Peachy's Pantry: Ito En Green Tea Is Lovely For Summer!
Ito En Green Tea is offering some refreshing ways to battle the summer heat! Wouldn’t we all like to coast through the summer as cool as a cucumber? Unfortunately, aside from the rising mercury, the arrival of summer brings a range of heated concerns including protecting our skin from the damaging effects of the sun, slimming down for swimsuit season, and battling pesky seasonal allergies. Ito En TEAS’ TEA Green Tea can help keep you cool, AND soothe your summer stresses. Green tea has been proven to help slenderize, fight sniffles, and protect your fresh-from-the-winter pasty skin. Read on!
Green Tea Burns Fat, Stimulates the Metabolism & Accelerates Weight Loss, and Even Helps You Exercise Longer
Triglycerides from food are a source of energy for life support and physical activities. However, excess triglycerides become fat. Green tea contains polyphenols which activate the enzyme that is responsible for dissolving excess triglyceride to aid in burning fat.
Green tea also contains powerful antioxidants called catechin polyphenols that are responsible for many of the health benefits of green tea. EGCG (or epigallocatechin gallat), has been found to stimulate the metabolism and accelerate weight loss.
Finally, a study using green tea extract on lab rats increased the amount of time the animals could swim before becoming exhausted by as much as 24%. The catechin polyphenols in green tea appear to stimulate the use of fatty acids by liver and muscle cells. This subsequently reduces the rate that carbohydrates are used and allows for more endurance and longer exercise times. More endurance means more exercise, which means more calories burned. It all adds up to more pounds lost for you.
Green Tea Skin Protection
Recent research also shows that antioxidant supplementation may protect our skin. A paper published in a recent issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that supplementation with carotenoids (25 mg/day) and vitamin E (500 IU/day) "may be useful for diminishing sensitivity to ultraviolet light" so slather on that sunscreen and drink up your Ito En TEAS’ TEA for healthier, protected skin.
Green Tea to Beat Seasonal Allergies
Science Daily recently reported that allergy sufferers may want to add green tea to their sniffle-fighting arsenal. New evidence suggests that drinking the popular brew may provide some relief. Researchers in Japan identified a compound in green tea that, in laboratory tests, blocks a key cell receptor involved in producing an allergic response. The compound, methylated epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), may have a similar effect in humans, they say.
Ito En TEAS’ TEA has a recipe for Green Tea Summer Punch that will keep you refreshed and healthy this summer.
GREEN TEA SUMMER PUNCH
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Makes: 3 quarts / 12 servings
Ingredients:
2 quarts TEAS’ TEA Pure Green
4 cinnamon sticks
8 whole cloves, plus more for garnish
4 peeled slices fresh ginger (about 1 inch by 2 inches each)
1 apple
1 orange
1 quart apple juice
Preparation:
Combine the tea, cloves, two pieces of ginger and two cinnamon sticks in a large pitcher.
Let steep at room temperature for about two hours. Refrigerate for up to an hour.
Wash the orange and slice it into thin pieces.
Wash, core and slice the apple. Stud the slices with cloves.
Remove the cloves, cinnamon and ginger from the tea.
Mix the tea, juice and remaining cinnamon sticks and ginger in the pitcher.
Serve chilled and enjoy!
