“Each cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage.“
– Catherine Douzel
The Size Zero Myth:
#Myth 1- Green Tea is Rich in Antioxidants!
Yes, I have read this everywhere. Antioxidant (I don’t know how beneficial it is, but it sounds complex, so it should be really healthy) is nowadays’ in-thing. Everyone I know drinks green tea for weight loss (what the heck, they must have done scientific research already. Why do I need to do extra work?).
#Myth 2- Drinking Green Tea for Weight Loss.
I ate one whole Tandoori Chicken, a plate of Chicken Wings, Mutton Biriyani, and yeah Honey & Hazelnut Ice Cream with Extra Chocolate (The secret to making anything taste better is more chocolate). Oh, not to worry, I won’t gain weight as I will drink lots of green tea to melt whatever I ate, and it will be washed out.
#Myth 3- You can Drink Green Tea as Much as You Like Safely.
The more I drink, the more fat I will melt. I should drink it after every burger, pizza, or pastry I eat.
#Myth 4- Black Tea Has More Caffeine.
Black Tea or Adarak Chai is a villain for my weight loss. I should quote every possible fault with Black Tea and Adarak Chai (I will drink many cups of them on my cheat day as it’s my favorite). Definitely, the caffeine content in them must be higher than my fat buster green tea.
#Myth 5- The Chinese are Slim and Trim Because They Only Drink Green Tea.
Green Tea is originated in China. Have you seen Chinese people? So thin and pretty. It’s all because of the magical Green Tea.
#Myth 6- Herbal Tea is Best for Me if I Have Anxiety.
Anything herbal is always ‘the best for my health.
The Wise Hero Reality:
Antioxidants are compounds (mostly vitamins & minerals) that prevent damage from free radicals (by-products of normal metabolic reactions and are carcinogenic in nature) in the body.
2. Antioxidants Alone are Useless.
Antioxidants can work only in the presence of carbohydrates, protein, and fats. But most of us drink Green Tea to either kill our hunger or delay our meals rich in macro-nutrients; the antioxidants will be rendered useless.
3. A Large Amount of Antioxidants is needed to Really Benefit.
For you to really benefit from Green Tea, you will have to drink many cups of tea, which will only cause acidity, heartburn, bloating, mask your hunger and make you overeat at a later time.
4. Black, Oolong, White & Green Tea are Extracted from the Same Plant.
Black, Green, Oolong, and White teas are all made from the same plant (Camellia Sinensis) but differ in their preparation methods.
The preparation process consists of withering, rolling, and heating the tea leaves. In the case of black teas, they go through an oxidative process known as fermentation before the final heating process. Oolong teas are partially fermented. Green Tea is not fermented. White tea is first steamed rapidly and then dried (involves slightly less processing compared to Green Tea). Different color is achieved because of different tea processing. Hence all of them have antioxidants.
5. Black, Oolong, White & Green Tea have a Similar Amount of Caffeine.
Green, Black, White & Oolong Tea are produced from the same plant. Black tea is created from the green leaves of the same plant using which green tea is created. The procedure for making black tea leaves a zero impact on the amount of caffeine. Similarly, all types of tea have caffeine in a similar amount.
6. Black Tea or Adarak Chai (Ginger Tea) is Also Rich in Antioxidants.
Regular Masala Chai is also rich in antioxidants. Let’s accept the truth: masala chai tastes refreshing and much better (I know few people who say they like the bitter taste of green tea, so I firmly believe they need to visit an ENT). Unfortunately, though, black and other forms of tea are somehow just not sold to you with that marketing tag, that’s all.
7. Herbal Tea- Well, it’s Not a TEA.
Well, drinking herbal tea might calm your senses, but the truth is that it’s not tea at all! Tea comes from the plant Camellia Sinensis. But herbal teas are infusions that use flowers, fruit extracts, and sometimes barks of other medicinal trees and plants. Most of them actually have little to no ‘tea content’ in them, so they do not really qualify for tea in the true sense of the word. The technical term to describe these ‘mock teas’ is Tisanes. And some do actually contain polyphenols found in tea but no caffeine.
8. Choosing the Tea that Agrees with Your Taste-Buds.
All the different varieties of tea are rich in various types of antioxidants. The body (through the taste buds) often shows you exactly which nutrients your body requires. If you follow your taste buds while choosing your tea, you inadvertently pick up the exact antioxidants that your body craves.
You can’t buy Happiness but you can buy Tea, that’s kind of the same thing. I say forget about what the world has to say, you should always have your favorite cup of Tea.
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