Hello and welcome to the Intermittent Fasting Gems with Jen Podcast.

I'm your host Jen, a middle-aged Michigan mama, wife, and teacher who

in 2021 stumbled upon this crazy cool thing called intermittent fasting.

And before I knew it.

I've lost 46 pounds in four months and gained an incredible lifestyle

filled with complete food freedom.

If you're hungry for unique, no nonsense fasting tips that actually

work, you're in the right place.

So whether you're walking the dog, folding that last load of laundry or cruising to

your nine to five, let's start fasting.

Our way to freedom together.

Hello out there to all of my fabulous fasting friends.

Thanks for being here with me today, and if you are new to the show, welcome.

I am so excited to spill the tea with all of you in today's

episode of the Intermittent Fasting Gems with Jen Podcasts.

I'll be revealing 13 awesome benefits of green tea and how adding it to

your intermittent fasting routine can massively improve your health and

help you shed a few extra pounds too.

So if you're looking to boost your if results, this is the episode for you.

Alright, let's jump right in with awesome benefit number one.

Green tea is loaded with a ton of healthy nutrients called polyphenols

that are super amazing for your health.

These polyphenols have been proven to reduce inflammation within the body.

With matcha, a specific kind of green tea, providing the most polyphenols

per cup benefit number two, green tea also contains some really cool

things called flavonoids and catechins that help regulate cellular activity

and fight off free radicals that can cause oxidative stress on the body.

Flavonoids and catechins are both very powerful antioxidant agents that have the

potential to slow down the aging process, and some studies have shown that they

may even help to prevent some cancers.

Pretty cool, huh?

Number three is actually my very favorite benefit because it ties in so

closely with my IF journey, and that is green Tea is great for your mouth.

It strengthens your teeth and gums, and it even helps fight.

Nasty breath, like keto breath that we all can get when we fast.

Because of the buildup of all of those ketones, the green tea freshens

it right up and it also helps fight.

Stinky coffee.

Breath the bacteria known to cause.

Bad breath in your mouth is killed by drinking green tea.

So yay.

And when we have less of that specific bacteria, we also have

less plaque, so it decreases our risk of developing cavities too.

Benefit number four, green tea is amazing for improving brain function and focus.

It only has about 30 to 50 milligrams of caffeine, which is

only about a half a cup of coffee.

So it will give you a nice, stable energy feeling without all the jitters

that coffee can sometimes give you.

Moving on to benefit number five, another nutrient within green tea

that works together to boost your brain function is called L-theanine.

It gives your brain relaxation without the added drowsiness.

Um, in addition, it protects your brain by decreasing plaque.

Brain, it has even been shown to possibly decrease the risk of developing both

Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

So what are you waiting for?

Drink up.

Benefit number six, green Tea has the potential to help protect your lungs, and

it can be really good for your heart too.

Helping to lower your blood pressure and keep it under control.

Green tea can improve heart health because it contains those.

Antioxidants called Catechins that help reduce inflammation and prevent

damage to blood vessels for lung health.

Green teas, anti-inflammatory effects may help protect lung tissue and

improve lung function over time.

We have reached lucky number seven and that awesome green

tea benefit has to do with.

Weight loss.

Yes, it is true.

Studies have shown that green tea can actually speed up weight loss

by helping you burn more fat, increase metabolism in your metabolic

rate, and break down excess fat.

Did you know that studies have shown that people who drink.

Green tea consistently have the potential to burn an extra

70 to 100 calories per day.

That's actually kind of a lot when you think about it.

And this is due to the large amounts of EGCG found in green tea.

So EGCG is short for all right, here I go.

Epi gala, catechin gall.

I think I said that right.

Lemme do it again.

Epi Gala.

Epical Catechin Gall, and that's the main antioxidant found in green tea.

I looked it up.

Okay, so benefit number eight, green tea helps regulate blood sugar levels.

Possibly reducing the risk for diabetes.

Green tea helps regulate blood sugar by slowing down the breakdown of

starch into sugar, which means less sugar enters your blood after meals.

It also contains special antioxidants like EGCG.

That can mimic insulin and help your body use sugar better.

So drinking green tea regularly may lower blood sugar spikes and reduce

the risk of developing diabetes.

Number nine.

Drinking green tea regularly has been shown to help lower cholesterol levels.

And this is an exciting one.

So green tea can help lower cholesterol because it contains

special antioxidants called catechins that we just talked about.

They reduce the absorption of cholesterol from your intestines.

These catechins also help your liver to pull more of that bad

cholesterol, that LDL out of your blood, which lowers the overall.

Cholesterol levels.

So as a result, drinking green tea regularly may support heart health

by lowering total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, the bad

kind that can clog arteries.

Number 10, green tea consumption has the potential to improve eyesight.

Green tea can help improve eyesight because of those catechins again, so

they help protect the eyes from damage caused by harmful molecules called free.

Radicals.

These antioxidants reduce inflammation and may protect against common

eye problems like glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration.

Drinking green tea regularly can support healthy eye tissues and

keep your vision sharp over time.

Benefit 11 is another really powerful one, and that is green tea helps strengthen

your immunity against illness, and this is because of those polyphenols,

especially EGCG, that protect cells from damage and fight off harmful germs.

It also contains an amino acid called L-theanine, which helps your

white blood cells, produce fighting compounds to defend against illness.

Drinking green tea regularly really can support your body's defense

system and help you stay healthier.

Moving on to number 12.

Did you know that drinking green tea can actually help lower stress

levels and seriously who doesn't need more of that in their life?

I know, I sure do.

Okay, so green tea can help lower stress because of that same amino acid

L-theanine that we just talked about.

L-theanine promotes relaxation.

Without making you feel sleepy.

L-theanine works in the brain to reduce feelings of anxiety and calm

your mind, balancing the natural caffeine present in green tea so

you feel alert, but still calm.

Drinking green tea regularly may help you feel less stressed and

more focused throughout the day.

And finally, we've reached benefit number 13.

Green Tea has been shown to help you live a longer, more energetic life.

Mic drop.

All good things with green tea, including being packed

with tons of healthy nutrients.

Flavonoids, polyphenols and catechins.

Green tea helps fight bad intermittent fasting and keto breath.

It can improve brain function and focus heart health, cholesterol levels.

It can possibly reduce the risk for diabetes.

It can help you lose more weight.

Improve your eyesight, reduce stress levels, and even help you live.

A longer, more energetic life.

So if you have not jumped on the green Tee wagon yet, I highly

recommend giving it a try.

It's definitely one of my intermittent fasting gems or game changing tips for

you, and I'm sure that it has played a very big part in helping me to lose

weight with if f and to keep it off.

I'd like to end this episode with my daily intermittent fasting

green tea drinking routine.

Alright, so you all know how much I love my coffee.

So after I get up and drink a quick glass of water with some mineral salt

mixed into it, I get right to drinking my plain black coffee starting around.

7:30 AM each day, and I stick with my coffee until around 12:30 PM

sometimes a little later, depending if how stressed I am at work.

But then between 12:30 PM and 2:30 PM I am definitely still in my clean fasting

window, and this is when I switch to drinking about 16 ounces of green tea.

Sometimes I have it hot.

And yummy, and sometimes I actually put my green tea bag into some plain sparkling

mineral water and I drink it cold.

Hey, do not knock it until you try it.

It's actually super delicious.

Then from about two 30 to 5:00 PM or so, I normally just have

plain sparkling mineral water.

However, I do throw a green teabag in there sometimes during these hours.

Then from about 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM I'm not fasting any longer.

I've moved into my eating window, so this is usually when I enjoy all of

my favorite flavored sparkling waters.

Then from seven to 8:00 PM I'm usually winding down for the night and getting

ready to start my fasting window again.

Sometimes, uh, at this time I have a mug of green tea before I go to bed.

If I do, however, I make sure I'm done drinking it by 8:00 PM at the latest so it

doesn't interfere with my sleep quality.

And also, if I drink it that late, I will typically drink

non-caffeinated green tea at this time.

This green tea routine has worked.

Amazing for me, and it has most definitely supported my weight loss goals.

My absolute favorite green tea brands are Bigelow and 365 by Whole Foods Market.

It's, uh.

Organic.

They are both very high quality green teas and they're both

quite cost effective as well.

I will leave the links to those on my, podcast recommendation.

List page that you can find in the show notes below.

Okay, so I do have a few green tea tips for you.

First, I've done some research and I found out that you actually should not add

green tea bags directly to boiling water.

Green tea is best steeped in water that is hot, but not boiling.

Ideally, around 160 to one.

80 degrees Fahrenheit because boiling water can burn the delicate tea

leaves, making the tea taste bitter and possibly destroying the healthy and

beneficial nutrients in antioxidants.

So for the best flavor, boil the water first.

Then let it cool for a few minutes before pouring it over the green teabag

and steeping for one to three minutes.

It's also important to drink freshly brewed tea as the health benefits will

decrease the longer that it sits around.

And one final green tea tip.

Don't be duped or sucked into purchasing green tea pills.

Supplements under, uh, the premise that they will lead to massive weight loss.

Just don't do it.

Stick to the real deal and drink plain, high quality green tea

like Bigelow or Organic 365.

You'll save a lot of money.

Uh, and like I said, a lot of frustration.

Don't get sucked into that.

So there you have it.

So many massive benefits of green tea that can help to improve your health

while you shrink your waistline.

So why not grab your favorite mug and sip back and enjoy a cup of this?

Antioxidant rich, plant-based, magnificent beverage.

All right.

That's all I got for you today.

Make it a beautiful day.

Smile a lot, be kind, and have tons of fun, and I hope to catch

up with you in the next episode, my fabulous fasting front.

Hey, thank you so much for choosing to spend part of your day listening

to this episode of the Intermittent Fasting Gems with Jen podcast.

If you think these tips could help a friend or a family member, please

consider sharing this episode with them.

And if you really enjoyed the show, taking a minute or two

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Would be so appreciated.

Tune in for new 15 to 25 minute episodes released on the 10th,

20th, and 30th of each month.

Episodes will feature solo shows filled with if F hacks that

have worked for me, as well as episodes where I get to chat with.

Fun folks of all ages who've experienced incredible success

with intermittent fasting.

If you have questions or want more unique intermittent fasting health and

weight loss tips, tricks and recipes, please visit my website and blog at.

So what if with jen.com?

Finally, we'd love to welcome you into our free intermittent.

Fasting Facebook support group.

So what if with Jen?

Find all of these links in the show notes below.

And as always, I hope you spend your day loving without fear and

laughing until your cheeks hurt.