Mint is a product that can be effectively used for weight loss. Thanks to its properties, you will reduce your appetite, dull the feeling of hunger and more easily cope with stress, which causes the desire to overeat. There are different types of mint drinks for weight loss that will take a few minutes to prepare.
What are the benefits of mint tea for weight loss?
Everyone says that when losing weight, regardless of diet, you can and should drink mint. Why should you brew this particular herb to lose extra pounds? So, mint tea has the main advantage, thanks to which weight loss goes more smoothly and as effectively as possible - it reduces appetite .
That is, if you want to eat something forbidden or high-calorie, for example, a cake, then just drink a cup of tea to reduce cravings. This will be both a liquid and a small snack at the same time, so you can easily last until your next meal. Maybe at first the effect will be minimal, but you will definitely eat less than you planned, and this will happen thanks to mint.
In order for mint tea to have the desired effect in losing weight, be sure to drink it warm, or even slightly hot. Drink in small portions to enjoy and at the same time benefit from the drink.
Mint tea has a direct effect on weight loss with its minimal amount of calories (49 kcal) and calming effect . This is incredibly important, because if you, for example, replace a mint drink with coffee or black tea, you will excite the nervous system, speed up the absorption of substances, and aggravate potential diseases of the digestive tract. All this is extremely undesirable for a person losing weight.
Peppermint, in turn, will have the opposite effect:
- calms and relaxes the nervous system;
- dulls the feeling of hunger;
- will calm the stomach.
By the way, about relaxing the nerves. For many, a peaceful state does not seem like a prerogative, but we must not forget that it is important for a person losing weight to minimize stress. The fact is that when experiencing constant stress, the body intensively produces cortisol, and this entails a constant desire to snack. That's why you want to eat a stressful state so much. In such an affect, you can not only quit your diet, but also abuse prohibited foods, which entails weight gain.
Since the properties of peppermint include stress relief, cortisol is reduced in the body, which means there is a greater chance of speeding up metabolic processes and thereby getting closer to your ideal weight.
Recipes for weight loss with mint
Modern studies of medicinal plants have shown that their use without chemical treatment is much more effective - in the form of infusions, tinctures, and decoctions. In this case, they retain the maximum amount of useful substances. It is preferable to use fresh mint.
Mint tea for weight loss
Black tea with mint
Black tea itself also promotes weight loss thanks to the theine it contains, which accelerates metabolic processes, and pectin, which makes it difficult to absorb simple carbohydrates. To brew black tea, it is preferable to use slightly cooled water rather than boiling water. Tea leaves and mint are poured into the teapot in a 1:1 ratio. Wait about 5 minutes for the drink to infuse properly. It is advisable to brew black tea with mint for weight loss in a porcelain or glass teapot.
Green tea with mint
This is a great drink for people trying to lose weight. Green tea normalizes the concentration of glucose in the blood, and the polyphenol it contains prevents the formation of fats from glucose. The combination of green tea and mint is the best option for weight loss. One cup of this drink can burn up to 80 kcal.
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For 1 liter of boiling water, take 1 tsp. green tea and 1 sprig of peppermint. Simmer over low heat for 5-7 minutes, then another 10 minutes. keep warm. Pass through a strainer before use.
Water with mint for weight loss
Mint infusion is prepared from the leaves of the plant. The simplest recipe: boil 1 liter of water. Pour 6 fresh mint leaves with hot liquid and leave on the fire for another 5 minutes. Then let it sit for about 10 minutes. You can drink mint water for weight loss both hot and cold. The recommended daily dose is 4 cups of 200 ml per day.
Other weight loss drinks with mint
Sassi water. This is plain water to which cucumber, mint, ginger root and lemon have been added. Thanks to this composition, the drink speeds up metabolism, removes excess fluid from the body, and normalizes digestion processes.
To prepare it, you need to mix in the evening in a 3-liter glass jar 1 medium cucumber, cut into thin rounds, 1 lemon, also cut into thin slices, 1 tsp. grated ginger root and 20 mint leaves. This mixture is poured into 2 liters of cold drinking water, and the jar is placed in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning you will be able to drink Sassi water.
Lemonade. Cut one lemon into slices and squeeze the juice from the second. Add 12 fresh mint leaves to 2 liters of cold drinking water. Pour in the juice and add lemon slices. Mix. You are allowed to drink 5-6 glasses per day.
Compote with mint. Take 200 g of fresh strawberries, wash, peel and remove the stems. Then sprinkle the berries with sugar and leave until they release juice. Then boil water and place strawberries in it. Cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add mint and place in refrigerator. You can drink it immediately after cooling.
Cocktail with mint and kefir. Chop mint leaves (about 10 pieces) and 1-2 cucumbers, mix them with 1.5 liters of low-fat kefir. Beat with a blender until smooth. You can drink a cocktail as part of a fasting day.
Mint tincture
Option 1. 100 g of leaves are poured into 1 liter of dry red wine. Keep for a day in a warm room. Strain before use. It is recommended to drink 20 ml after meals. Option 2. 50 g of leaves are poured into a dark glass bottle with 500 ml of alcohol or vodka. The bottle is sealed and left for 2 weeks at room temperature, shaking daily. It also needs to be strained and consumed in a similar way.
Lemon water with mint for weight control
It is recommended to drink lemon juice with mint for the following reasons:
- Increases metabolism;
- Saturates with vitamins, which is so lacking in strict diets;
- Cleanses the body of accumulations of toxins, which is highly desirable when losing weight;
- Accelerates the production of bile, which has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, provided that there is no gastritis;
- Removes stagnant fluid in the body, which helps the kidneys work.
Despite these positive qualities of the combination of lemon and mint, it is worth understanding the myths that the drink has acquired:
- Lemon is not an alkaline product, as many people believe. Its acidity is very high, which means you will increase the acidity balance in your body. Therefore, if you have problems with this, then lemon juice is contraindicated for you. It is not necessary to buy acid-base balance tests. Just try lemon juice. If an unpleasant reaction occurs - it is too acidic, and then terribly uncomfortable conditions arise in the stomach, which may indicate gastritis, then you should not drink this juice. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s with mint or without.
- Lemon contains pectin, which can quench or dull the feeling of hunger. This is true. But if you have gastritis or have been treated for this disease in the past, then you should not drink lemon-mint juice, especially on an empty stomach.
- Another mythical plus is that lemon water quenches thirst. This is not entirely true. Regular water quenches your thirst, but lemon water is almost food. Therefore, regardless of the number of drops of lemon in the water, you will cause a little digestive tract, and this is not advisable between meals.
In the next article we will talk in more detail about the benefits of lemon for weight loss.
Lemon-mint juice will only be beneficial if it is natural. Store-bought juices and water contain too many chemicals to be used for weight loss.
Medicinal properties of the plant
Preparations based on mint are used internally or externally in the treatment of the following conditions:
- Diseases of the digestive system: to reduce the acidity of gastric juice, reduce intestinal spasms, flatulence, normalize gastrointestinal motility, as an antiemetic and choleretic agent.
- Colds: to facilitate nasal breathing, reduce cough, remove mucus from the bronchi, reduce temperature.
- Anxiety disorders, depression, nervous tension, difficulty falling asleep and maintaining sleep.
- Pain syndrome of various localizations: headaches, pain in the stomach, spine and joints, pain from insect bites, burns, skin injuries.
- Cardiovascular problems: rapid heartbeat, arrhythmias, angina pectoris, vascular spasm, high blood pressure.
- Motion sickness in transport (sea sickness and other kinetoses).
- Vegetative-vascular dystonia and diseases of the nervous system, manifested by a decrease in memory, attention, thinking and other higher brain functions (in particular, dyscirculatory and hypertensive encephalopathy, Alzheimer's disease).
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Mint with milk for weight loss
Another great combination of a mint drink for getting rid of excess fat is with milk. Of course, the drink is not for everyone, but it is easy to get used to it if you cleanse your body of toxins.
While mint has a calming effect on the body, milk acts as a building material because it is a high-quality protein. Given this combination, a drink automatically becomes a snack, albeit a liquid one. Therefore, try to drink mint with milk only during meals, and not between them. In addition, after milk you may feel a feeling of heaviness, which means that by the next meal you will be full, which is also not very good - the rhythm will be lost.
Try to drink milk with mint in the afternoon and preferably when you do not need to drive or perform complex mental work. The fact is that the drink should be warm when consumed, and in combination with mint, drowsiness will increase. Therefore, it is good to drink milk with mint before bed - an excellent natural sleeping pill.
Remember that if you experience bloating, stomach discomfort or problems with bowel movements after drinking mint with milk, it is better to avoid this drink.
Peppermint Recipes.
When the summer season arrives, many gardeners and caring housewives stock up on fruits and berries for the winter. Basically, these are preparations in the form of jam, marmalade, jam, compotes, syrups, alcoholic liqueurs and tinctures. Spicy herbs are usually dried. But from fragrant fresh mint you can easily make kvass, jam, syrup, and liqueur. If you have the opportunity to buy a bunch of mint or if mint grows in your garden, I recommend preparing it with:
This is a very tasty homemade kvass, does not contain yeast and quenches thirst well.
Mint syrup. This is a wonderful sweetness, pour over pancakes or pancakes, soak a cake or grease buns or just spoon with tea, and in the summer dissolve a couple of spoons of syrup in ice water... Awesome mint jam. This is a great recipe for mint lovers! It tastes like mint candies, very pleasant, aromatic for tea and as an additive to alcoholic cocktails, ice cream and sweets.
Mint liqueur. Among all the homemade liqueurs, homemade mint liqueur has the greatest fragrant aroma. This drink is easy to prepare and there is no shame in putting it on the table in front of your guests.
Mint kvass Ingredients for “Mint Kvass”: Water (boiling water) - 2 l Mint - 300 g Granulated sugar (to taste) - 3 tbsp. l. Recipe for “Kvass from mint”: Place mint in a two-liter jar; I take mint with stems. Mint should fill 1/4 of the jar, add sugar and pour boiling water. Cover the top with a napkin and leave for 3 days. After 3 days, skim off the foam, strain and refrigerate. Drink chilled.
Mint syrup Ingredients for Mint syrup: Mint (fresh, green) Water - 100 g Sugar (measured 100 g in a glass) - 200 g Recipe for Mint syrup: Mint - the more , so much the better - wash and dry. Place in a container and fill with water. Crush (directly with a masher), of course, you can just chop the mint and leave it, but it’s not the same... It’s better to grind it longer - a crazy aroma will appear, the water will change color, and the taste..... mmmmmm...... Take out the mint - then we’ll only use “nectar” . Add sugar, stir. Boil until thick over low heat, stirring! I do this in the microwave - three times for a few minutes, taking it out and stirring. The consistency is almost like honey, and the aroma is something! I don’t know how to repeat the same thing from dry mint... It's unlikely that the aroma will be the same. And some small clarifications: - if you need to add acid, you can add a drop of lemon juice or a little citric acid. - You can add ginger for spiciness. - good with cinnamon and vanilla - more piquant. To be honest, I’m happy with the basic recipe: Awesome mint jam Ingredients Mint leaves - 250 g. Sugar - 1 kg. Lemons - 2 pcs. Water - 500 ml. Method of preparation Stage 1 Wash mint leaves with stems, lightly dry and chop. Stage 2 Finely chop the lemons along with the peel. Stage 3 Place everything in a saucepan and boil for 10 minutes. Leave for a day. Stage 4 After this, squeeze out the mixture, filter the infusion, add sugar to it and cook until tender - about 2 hours over low heat. Stage 5 Pour hot jam into jars and roll up immediately.
Mint liqueur I make liqueur from fresh mint leaves. I fill the mint with high-quality vodka and let it sit for 2 weeks. Then I strain and throw away the mint. I take a second bunch of mint, rub it with citric acid, and pour 1.5 cups of hot water, strain after 6 hours, add 1 cup of sugar and cook the syrup. Then I mix the cooled syrup with vodka, and it turns out an aromatic liqueur. Enjoy drinking alcohol... IN MODERATION!!! What could be better than a mojito? That's right - even more mojitos! And what could be better than more mojitos? That's right - mojito according to this recipe! The mojito has everything you need in the hot summer: the chill of mint, the freshness of lime, the sweet-spicy taste of rum - the main drink of hot countries.
Green tea with mint
Considering the relaxing effects of mint, the combination of green tea and mint herb is not the best. Green tea is an activating drink that tones digestion and has a slight stimulating effect on the nervous system. Thus, at best, you may not achieve any effect at all. At worst, it can upset your digestion.
Such a drink will give a positive result only in one case: green tea should be weakly brewed. The weaker the green tea, the less stimulating effect it will have, but its positive qualities will not deteriorate - metabolism will speed up and kidney function will improve, while mint will calm the nervous system and dull the urge to eat something tasty.
This drink can be drunk in the first half of the day, but then the concentration of mint should be reduced. By the way, this is the advantage of the drink - you can vary the ratio of ingredients depending on the desired effect.
When is mint dangerous to use?
Mint is contraindicated for use in case of hypersensitivity to it, as the risk of developing an allergic reaction increases, and with low blood pressure. Also, it should not be given to children under 3 years of age, since menthol when used in inhalation can cause a sharp narrowing of the bronchi and respiratory depression in a child.
People suffering from varicose veins and cholelithiasis, pregnant and lactating women should take mint with caution. Peppermint tea can cause the cervical muscles to relax and increase the risk of miscarriage. In all of the above cases, it is better to consult a doctor first.
When using menthol-based drugs under the tongue, side effects may occur in the form of watery eyes, dizziness, and nausea. When used externally, skin redness, irritation, burning sensation is possible, and sometimes a rash appears. Such drugs should not be applied to areas of damaged skin; they should not be allowed to come into contact with the mucous membrane of the eyes. In case of an overdose of mint, there is a risk of developing the following symptoms: drowsiness, decreased pulse, diarrhea, leg cramps, muscle pain.
It should be borne in mind that peppermint-based products, when taken orally, enhance the effect of drugs that suppress the activity of the nervous system and centrally acting antihypertensive drugs, which sometimes requires changing the dosage regimen.
It is also important where exactly you get the mint. Large-scale pollution of the atmosphere and soil with toxic chemicals also affects the plants growing in this area. Mint can accumulate heavy metal salts, which, when consumed orally, enter the human body and cause various diseases. According to domestic studies, the excess of the content of manganese, zinc and copper in daily doses of infusions of peppermint leaves can reach 60% of the permissible levels. That is why it is better to purchase the plant dried in its original packaging, and fresh - in large supermarkets that sell plants grown under artificial conditions. Or cultivate mint yourself if you live in an environmentally friendly area. It is dangerous to consume a plant bought secondhand in markets where the products do not undergo proper quality control.
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Mint leaves are used for general health improvement and weight loss.
They are harvested in dry weather in July-August - during the flowering period, when some of the flowers have already opened, and some still remain in the form of buds. The entire above-ground part is cut off and dried. Then the leaves are picked and stored in paper bags for 2 years.
How to prepare mint drinks to lose weight?
Losing extra pounds will not stop if you prepare a mint drink according to the correct recipe.
Classic recipe
- Take fresh or dried mint leaves. A tablespoon per cup is enough;
- Pour boiling water over the grass;
- Cover the cup with a lid and wait 5 minutes.
To ensure that it does not lose its valuable properties, mint tea should only be drunk freshly brewed.
Green tea with mint
- Prepare weak green tea in the usual way;
- For 1 liter of green tea add a tablespoon of mint leaves;
- Add mint to already brewed green tea;
- Wait 5 minutes and you are ready to drink.
Lemon water, mint and thyme in one drink
- Take thyme and mint one teaspoon each;
- Add portions of the herb to a cup of boiling water;
- Brew for 5 minutes;
- When the tea starts to cool, add a few teaspoons of lemon water and you are ready to drink.
Mint drink with milk and wild apples
- Take a teaspoon of wild apples and the same amount of dry mint leaves;
- Pour boiling water over apples and mint - 0.5 l;
- Heat 4 tablespoons milk;
- Drain the apples and mint leaves, combine the liquid with milk and drink.
Ways to lose weight
It is impossible to lose weight from one cup of mint tea. This requires a clearly organized system of nutrition and physical activity.
Fasting day
You can only drink mint tea (the recipe is given below) - up to 1.5 liters per day. Weight loss is achieved through the loss of excess fluid and normalization of digestion. The result is minus 1 kg. Frequency: every 2 weeks.
Mint Diet
Duration - from 3 days to 2 weeks. Involves active use of mint. Firstly, it is added as a seasoning to various dishes: a sauce based on it goes well with any meat and vegetable salads, it adds a touch of freshness to stewed cabbage and soups. Secondly, all kinds of drinks are made from it: mint water is drunk after meals to improve the functioning of the stomach; tea during the day calms and minimizes the risk of compulsive overeating; Fat burning smoothies promote weight loss. The result is minus 3 kg per week against the background of daily calorie restriction and active sports.
In the same way, mint is also used for weight loss as part of any other diets - dishes and drinks based on it fit perfectly into both protein and fruit and vegetable diets. For example, the American Dietetic Association's Flat Belly Diet recommends drinking at least 0.5 liters of refreshing water with ginger, cucumber, lemon and mint every day.
Another opinion. The author of the book “Nutrition throughout Life,” American professor Judith E. Brown, considers the benefits of mint for weight loss to be a myth.
Baths, wraps
Menthol irritates the skin's thermoreceptors, causing a cooling sensation. This leads to a reflex narrowing of blood vessels and a slight burning sensation. A little stress of this kind is beneficial for local blood circulation and metabolic processes. Lipolysis starts and metabolism is activated. This is the basis for the use of anti-cellulite cold wraps and baths for weight loss.
Did you know that... mint is the closest relative of basil, rosemary, oregano and valerian?
Restrictions and prohibitions on the use of mint
Despite the huge list of benefits of mint for weight loss, this herb should be drunk carefully. It is not recommended to use mint in the following cases:
- pregnancy;
- breastfeeding;
- menthol intolerance.
But even if you do not have limiting factors, you should not abuse the drink, otherwise you may encounter problems:
- excessive sleepiness (which is dangerous while driving);
- diarrhea;
- muscle pain;
- convulsions;
- heart problems.
As an aid in the process of losing weight, mint is ideal, but it is not a means for weight loss, so you cannot use mint drinks as a product for fasting days.
It is impossible to lose weight on peppermint alone; moreover, you can harm yourself, because mint is still a medicine.