Tea in your diet

Dieters should stop drinking coffee and replace it with any kind of tea that they like. You can select from green tea, black tea or white tea and consume it hot or iced. The main things to remember is that it must be real

tea (not herbal), you must drink a lot and avoid adding excessive amounts of sweeteners.

Tea encourages weight loss because of three major ingredients:

Caffeine - which acts as a stimulant.

L-theanine - an aminoacid that acts as an appetite suppressant.

EGCG - which increases the rate and efficiency of fat burning.

Dieters are encouraged to eat three meals a day that include a balance of protein, carbohydrate and fat. Portion control is achieved by using the plate method and dieters are advised to use an 8-inch plate so as to avoid overeating.

Half the plate should be covered with healthy carbohydrates including fruit, vegetables and whole grains. A quarter of the plate should contain lean protein such as chicken, fish, lean beef, egg white or tofu and a quarter of the plate should contain green or red vegetables.

In addition each meal should contain a small amount of healthy fat such as a teaspoon of olive oil or a tablespoon of low fat salad dressing.

Dieters are also advised that if they want to have a carbohydrate snack they should always include some protein as well and vice versa. This is to prevent a rapid increase in blood sugar and to stop the carbs being stored as fat. The meal plans include suggested snacks, however, they are not mandatory and should be eaten only if feeling hungry.

Drinking tea may be used to replace the habit of insensible snacking. Increased fluid intake will also help to reduce appetite. Tea may help dieters to give up drinking coffee without experiencing caffeine withdrawal symptoms. Tea may also help to reduce blood glucose and cholesterol levels. Certain varieties of teas contain high levels of antioxidants that may help to reduce the risk of chronic diseases.