Can Green Tea Help Hypothyroid Patients Lose Weight?
By the vTeam Kamau Austin Publisher
Increasing metabolism is one of the main goals of many who suffer from hypothyroidism. This is because a slow metabolism is one of the primary symptoms of an under active thyroid and one of the unfortunate side effects of a slow metabolism is a modest weight gain as well as difficulty in losing weight. This article will take a look at the basic formula for weight loss and will also discuss how herbs such as green tea can affect weight loss. While this article will provide basic information on simple weight loss strategies and the use of green tea in a diet program, it is important for you to consult your doctor before beginning any diet or exercise program or using herbal supplements in an effort to lose weight.
The Basic Weight Loss Formula
Despite the number of fad diets followed by many, the simplest and most effective weight loss formula is to burn off more calories than you consume. However, those who suffer from hypothyroidism typically require fewer calories for life sustaining functions such as digestion, breathing and blood circulation than those who are not afflicted with hypothyroidism. Therefore the number of calories those with hypothyroidism must limit themselves to is often much lower and can compound the problem by exacerbating the fatigue which typically accompanies hypothyroidism.
However, reducing the number of calories you ingest each day is not the only way you can lose weight. You can also increase the number of calories you burn each day by increasing your activity level or your basal metabolic rate. Increasing your activity level is simple. You can increase the duration or the intensity of your workouts. For example if you have been walking 1.5 miles per day you can either start walking 2.25 miles or start running 1.5 miles. Both changes should result in an increased calorie expenditure.
Increasing your basal metabolic rate is more difficult. Your basal metabolic rate is essentially the amount of calories your body requires at rest to sustain life. This includes the function of vital organs, such as the heart, lungs, brain and the rest of the nervous system, liver, kidneys, muscles and skin. The ways to increase this amount are not as obvious but there are possibilities. For example muscle cells require more calories than fat cells. Therefore, one way to increase your basal metabolic rate is to perform exercises designed to promote muscle growth. The more muscle your body includes the more calories you will require to sustain life. Additionally, there is some indication that herbal supplements such as green tea extracts can also help to increase your metabolism. The following section will discuss the use of green tea to increase metabolism in greater detail.
Using Green Tea to Increase Your Metabolism
There is quite a bit of speculation that green tea can have an influence on metabolism and weight loss and there have even been studies to back up this speculation. One particular study of interest reported by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition seems to substantiate claims that green tea extracts can increase metabolism and result in increased fat oxidation.
If you wish to incorporate green tea into your daily diet in an attempt to control your weight, you should first consult your doctor to discuss the ramifications of this type of herbal supplementation. Of particular concern should be the high fluoride content in many green teas. This is significant because fluoride can have an adverse effect on the function of the thyroid. The positive effects should be carefully weighed against the adverse effects in helping you to decide whether or not to begin including green tea in your regular diet.
If you plan to start using green tea, you should take a few precautions. First you should invest in a high quality green tea which is likely to provide the greatest benefit. One way to do this is to visit a health food store and seek recommendations for varieties of green tea which are rich in the green tea extract. Additionally, you should start out by introducing green tea gradually. You can do this by starting out with one cup of green tea per day and slowly increasing your intake until you are consuming a cup of green tea with each meal. At this point you can evaluate the effects and determine whether you wish to continue with the green tea regimen or whether your want to incorporate additional amounts of green tea into your diet.
Incorporating Other Herbal Supplements into Your Diet
Green tea is not the only herbal supplement which can help thyroid patients lose weight. If your thyroid is not functioning properly, you might consider the use of Thyvox to assist you in your weight loss efforts. For more information about the promising supplement Thyvox surf over to : www.Thyvox.com.
Increasing metabolism is one of the main goals of many who suffer from hypothyroidism. This is because a slow metabolism is one of the primary symptoms of an under active thyroid and one of the unfortunate side effects of a slow metabolism is a modest weight gain as well as difficulty in losing weight. This article will take a look at the basic formula for weight loss and will also discuss how herbs such as green tea can affect weight loss. While this article will provide basic information on simple weight loss strategies and the use of green tea in a diet program, it is important for you to consult your doctor before beginning any diet or exercise program or using herbal supplements in an effort to lose weight.
The Basic Weight Loss Formula
Despite the number of fad diets followed by many, the simplest and most effective weight loss formula is to burn off more calories than you consume. However, those who suffer from hypothyroidism typically require fewer calories for life sustaining functions such as digestion, breathing and blood circulation than those who are not afflicted with hypothyroidism. Therefore the number of calories those with hypothyroidism must limit themselves to is often much lower and can compound the problem by exacerbating the fatigue which typically accompanies hypothyroidism.
However, reducing the number of calories you ingest each day is not the only way you can lose weight. You can also increase the number of calories you burn each day by increasing your activity level or your basal metabolic rate. Increasing your activity level is simple. You can increase the duration or the intensity of your workouts. For example if you have been walking 1.5 miles per day you can either start walking 2.25 miles or start running 1.5 miles. Both changes should result in an increased calorie expenditure.
Increasing your basal metabolic rate is more difficult. Your basal metabolic rate is essentially the amount of calories your body requires at rest to sustain life. This includes the function of vital organs, such as the heart, lungs, brain and the rest of the nervous system, liver, kidneys, muscles and skin. The ways to increase this amount are not as obvious but there are possibilities. For example muscle cells require more calories than fat cells. Therefore, one way to increase your basal metabolic rate is to perform exercises designed to promote muscle growth. The more muscle your body includes the more calories you will require to sustain life. Additionally, there is some indication that herbal supplements such as green tea extracts can also help to increase your metabolism. The following section will discuss the use of green tea to increase metabolism in greater detail.
Using Green Tea to Increase Your Metabolism
There is quite a bit of speculation that green tea can have an influence on metabolism and weight loss and there have even been studies to back up this speculation. One particular study of interest reported by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition seems to substantiate claims that green tea extracts can increase metabolism and result in increased fat oxidation.
If you wish to incorporate green tea into your daily diet in an attempt to control your weight, you should first consult your doctor to discuss the ramifications of this type of herbal supplementation. Of particular concern should be the high fluoride content in many green teas. This is significant because fluoride can have an adverse effect on the function of the thyroid. The positive effects should be carefully weighed against the adverse effects in helping you to decide whether or not to begin including green tea in your regular diet.
If you plan to start using green tea, you should take a few precautions. First you should invest in a high quality green tea which is likely to provide the greatest benefit. One way to do this is to visit a health food store and seek recommendations for varieties of green tea which are rich in the green tea extract. Additionally, you should start out by introducing green tea gradually. You can do this by starting out with one cup of green tea per day and slowly increasing your intake until you are consuming a cup of green tea with each meal. At this point you can evaluate the effects and determine whether you wish to continue with the green tea regimen or whether your want to incorporate additional amounts of green tea into your diet.
Incorporating Other Herbal Supplements into Your Diet
Green tea is not the only herbal supplement which can help thyroid patients lose weight. If your thyroid is not functioning properly, you might consider the use of Thyvox to assist you in your weight loss efforts. For more information about the promising supplement Thyvox surf over to : www.Thyvox.com.
Labels: exercise, Green Tea, Green Tea Extract, health and fitness, thyroid, Weightloss
