Originally posted by: SagaLore
I did some research concerning belly fat. I've been hearing a lot about cortisol, and this is a stress hormone that works with adrenaline. A few interesting facts I found out about it:
- cortisol production increases 160% within the first 30 minutes of waking up.
- caffeine increases cortisol production.
- cortisol converts energy into fat and stores it around the abdomen.
- if you consume caffeine just prior to exercise, it actually improves your ability to burn fat.
I also looked into greentea extract and research has shown it does help with metabolizing fat.
So basically I have come to the conclusion I need to stop drinking coffee. I will drink a decaffeinated grean tea through the day, and then just before my workout will drink some strong green tea (with the caffeine)... or maybe even a shot of espresso. 😉
Stress has been shown to be a major player in the release of cortisol, so as much as possible, reduce your stress. Stress relief is important for many other facets of good health, as well.
And yes, green tea does help increase metabolism, but try not to rely too much on it in order to lose weight. It's a good thing (I drink 3-5 cups a day) as an addition to a healthy diet, but by itself it increases metabolism only by a small percentage. Replacing fat with muscle increases you metabolism, and therefore how many calories you burn even while resting, more than any other one factor. Having smaller meals more frequently/consistently and getting enough sleep (7-9 hours, depending on what you need) are 2 other things that will boost your metabolism.
And don't bother drinking decaffeinated green tea. Green tea is low in caffeine, and the decaffeination process possibly takes away some of the beneficial antioxidants, which is one of the great things about green tea. Plus, I'm not sure (and maybe someone can enlighten me on this) how much caffeine affects the release of cortisol, especially the negligible amount in green tea (as opposed to coffee, which has many times more caffeine).
I personally love green tea. It both calms and wakes me up without the "withdrawal" effects people get when drinking coffee or other highly caffeinated drinks. I didn't like the taste at first (no sugar), but it grew on me. There are some tea experts on these forums, so ask around or do your own research. I drink Salada because it's (relatively) cheap and available in all the supermarkets around me.