega-6 (found in vegetable oil and fried foods); upping your omega-3-to-6 ratio has been proven to improve metabolic health and reduce inflammation. And according to a study review in the International Journal of Molecular Science, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may enhance not only the bioavailability of EGCG but also its effectiveness.
To improve your fat profile, reduce the amount of fat you take in from grains. So: Say goodbye to vegetable oil (it’s not from vegetables!) and to corn, soy, and safflower oils as well. In fact, simply cutting out vegetable oil—which comes primarily from soybeans—can have a massive impact your waistline. A 2015 study at the University of California Riverside found that, in mice at least, a diet high in soybean oil causes more obesity and diabetes than a diet high in sugar. Compared to animals on a coconut-oil diet, the mice that ate sugar gained 9 percent more weight. But the creatures that ate soybean oil gained 25 percent more!
WHAT TO EAT: Avocados and olives; olive oil, canola oil, and gourmet oils like walnut and hazelnut.
What, exactly, is a “green protein”? Sounds like something that’s been sitting in the back of the fridge for a few months.
By green proteins, we mean one of two things: proteins made from green sources—like nuts and seeds, vegan protein blends, or spirulina—or animals whose diets are primarily green, like grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, or wild fish. Keeping your protein lean and green will also help improve the fat profile of your diet while helping to quell inflammation.
But most important: Eating enough protein is critical to helping EGCG do its job. Studies show that those who have low levels of serum albumin—a type of protein found in the blood—also have lower levels of EGCG. Albumin is essential for moving fluids and nutrients between the bloodstream and the body tissues. Eating enough lean protein is the key to keeping those blood albumin levels up.
And there’s a bonus to focusing your diet around protein: Protein is kryptonite to body fat. Eating protein requires your body to expend a lot of calories in digestion—about 25 calories for every 100 calories you eat (compared with only 10 to 15 calories for fats and carbs). Not only that, protein is more filling. A study printed in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that a high-protein meal, as opposed to one high in carbs, increases satiety by suppressing the hunger-stimulating hormone ghrelin.
The Green Tea Smoothie recipes you’ll find in this book are all built around plant-based protein powders—low-sugar, high-fiber alternatives to popular dairy-based supplements. A study by the University of Tampa that compared plant protein with whey found it to be equally as effective at changing body composition and boosting muscle recovery and growth. And in a 2015 study in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation, researchers discovered that patients who ingested higher amounts of vegetable protein were far less susceptible to metabolic syndrome (a combination of high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and obesity). A second study in Nutrition Journal found that “plant protein intakes may play a role in preventing obesity.”
With less sugar and a healthier fat profile, plant-based proteins will also improve your gut health at the same time as they’re fueling your muscles. Hemp, rice, and pea proteins are all good options; however, you’ll want to ensure you’re getting a complete protein with a full amino acid profile, which is why a blend that combines all three is superior.
“Green meats,” on the other hand, are fish and animals that eat natural, green foods: wild fish, free-range poultry, and grass-fed beef. Unlike cattle that are fattened up with corn, those raised solely on grass produce meat that is leaner and healthier—and that will help you trim away the pounds. A 3.5-ounce serving of grass-fed beef has only 2.4 grams of fat, compared with 16.3 grams for conventionally raised cattle. Grass-fed beef also has higher levels of healthy omega-3 fatty acids and lower levels of inflammatory omega-6s. (So you’re boosting your EGCG levels in two ways!) And it’s also higher in both vitamin E and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has been shown to reduce abdominal fat while helping build lean muscle. It’s the same with chickens: According to a study in the journal Poultry Science, free-range chickens have significantly more omega-3s than grain-fed chickens, less harmful fat, and fewer calories.
And while you might not consider fish as coming from a farm, the fact is that almost all of the salmon, shrimp, and tilapia sold in the U.S. comes from fish farms, where they’re fed soy pellets laced with chemicals. That means the heart-healthy benefits of eating fish are actually flopped, and farmed fish aren’t at all good for your health. In fact, a study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association warned people who are concerned about heart disease to avoid eating tilapia for just that reason.
Now, given how good protein is for your calorie burn, you may be tempted to grab one of those expensive protein bars instead of sitting down to a decent meal. But the effect isn’t the same: Not only are you getting a lot of extra sugar and chemicals, but you’re not getting the same fat-fighting effects—studies show that your body burns more calories digesting whole foods than it does digesting processed foods.
WHAT TO EAT: Vegan protein blends (you’ll find them in any health-food shop); nuts, seeds, and nut and seed butters; grass-fed beef; free-range pork and poultry; wild-caught fish.
GREEN TEA’S SECRET PARTNER
While it’s not one of the Five Green Superfoods, make an effort to add some black pepper to your meal whenever it’s appropriate. Recent studies have indicated that a compound found in black pepper called piperine may help improve blood levels of EGCG by allowing it to linger in the digestive system longer—meaning that more of it is absorbed by the body.
Two meals a day: a filling Green Lunch and a delicious Green Dinner. Plus, you’ll enjoy a nutrition-packed snack and a dessert-like Green Tea Smoothie.
You’ll enjoy one nourishing cup of green tea three times a day. By delivering to your body a steady intake of catechins, you’ll keep your metabolism revving high, reduce disease-causing inflammation, and actually shrink your fat cells. Plus, you’ll enjoy a calming herbal tea before bedtime to reduce stress, improve focus, and ensure better sleep.
Every day, you’re going to look forward to enjoying a cool, creamy, and delicious Green Tea Smoothie. These recipes will keep you full while ensuring your body has all the fat-melting nutrients it needs to amp up your weight loss to the max.
You’ll begin every day not with some sort of horrible exercise routine or nose-crinkling potion but with a gentle walk in the sunshine. All you need is 10 minutes each day to trigger the ingredients in your morning green tea to start working their magic.
We’ve included a 10-minute, full-body workout that will add even more speed to your revving metabolism, plus a seven-minute core workout for off days. While exercise isn’t a necessary component of this program, the 14-Day Green Tea Diet sets your body up for maximum fat burn during physical activity—so why not take advantage of it?
Each of the recipes are based on three or more of the Green Superfoods, so you’ll be receiving a constant flow of nutrients that maximize the effectiveness of your EGCG intake.
Green tea; green, leafy vegetables; green, red, orange, and yellow fruits; fruit- and nut-based oils; plant-based proteins and grass-fed and free-range meats; black pepper.
Sodas, bottled teas, and other drinks containing added sugar; soy and soy-based foods; soy, corn, and “vegetable” oils; conventionally raised meat and dairy; farmed salmon and tilapia.
SEVEN WAYS TO MAKE YOUR GREEN TEA WORK HARDER
KEEP IT DRY AND COOL.
Store tea in a cool, dry place, preferably in a sealed plastic bag to reduce exposure to air, sunlight, and moisture.
DRINK IT ON AN EMPTY STOMACH.
Green tea that you drink four hours after your last meal, and at least 30 minutes before your next, will be absorbed at the highest possible levels.
KEEP YOUR PROTEIN LEVELS UP.
Eat lean, green proteins regularly to ensure your blood protein levels facilitate the absorption of EGCG.
FOCUS ON C FOODS.
Citrus fruits and other fruits high in vitamin C help boost the effectiveness of EGCG.
SEEK OUT SEAFOOD.
Omega-3 fatty acids from fish further help enhance the efficacy of EGCG.
SPRINKLE ON THE PEPPER.
Black pepper helps slow the elimination of EGCG from your digestive system, leading to higher absorption levels.
FILTER YOUR WATER.
Concentrated levels of certain minerals in water can interfere with the absorption of EGCG. If you have hard water, consider using a water filter.
Most of what we think of as green tea comes in tea bags found at the local grocery store. And indeed, store-bought green tea bags are a potent weapon against belly fat. The majority of research cited in this book—and the test-panel results—comes from grocery-store-variety green tea.
But if you’re the adventurous type who’s interested in taking weight loss to another level, you may want to explore the traditional Japanese green tea known as matcha. Matcha is a powdered green tea that some research indicates may be an even more potent weight-loss weapon. Consider:
• The concentration of EGCG—the superpotent nutrient found in green tea—may be as much as 137 times greater in powdered matcha tea. EGCG can simultaneously boost lipolysis (the breakdown of fat) and block adipogenesis (the formation of new fat cells). One study found that men who drank green tea containing 136 milligrams of EGCG—what you’d find in a single 4-gram serving of matcha—lost twice as much weight than a placebo group and four times as much belly fat over the course of three months.
• Because the entire leaf is consumed, matcha also contains about 10 times as many antioxidants as regularly brewed green tea.
Again, the enormous health and fat-burning benefits of standard green tea are already remarkable, and you’ll learn more about them in the coming chapters. But if you want to take your health and weight loss to another level, you’ll find directions for making matcha tea in Chapter 15.