Everyone knows green tea has tons of benefits. But do you know when is the best time to drink green tea? Read below to find out all about it!
What is Green Tea
Green Tea is made from non-oxidized buds and leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant. The types of green tea differ in their methods of growing (horticulture, harvest), and the conditions in which they are grown in.
This ancient drink has its roots in China. It is very high in antioxidants as well as enzymes, amino acids, and phytochemicals. It also has B Vitamins, Folate, Manganese, Magnesium and Potassium, and Caffeine. It’s also available as a decaffeinated variant.
How to Make Green Tea
Green tea is ideally made with very particular measurements and steeping times. About 1 teaspoon of green tea per 150ml cup of water is a good rule of thumb, with a steeping time of half a minute to three minutes. The temperature for brewing green tea ranges between 160°F to 170°F. Generally, lower-quality green teas need to be steeped for a longer amount of time, and higher quality leaves are steeped multiple times for shorter durations or 30 seconds each.
This process lets the flavor blend into the water without lending it a bitter taste. It is recommended to warm the steeping container beforehand to prevent the tea from cooling down.
The Best Times to Drink Green Tea
When you follow our tips for the best times to drink green tea, it is possible to gain the maximum benefit from this nutritional addition to your daily intake. You can’t have green tea whenever you feel like it, as the caffeine in it might dehydrate you on an empty stomach.
So when is the best time to drink green tea?
1. After Breakfast/Before Bedtime
Your body is starved through the night, so it is best to fill it up with some healthy breakfast first. Have breakfast, then have a cup of freshly prepared green tea to top it up.
If you wish to lose weight with green tea, the best time to drink green tea would be 2 hours before going to bed. This will help you burn fat when you are asleep. Since green tea has caffeine in it, it might prevent you from sleeping if you have it just before going to bed. So take a head start, and have your favorite brew a few hours before you intend on sleeping.
2. Half an Hour Before Exercise
It is recommended to have green tea right before you work out as green tea extracts can help you last longer, lose weight, and burn fat during your cardio rituals.
3. Two Hours Before or After Meals
The caffeine and tannins in green tea might obstruct nutrient absorption. So pad your meals with an hour or two before having Green Tea. This maximizes the benefits of having it without needing to worry about any potential downsides to caffeine consumption.
4. Throughout the Day Detox
Green Tea can work very well as a detox drink in diluted quantities. Prepare a strong cup of green tea and add it to a bottle filled with water. This mixed drink will have a fantastic detox effect on your body if you sip it all through the day. Avoid consuming it all at once since that way, your body will just push it out in the form of urine. Sipping this mixture would also help you increase your water intake, thus helping you in detox.