Why I started drinking Green Tea
I was in my 20s when I started drinking green tea. I've never liked coffee. NEVER. I've even tried the coffee that parades itself as an icee. I can tolerate that. But no coffee has ever made me want more.
Sweet tea was always a welcome choice. But should I really be drinking all that sugar? Probably not. And really, I never thought sweet tea was a good choice.
I remember my dad drinking hot tea when I was a kid. I can picture the little tea bag tag hanging down on the outside of his mug in the morning.
I was at work one day and needed a "pick-me-up." My office at the time provided all the coffee and tea you could want. Up until that point, I never cared. I had a friend in college that drank bottles of lipton green tea so I remember hearing about green tea. I've tried hot black tea before and while I didn't mind it, I also never craved it. Looking at my tea options, I decided to settle on a bag of green tea. I mean, I've heard good things about it so it can't hurt to try it.
It wasn't good. I didn't like it. Green Tea was not good.
Still, I drank it. It was different than water and it was hot. My office was cold. And it wasn't coffee. I could this, I thought. I could become a hot tea drinker.
Around that time, I decided I needed to get my annual physical. When I said I was in my 20s, I meant late 20s. I hadn't been to the doctor in years. I was too busy I thought. I went to my physical and got the full work-up. I went back a week or two later to go over the results from the labs. The doctor explained that while I wasn't diabetic, and technically not pre-diabetic, I was very close to pre-diabetic. I know that may not seem like a big deal, but the way he said it really scared me. Diabetes runs in my family so it's always been a lingering thought that it could happen. Around that same time I had stumbled upon a study that said green tea had been effective in increasing insulin sensitivity and reducing blood sugar. It was at that moment that I decided green tea was going to become a part of my diet.
At the time, I also reduced my sugar intake until I could determine that my levels were more under control. I stopped eating sweets and increased the amount of green tea I was drinking. At first, this just meant one cup a day, in the morning. That was in 2015. I've drank a cup of green tea everyday since then. My blood sugar levels have improved dramatically. While I'm not proud of this, I have also returned my intake of sweets. I try to be mindful though of what I'm taking in.
I wish I could find the original research article I found but I haven't been able to find it since. It's not crucial as there's been plenty of other research and studies I've read since then.
The research I read also mentioned that participants in the study that drank milk in a close time frame as drinking the green tea did not have the same benefits of the green tea. I've since read that something in the milk can cause the green tea to not be as effective. As a result, I've also reduced the amount of milk I drink. I used to drink milk daily but now I go days without it. I don't miss it nearly as much as I thought I would.
Nowadays, I often drink 3 to 5 cups of green tea a day. On busy days I still only drink one cup but I make sure I get at least one in the morning. I didn't like it at first but now I crave it. The taste grew on me over time. It's become a part of my routine that is not only good for my health but also puts me in the right mindset to tackle the day.
Sweet tea was always a welcome choice. But should I really be drinking all that sugar? Probably not. And really, I never thought sweet tea was a good choice.
I remember my dad drinking hot tea when I was a kid. I can picture the little tea bag tag hanging down on the outside of his mug in the morning.
I was at work one day and needed a "pick-me-up." My office at the time provided all the coffee and tea you could want. Up until that point, I never cared. I had a friend in college that drank bottles of lipton green tea so I remember hearing about green tea. I've tried hot black tea before and while I didn't mind it, I also never craved it. Looking at my tea options, I decided to settle on a bag of green tea. I mean, I've heard good things about it so it can't hurt to try it.
It wasn't good. I didn't like it. Green Tea was not good.
Still, I drank it. It was different than water and it was hot. My office was cold. And it wasn't coffee. I could this, I thought. I could become a hot tea drinker.
Around that time, I decided I needed to get my annual physical. When I said I was in my 20s, I meant late 20s. I hadn't been to the doctor in years. I was too busy I thought. I went to my physical and got the full work-up. I went back a week or two later to go over the results from the labs. The doctor explained that while I wasn't diabetic, and technically not pre-diabetic, I was very close to pre-diabetic. I know that may not seem like a big deal, but the way he said it really scared me. Diabetes runs in my family so it's always been a lingering thought that it could happen. Around that same time I had stumbled upon a study that said green tea had been effective in increasing insulin sensitivity and reducing blood sugar. It was at that moment that I decided green tea was going to become a part of my diet.
At the time, I also reduced my sugar intake until I could determine that my levels were more under control. I stopped eating sweets and increased the amount of green tea I was drinking. At first, this just meant one cup a day, in the morning. That was in 2015. I've drank a cup of green tea everyday since then. My blood sugar levels have improved dramatically. While I'm not proud of this, I have also returned my intake of sweets. I try to be mindful though of what I'm taking in.
I wish I could find the original research article I found but I haven't been able to find it since. It's not crucial as there's been plenty of other research and studies I've read since then.
The research I read also mentioned that participants in the study that drank milk in a close time frame as drinking the green tea did not have the same benefits of the green tea. I've since read that something in the milk can cause the green tea to not be as effective. As a result, I've also reduced the amount of milk I drink. I used to drink milk daily but now I go days without it. I don't miss it nearly as much as I thought I would.
Nowadays, I often drink 3 to 5 cups of green tea a day. On busy days I still only drink one cup but I make sure I get at least one in the morning. I didn't like it at first but now I crave it. The taste grew on me over time. It's become a part of my routine that is not only good for my health but also puts me in the right mindset to tackle the day.
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