Want to know what all the fuss about green tea is? Apart from being a refreshing, soothing beverage – served hot or cold – it’s an easy metabolism booster and packed with antioxidants that help burn fat.
Green tea and weight loss
Research shows that green tea can lower blood sugar levels and reduce the absorption of fat from the intestine. So, if you’re looking to shed a few pounds, you may want to consider adding a cup or two of green tea to your daily diet.
Healthy green tea for a healthy heart
Most teas contain vitamins and antioxidants, but green tea goes one step beyond. Not only does it aid with weight loss, it also helps fight various cancers and heart disease. And the antioxidant in green tea, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), helps to speed up the recovery of heart cells and minimizes cell death after a heart attack.
How to make healthy green tea
There are many different flavors of green tea you can enjoy. So long as those green tea leaves are present, you’re going to get all those great health benefits that come with it. If you’re steeping green tea leaves in hot water, be sure to throw in your favorite herbs, such as ginger, mint or chamomile. For refreshing iced green tea, just let the fresh tea cool at room temperature for 30 minutes and then refrigerate for about two hours.
Enjoy these delicious recipes!
Green Tea Cider Hot Toddy
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 T. orange juice
- 1 tsp. Green Matcha Tea Powder
- In a small saucepan, combine apple cider and orange juice and bring to a simmer.
- Remove from heat, add tea, stir and steep for 10 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Green Tea Mango Smoothie
- 1 cup green tea
- 1/2 cup mango (fresh or frozen)
- 1 tsp. grated lime peel
- 1 kiwi, peeled and quartered
- 1/2 cup spinach
- 2 scoops Shaklee Vanilla Life Shake protein powder
- handful of ice cubes
- Place all ingredients in a blender and process the mixture until smooth.
Iced Green Peach Tea
- 4 cups boiling water
- 4 green tea bags of your choice (or 4 sticks Shaklee Energizing Green Tea)
- 2 ripe peaches, cut in to 1⁄2 pieces
- 1 small bunch of mint
- Sweetener to taste (honey works well)
- Add the tea to the boiling water and let steep for 10 minutes.
- Remove the bags and discard, then add the peaches, mint and sweetener to a pitcher. Let sit in refrigerator overnight.
- Strain and serve over ice. Makes 4 cups
Green Tea Asian Chicken
- 2 T. evaporated cane juice sugar
- 3⁄4 cup hot brewed green tea, let cool
- 1 tsp. ground coriander
- 1⁄2 tsp. each of sea salt and black pepper
- 2 tsp. fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
- 3 T. olive oil, divided
- 2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts (or can use thighs)
- 3 cups arugula or spinach
- optional: fresh cilantro or mint
- Stir sugar into tea while hot, let cool. Combine tea with the coriander, salt, pepper, ginger, garlic and 2 T. of the oil to make marinade.
- Place chicken in a large Ziploc bag and pour in half the marinade. Seal and let chill for 1 – 6 hours.
- Heat remaining marinade over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes, reducing by 1/3.
- Remove chicken from marinade bag and discard marinade. Heat remaining oil in a large skillet.
- Add chicken to pan and cook until browned, 4-5 minutes a side.
- Serve with sauce over a bed of greens along with wild rice or starch of your choice.
Serves 6
