Weight Loss Drinks

Delicious Honey & Cinnamon Weight Loss Drink- Mix half a teaspoon of cinnamon (Ceylon cinnamon is the best) with a cup of hot water. Let it cool down and add a teaspoon of raw, organic honey to the wat

While you’re working hard to shed the unwanted pounds, honey and cinnamon combination can assist you in four ways:

1.If you take the mix in the morning, on an empty stomach, it increases your metabolic rate and promotes fat burning and provides you with a steady supply of energy.

2. Since you don’t experience the infamous sugar crash, the mixture of honey and cinnamon stops in-between meal nibbling and reduces unhealthy cravings. Research published in 2007 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, was one of the studies that showed how cinnamon actually reduces blood sugar levels. As sugar doesn’t build up in the blood, this characteristic supports weight-loss.

3. When taken before workout, honey and cinnamon will give you the energy boost needed to start and complete your exercise session. Increased metabolic rate enhances the effects of the workout.

4. In the evening, cinnamon and honey help you avoid night time cravings and they also reduce hunger pangs by providing your stomach with some (healthy) substance to munch on.
Honey and Cinnamon Mixture for Weight Loss

Mix half a teaspoon of cinnamon (Ceylon cinnamon is the best) with a cup of hot water. Let it cool down and add a teaspoon of raw, organic honey to the water mixture and stir (cooling to a drinkable temperature will help raw honey keep its nutritional value). Drink the concoction.
When to Take Honey and Cinnamon?

The mixture can be drunk at different times of the day. For best effects, consider consuming it:

– In the morning, about 20-30 minutes before having your breakfast.

– Between meals, especially if you start feeling hungry and you experience food cravings. The mixture will lessen your appetite and also help you stay focused and alert throughout the day.

– Before your aerobic workout, especially if you feel that your energy levels are low. Try to exercise on an empty stomach and abstain from eating for another 30 minutes (or more) after you’ve finished with the session. This helps you burn more calories, as the body doesn’t need to deal with digestion while working out.

– In the evening, before bedtime, so you can get through the night easier and get a good night’s sleep.

 Water

We all know that we should be drinking lots of water each day, yet many of us still fail to do so.

Whether that’s due to the lack of taste or the frequent trips to the bathroom, your love/hate relationship with water has to end, especially if weight loss is your goal.

I’ve already discussed the fact that a mere 17 fl oz of water can boost your metabolism by as much as 30% over the course of 90 minutes, but if you’re not convinced yet, here’s one more reason for you.

Participants in this study who drank approximately 17 fl oz of water before each meal enjoyed a 44% increase in weight loss over the course of 12 weeks!

I don’t know about you, but over 40% weight loss could mean all the difference in shedding those last few unwanted pounds without changing your diet or exercise habits. I’m all for this one small change.

The key is to drink water throughout the day instead of chugging it all at once before a meal. In fact, I’d space out your 17 fl oz to about 20 minutes before your meal so you’re not too full to eat and wind up hungry later.

Lemon Water

Ok, now that we got the all-important water convo out of the way, let’s get down to business.

I know water can be bland and unappealing. After you’ve downed almost half your weight in the stuff, forcing yourself to drink more can be a major challenge. That’s why the next few drinks, including lemon water, are a lifesaver.

Instead of reaching for sugar-filled fizzy sodas, opt for lemon water whenever you need a flavor boost.

During your meals, lemon water will help your body digest what you’re about to eat, and it also helps boost your metabolism long after you’ve finished eating.

Lemon water will not lead to direct weight loss, rather, it will help combat unwanted bloating that makes us uncomfortable in our clothes in the first place.

Who wouldn’t want that after lunchtime?

No more uncomfortable afternoon meetings or late night dinners where you’re too full to go to bed (which, by the way, is a bad idea altogether; you should leave room for digestion before you hit the sack).

And if you start your day with lemon water, you’ll be in even better shape.

By adding a fresh squeeze of lemon to warm water as soon as you wake up, you’ll be jumpstarting your metabolism and your digestion, which are both essential when it comes to weight loss.

I’d even argue that lemon water is better than a morning coffee fix since you’re not left as dehydrated as coffee can make you.

Coconut Water

Coconut water is one beverage that most of my clients never consider as a weight loss drink.

For a mere 46 calories per cup, coconut water is a low-calorie flavor swap that also has cholesterol reducing properties according to a study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food.

In that study, rats given small amounts of coconut water experienced a drop in both low-density lipoproteins and triglyceride levels (bad cholesterol).

So if cutting out flavored sweet drinks like soda and orange juice sounds like a flavorless trap, your best bet is to reach for low-calorie coconut water.

I do have to caution that some brands are loaded with sugar and can throw off the health benefits you’re aiming for if you’re not careful. Do your homework to find the best options.

White Tea

White tea is one of my favorites thanks to its light flavor; it’s the complete opposite of black tea in this regard.

While black tea can be bitter, white tea is more subtle in taste. That’s why I always recommend that newbie tea drinkers start with white tea. Although black tea is what you’re more likely to find in restaurants, white tea is easier on the palate.

Researchers found that white tea actually breaks down fat and prevents the formation of fat cells.

Probably one of my favorite things about white tea – aside from its weight loss benefits and high antioxidant count – is the fact that it’s not as processed as some other varieties.

Plus, when brewed using only hot water, it’s a calorie-free option, which is perfect for anyone looking to cut calories without sacrificing flavor.

Oolong Tea

Oolong and Rooibos are two types of teas that most people don’t tend to gravitate to, but this shouldn’t be the case, especially since they’re so great when it comes to weight loss.

A study conducted by Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center and presented in LiveStrong examined the effects of oolong tea consumption over the course of three days. Researchers found that those who drank 4 cups of tea (as compared to 4 cups of water) saw a 3% higher energy expenditure and burned 67 more calories than their water-drinking buddies.

If those benefits aren’t enough, the study also found that the tea group showed 12% more fat oxidation, which means you’d be crazy to pass on oolong tea next time you have the option to burn some fat.

Rooibos

Don’t let the complicated name fool you. Rooibos tea is just as easy to make and carries similar weight loss benefits as oolong tea.

Unlike white, green, oolong, and black tea (which all come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis), rooibos is actually an herbal tea that comes from the rooibos plant.

However, rooibos does share one thing in common with green tea in particular: it contains beneficial flavonoids. These are essentially a type of antioxidant that help fight off free radicals caused by issues like poor diet and pollution.

Rooibos tea also contains another antioxidant that just so happens to be connected to weight loss: catechins.

During one study, researchers examined the effects of catechins from tea drinking and found that daily consumption resulted in “significantly lower” body weight, BMI, waist circumference, body fat mass, and subcutaneous fat in participants.

And these fat-melting catechins are not only found in rooibos tea. They can also be obtained by drinking oolong and green tea too.

Green tea

Thanks to the epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) compound found in green tea, users reported 33% fat oxidation when drinking it, according to a study presented in an article by Dr. Mercola.

Here’s what else Dr. Mercola says about green tea’s benefits for weight loss:

• It may increase our metabolism
• It could prevent the development of fat cells
• It helps increase fat excretion

What’s not to love here?

Green tea also has a small amount of caffeine, which could be another reason it’s so helpful with speeding up our metabolisms.

Let’s switch gears to a tea with a bit more flavor: mint tea.

Mint Tea

Have you ever had a sip of orange juice right after you just brushed your teeth?

It’s not tasty, that’s for sure.

Well, that’s similar to how mint tea works. It changes your palate to get rid of those pesky cravings that usually come knocking on your door after a meal.

According to research published in the Journal of Neurological and Orthopaedic Medicine:

“People who sniffed peppermint every two hours lost an average of 5 pounds a month. The mint flavors send signals to your brain that it’s time to stop eating”.

Now, you may look a little crazy sniffing peppermints all day, so stick to mint tea to help you lose the extra weight without looking too weird at the office.

Enjoy mint tea after a meal like lunch or dinner to keep afternoon and pre-bedtime cravings at bay.

Coffee

I’ve never been the type of person who needs coffee every morning. But I know others who can’t function without it.

Maybe they’re onto something because when it comes to weight loss, coffee is actually worth considering.

As registered dietitian Kathy Taylor mentions:

“Some studies have shown that drinking coffee with caffeine may slightly increase weight loss or in actuality prevent weight gain by suppressing the appetite or the desire to eat”.

Taylor continues that coffee:

“May also help with calorie burning by stimulating thermogenesis – our body’s way of generating heat from metabolizing food. Ultimately caffeine acts like a diuretic causing us to have water loss so there is a temporary decrease in body weight”.

Now, this is not a free pass to live on coffee alone since starving yourself of important nutrients can actually slow your metabolism down. But it is a green light for one cup a day if water weight is weighing you down.

Keep in mind: for every cup of coffee you drink, you’ll need to add one cup of water to combat possible dehydration.

Super Fat Melting Drink

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Chia Fresca

Due to my obsession with chia seeds, I’ve found plenty of ways to use these nutritional powerhouses in everything from chia pudding to this ancient Mexican energy drink known as Chia Fresca.

The Huffington Post tells us that Chia Fresca can be used as an awesome pre-workout drink too.

Plus, the ingredients are pantry staples that most of us already have on hand:

• 2 c of water or coconut water
• 1.5 tbsp chia seeds
• ? tsp fresh lemon juice
• Natural sweetener to taste (maple syrup or honey is great here)

Here’s how you make it:

• Add the chia seeds and water to a jar or glass. Stir well. If your chia seeds sink to the bottom, you may want to use a jar with a lid so you can shake everything up.
• Let mixture sit for 10 minutes.
• Add lemon juice and sweetener to taste.
• Enjoy!

The chia seeds will actually expand in your stomach, which keeps you full and wards off unwanted cravings, and the lemon juice gives your metabolism a nice little boost.

And if you use coconut water as your base, you’ll be hitting those last few pounds with a triple punch of fat burning power.

Aloe Vera Juice

We talked about the great benefits of aloe vera before, and when it comes to weight loss, aloe vera juice is the perfect secret weapon.

Obesity Research & Practice published a study that examined what would happen when obese rats were given plant sterols found in aloe vera over the course of 35 days. The results showed the rats’ body composition actually improved.

And what about in humans?

A smaller study using obese participants who already had diabetes or were considered prediabetic were given a placebo or an aloe vera gel complex over the course of eight weeks. Those who consumed the aloe vera “lost more weight and body fat than those not given this supplement”.

But before you go rushing off to buy all the aloe vera you can find, there is one thing to consider.

Aloe vera is a natural laxative, which may seem great for weight loss, but can actually cause an unhealthy loss of fluids and electrolytes.

Plus, some users have reported adverse effects such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps, so it’s best to go easy on this one.

Vegetable Juices

It should come as no surprise that I’m recommending vegetable juice when it comes to weight loss since veggies are so important for our bodies.

One study found that “adults who drank at least 8 ounces of vegetable juice as part of a diet lost 4 pounds over 12 weeks, while those who followed the same diet but did not drink the juice only lost 1 pound”.

Additionally, “the vegetable juice drinkers also significantly increased their intake of vitamin C and potassium, while decreasing their overall carbohydrate intake”.

Keep this info in mind before you spend tons of money on an all-juice diet.

First, not all juices are good for you.

Freshly pressed ones can be great, but they may be loaded with too many fruits, making them high in sugar.

Remember, you should only have about two fruit servings in any given day, yet some of the juices on the market contain as many as 5 different ones per serving. This amount of sugar in one day is way too much when it comes to weight loss.

However, if you choose juices packed with weight loss superfoods like kale, cucumbers, lemon, cayenne pepper, celery, or apple, you may be able to drop a few pounds.