Melissa Paris Fitness

After this long weekend of soaking up the sun and overindulging on BBQ food, your body is craving a nice cup of coffee to wake yourself up. But did you know that studies have shown that coffee may increase the risk of heart disease and raise cholesterol levels? Skip your trip to Starbucks in the morning and cleanse your body with a hot cup of tea instead! We all know that tea has amazing health benefits, but what does it actually do for you?

1.Green tea is most beneficial for weight loss. Drinking green tea provides the body with antioxidants that help stimulate the body’s metabolism. Combined with the caffeine in green tea, these antioxidants help stimulate the central nervous system and improves the body’s ability to use fat as fuel.
2.Having black tea before workouts increases nitric oxide levels and helps improve performance. It contains the most caffeine out of all the teas, helping improve focus and blood flow. Black tea also helps reduce the risk of stroke, containing a chemical similar to aspirin that acts as a blood thinner.
3.Ginger tea is great for relaxation and is an all-natural medicine for muscle soreness and other aches and pains. It has many anti-inflammatory properties that alleviate arthritis and other joint diseases. It has also been known to help people with nausea and stomach difficulties.
4.Replace soda and gatorade with unsweetened herbal tea. It is a healthy low calorie drink that keeps you hydrated. Also, it helps lower blood pressure in people with slightly elevated levels. An overall soothing drink that helps cure a variety of common sicknesses as well as preventing long term health problems.