While they look and taste different, both black and green teas come from the same plant. The only difference among all true teas is how they are processed. For example, black tea is allowed to ferment, and it’s the fermentation process that gives it its color. Organic green tree is harvested and then dried before fermentation can occur.

One thing that surprises a lot of people is that many jurisdictions have no legal requirements for the use of the term ‘organic’. That means you could be buying something that isn’t organic at all, even though it is labeled as ‘organic green tea’. It’s possible that you are getting regular tea that was grown with the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Unfortunately, some manufacturers use the word ‘organic’ so they can charge more.

Your best bet is to only purchase organic green tea from trusted sources. Another thing that helps is to read anything the company has to support its claim of being organic. You want tea that hasn’t been treated with chemicals. The problem is that there can be trace amounts of these chemicals left on the tea leaves. You wouldn’t want to drink a cup of pesticides, so why take chances having any on your tea?

Organic green tea has the benefit of not being overly processed, and that traps in more of the leaves’ nutrients. Many people also find the aroma and taste to be more pleasing than black tea, which is sharper. That being said, all tea is good for you in some way, so it is often just a matter of preference. However, there are some things to consider before choosing which type you want to drink.

It just so happens that there are many health benefits to drinking green tea. Inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, burning fat, reducing cholesterol, regulating blood sugar levels, boosting metabolism, improved blot clotting and strengthening the immune system are just some of the health benefits that have been attributed to drinking green tea.

You may have to skip drinking tea if you are sensitive to caffeine, or have a health condition that prevents you from drinking it. Other than that, green tea is generally recognized as safe and is consumed by people all around the world. It has also been enjoyed for centuries, and is engrained in the cultures of many countries.

As long as you are drinking tea, it may as well be organic green tea. After all, you wouldn’t want to take any chances of making your health worse by consuming unknown chemicals. Drinking tea the way nature intended makes the most sense, and will give you all of the benefits Mother Nature intended.

Tags: Aroma, Best Bet, Black Tea, Blood Sugar Levels, Boosting Metabolism, Cancer Cells, Chemical Fertilizers, Ferment, Fermentation Process, Green Tea, Green Teas, Health Benefits, Jurisdictions, Nutrients, Reducing Cholesterol, Strengthening The Immune System, Trace Amounts, Traps, True Teas, Use Of Pesticides —

Wanting to eat better is a goal that is shared by millions and millions of people around the globe. Their reasons range from “just wanting to” to trying to treat a deadly disease, from moral reasons to wanting to lose weight. Regardless of the reason, you should research health and nutrition before deciding on a healthy eating program that is best for you. Doing the proper research will not only point you in the right direction for foods you should eat, but it will also steer you away from the foods you should avoid.

One thing you need to watch out for is a lack of balance. For example, the market is filled with diet plans that eliminate whole categories of food. While it makes sense to reduce the level of saturated fat you consume, getting rid of carbohydrates is a questionable practice at best. It is okay to eat fat, carbohydrates and protein; in fact, you should be wary of any so-called healthy eating program that claims otherwise.

When it comes to fat, you will want to limit saturated fats, and try to eliminate man-made trans fats completely. (There are naturally occurring trans fats, and these aren’t nearly as bad as their hydrogenated counterparts.) Your best bet is to have polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, though you don’t want to go overboard on them, either.

Carbohydrates have received a lot of attention in recent years. This is due, largely, to some popular diets that avoided them. Yes, it is possible to lose weight on a low-carb diet, but there may be risks involved. Also, such a diet wouldn’t really be considered a long-term healthy eating program because of the lack of balance. However, not all carbohydrates are created equally. You should limit the simple carbs found in white bread, white rice, and sugar; and replace them with the complex carbs found in whole grains, vegetables and some fruit.

Protein can be tricky because a lot of sources are high in saturated fat. Beef, for example, is high in protein, but a lot of cuts are high in saturated fat. Chicken, on the other hand, has some cuts that are higher in fat than others, so choose white meat to stay on the safe side. Perhaps the best of source of protein is beans (pinto, black, garbanzo, navy, and so on). The are high in protein and fiber, and are also very low in fat.

A healthy eating program doesn’t mean you can never enjoy your favorite foods again, far from it. First, there are plenty of healthy alternatives for most foods. Second, the key is to enjoy such foods in moderation, as an occasional treat. If you eat less of the unhealthy foods, and more of the healthy foods, then you will be headed in the right direction. But if you can’t have the foods you enjoy, then there is too great of a risk that you will simply go back to an unhealthy diet, and that wouldn’t do you much good at all.

Tags: Atkins, Best Bet, Carbohydrates, Complex Carbs, Counterparts, Deadly Disease, Diet Plans, Eating Habits, Fruits And Vegetables, Health And Nutrition, Healthy Diet, Healthy Eating, Losing Weight, Low Carb Diet, Monounsaturated Fats, Moral Reasons, Questionable Practice, Research Health, Right Direction, Saturated Fat, Saturated Fats, Trans Fats, White Bread, White Rice, Whole Grains —

More and more people are eating out than ever before. That wouldn’t be a problem, except for a few things. You have no way of knowing exactly what goes into each dish you’re ordering, and restaurants are noted for using lots of salt and fat to make their food taste better. A more recent problem is restaurants have been steadily increasing their portion sizes, and that means even more calories. While home-cooked fare can be more healthy, nobody is saying you should never eat out. Instead, it’s better to know how to keep from packing on the pounds when dining out.

Did you know restaurants will add butter or oil to some entrees just to make them look better? A pat of butter is often applied to meat when it’s done to give it a shiny finish. Grilled entrees may be brushed with oil before cooking to keep them from sticking, and again after cooking for that shiny look. That means you could be eating extra calories without even knowing about it. And if they use saturated fats (such as butter), then it can have a negative impact on your health as well. It’s also a common practice to add butter to steamed vegetables, largely for the same reasons.

Rubs and marinades often contain sugar, salt or oil in some combination. Those on low carbohydrate diets may be surprised to find out that their marinated chicken breast is hiding a tablespoon of sugar. Salt isn’t good for those with high blood pressure. Oils are the most calorie-dense and can add to your daily intake quickly. Vinegar marinades will usually be your best bet.

If you’re on a diet, then try to avoid cream sauces. These are usually made with heavy cream and loaded with extra calories. Even sauces that contain flour will usually have a lot of added fat, with the typical ratio being one tablespoon of fat to one tablespoon of flour for each cup of liquid. A better choice would be a vegetable based sauce, such as marinara.

Mixed drinks before dinner can be another source of extra calories. The trick is to order drinks that are mixed with plain soda water. Fruit juices add extra calories as they are mostly sugar. Of course you could always skip the pre-dinner cocktail and eliminate those calories completely. Water, coffee and tea are all calorie-free alternatives.

As mentioned earlier, portion sizes in restaurants are getting bigger. In fact they can be three to four times as much as the recommended serving sizes. For example, a serving of meat is only three ounces. But if you order a fifteen ounce steak, then you are having five times as much as you should. You can always see if somebody else at the table would like to share it with you. You may still have more than a serving, but you will be keeping it under control to some extent.

The main thing to remember is that eating out doesn’t have to mean gaining weight. As long as you know a few tips for losing weight when dining out, you can have a good time without feeling guilty about it.

Tags: Atkins, Best Bet, Calories, Chicken Breast, Cream Sauces, Eating Habits, Flour, Food Taste, Fruits And Vegetables, Grilled Entrees, Healthy Diet, Heavy Cream, high blood pressure;, Losing Weight, Low Carbohydrate Diets, Marinades, Mixed Drinks, Negative Impact, Portion Sizes, Rubs, Saturated Fats, Steamed Vegetables, Sugar Salt, Tablespoon, Vinegar —

You want to look your best but you do not want to go through all the pain, cost and possible complications that come with surgery so you need to find out what kind of liposuction alternatives are out there. There are alternatives out there you just have to know where to look and what questions to ask.

We all know that having a tummy tuck is expensive. In fact it can cost tens of thousands of dollars to get done. Add to that the fact that you will be laid up for at least six weeks with some pretty intense pain to deal with. Not to mention the drain tubing and pouches to keep clean and dry. There are also risks involved with surgery and with everything considered some people are reluctant to have a tummy tuck.

This is where a liposuction alternative then comes into play. There are several options available to you. Two of these options are non-invasive and the other is minimally invasive.

The first one is called Titan. Titan is a process in which a laser is used to tighten the skin from the surface. Completely non-invasive, Titan can be done in the doctor’s office. If a little loose skin is your most serious complaint then the Titan procedure is your best bet to get those tight abs you want.

Thermage is another procedure that is non-invasive and uses high frequency sound wave or radio waves to tighten the skin. The heat involved may cause the skin to burn or blister but a surgeon well versed in the procedure should be able to minimize any damage.

The last procedure I want to introduce you to is the minimally invasive Injection Lipolysis where a chemical compound is injected under the skin. This chemical compound melts off fat deposits so they can be easily removed by vacuum. Most patients will get two or three injections to get all the fat removed. This procedure works well on any part of the body but has yet to be approved by the FDA. This means that this procedure is still experimental so talk to your doctor to see if you can get qualified for a trial.

Who says we all have to age gracefully? Aging gracefully is a thing of the past. Most of us women fight aging every step of the way. So much money is spent on beauty and anti-aging products yearly that you could not even fathom the amount. Billions of dollars each year. Makes you want to buy stock in a cosmetics company, doesn’t it? Well, maybe we won’t all go that far but we have all tried the diet and exercise thing and it doesn’t always work. Having someone go into or just above the skin to make you look your best may be just what the doctor ordered. (No pun intended)

Get rid of all of that saggy skin on your belly without any surgery, or pain, or complications with a liposuction alternative.

Tags: Best Bet, Blister, Chemical Compound, Drain Tubing, FDA;, Frequency Sound, Healthy Diet, High Frequency, Injection Lipolysis, Intense Pain, Liposuction, Liposuction Alternative, Loose Skin, Pouches, Radio Waves, Six Weeks, Sound Wave, Thousands Of Dollars, Titan, Tummy Tuck, Vacuum —