If you're fat and you know it drink green tea......

A while back I said that I would keep you updated on some of the healthy changes
I was going to make in my diet...
So far, I have done pretty good..
One of the changes was to change from Cow milk
over to Almond milk...
(For more on that click Here ... or Here )
Another change I have made is to drink green tea...

Now I know a lot of people LIKE green tea...
I can't profess to be one of them...
To me it just tastes like dirty socks...
HOWEVER...
that being said...
I am now drinking two cups a day...
no milk and no sugar...

In my research of green tea.. I found these possible benefits....

University of Purdue researchers recently concluded that a compound in green tea
inhibits the growth of cancer cells...

other possible benefits

• rheumatoid arthritus
• high cholesterol levels
• cardiovascular disease
• infection
• preventing diabetes  
• cavity prevention
• immune boosting
• conception aid

Apparently this is due to the fact that it has high concentrations of polyphenols and flavenoids
Please click on the link if you would like to know what these are..
I haven't a clue... LOL!

What I DO know is that after I started drinking the stuff...
I started to lose weight!!!!
So far in a fairly short period of time,
I dropped ten pounds..
At the time, I didn't even know that green tea could help with that...
but I checked into it, because there hadn't been any other significant weight loss before that!
Wow.... so cool.

The health benefits at this point seem far more dramatic then the side affects..
which seem minimal...
The only thing to keep in mind, is that if you are pregnant,
it is probably better to stay away from it,
as it can effect the way your body uses folate
which is needed during pregnancy.
It also contains tannic acid, which when consumed in excess amounts can
increase the risks of miscarriage.
For that though, you would have to drink 8 or more cups a day...
For more info about green tea and pregnancy ... click here

It also has a reputation for helping with fertility...
A study done by the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in Oakland, California revealed that the chances of conceiving doubled for woman who daily drank more than one- half cup of green tea containing caffeine (American Journal of Public Health, 1998). Because this wasn't the case for the other tested caffeinated beverages, caffeine wasn't deemed the causing agent. Some credit was given to the possibility that the polyphenols and hypoxanthine, compounds found in tea, resulted in a greater number of viable embryos, and increased maturation and fertilizability of oocytes.


Green tea also has far less caffeine in it then coffee does...
there are approximately thirty to sixty mg. of caffeine in six - eight ounces of tea
compared to over one-hundred mg. in eight ounces of coffee...
However, if you are going to add green tea to your diet,
it would be best to limit how much coffee you are drinking...


So far as I know there have been no documented cases of death by green tea...
so drink to your health...
(and if you don't like it... plug your nose!  :)

Note of interest..
For those of you who really CAN'T stand the stuff,
and can't handle the taste
They do sell green tea capsules at the health food store..
(follow the directions...)

For more information on the health benefits of green tea... please click here

This just looks wrong.....LOL!

Almond milk...instead of Cow milk...

A few days ago, I mentioned that I was going to make some drastic changes in what i ate...
Well, the first of those changes is switching from Cows milk to Almond milk.
I have always kind of had issues with cows milk...
Jeremy is lactose intolerant, and it gives him the runs..
and my older girls always complained it made them feel bloated and sick.

About 20 years ago it started making me feel kind of sick and gassy,
and I have just never felt quite right about drinking it,
but the alternatives didn't do much for me.
At least I liked the taste of Cow milk...
but Soy milk really discusted me..
(and I have since researched and come to believe that Soy isn't really great for us...)
I tried Rice milk as well... It had a much milder taste, but I still couldn't do it...
Then... a few weeks ago, we had a lady at our church
come in and talk about foods, and what they could do for us,
and what she believed we probable should and shouldn't eat.
I found it pretty interesting... and although I don't think I can go as far as she did
with the health food thing... I was already planning on making some serious changes
so she gave me "food" for thought... (Hehe bad pun...)
She offered up Almond milk as an alternative...so I tried it...
and I liked it!!! I haven't touched milk since... (except in my coffee...)
Then I heard something on TV about what is in Cow milk...
and that kind of made my decision final...
(after it made me sick...)
The best part?
My kids LOVE it! Jeremy BEGS me for "Nut" milk as he calls it...
We have it on cereal, and by itself..
It is great!! They also make it in vanilla and Chocolate..
which might make my kids happy...

You can buy Almond milk at Superstore,
or if you live in Regina you can buy it cheaper by the case
at a really cool store called
Body Fuel Organics..
Check out their website...
They sell Almond Breeze.... Good stuff!
They also have all kinds of other organic foods and vegies...
and some cool Bin programs going on.

Check in with us on Tuesday
When I will be comparing the benefits/ Negatives
of Almond milk vrs....Soy

Have a great weekend, and Happy Turkey Day!