Customer Reviews

Lose Weight with Green Tea: A Safe Weight-Loss Method That Works

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There has been a ton of research conducted in regards to the benefits of Green Tea. Patricia Rouner has compiled and summarized this information into a great book called Lose Weight with Green Tea. While I feel the title and back cover text is very "hypey" the information presented is clear, concise, and very informative.

One of the best pieces of information covered in the book was explaining the components of green tea that actually provides the real benefit - polyphenols and antioxidants.

Other information included was:
-The different types of tea
-The best way to prepare tea
-Which commercially available green teas have the highest antioxidants
-The benefits/harms of caffeine
-Green Tea supplements and what to look for
-How much green tea should you drink?
-How green tea combats certain diseases

The bottom line is, a person loses weight with a proper diet and exercise but green tea can slightly increase your metabolism and provide additional health benefits so drinking it is a good idea, but as can be expected, you can't eat Cheeseburgers 3 times a day and lose weight just by drinking Green Tea.

From the first page of the introduction I recognized that Patricia Rouner has a gift for writing and communication. As a successful writer and publisher Patricia is well qualified to do the research for this book. And she has done it. Her style is informational. Even the technical aspects of her writing flow like a story.

Her first chapter introduces the subject of green tea and weight loss. She moves on in a natural sequence with information on the growing and processing of tea. She then provides tips on brewing green tea, the contents of green tea, and a chapter on caffeine and tea. She discusses green tea extracts as a means of getting the values of green tea, and the impact of green tea in fighting disease.

She has introduced a safe weight loss method that works. The book reveals what Asian cultures have known for centuries. Drinking green tea helps you burn fat and increase metabolism. The antioxidants in green tea help prevent heart disease, certain cancers, and many other illnesses.

Rouner has included a wealth of additional information in her appendices: Other weight loss suggestions, ideas for reuse and recycling, a resource list, and a glossary of terms.

This is a book for tea connoisseurs, dietitians, heath care givers, and dieters. It should be on the shelves in every health food store and in the pharmacy department of the chains. I found the book informational and applicable to my own nutrition, health, and diet needs.

I loved it. This book is loaded with enjoyable information on the benefits of green tea for weight loss and the many other healthy contributions green tea makes. I am not a person to do much research reading and this book made me want to find out how it ended, there was so much information and so easy to read.
Thanks
Dwayne

Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (8/06)

Drinking green tea has been a favorite of mine for quite some time so when the opportunity came up to review "Loose Weight with Green Tea" I took the task. I had previously heard that green tea had many benefits and that people in China have been drinking it for about 4000 years. Surely, anything that has been consumed for that many years and still considered medicine by them is worth researching more.

Rouner's book certainly is full of condensed research. She has spent much time and effort compacting information into a small, readable book. The beginning of the book gives scientific research results as well as growing and processing. It was interesting to note that there are over 3000 varieties of tea grown. It's not much wonder that many of the teas taste so different from each other. The remainder of the book covers making of the tea to drink, the benefits, the nutritional values, as well as addressing the caffeine concerns and a little trivia dispersed throughout the book.

I learned from Rouner's research that the "most critical factors in brewing tea are the water, temperature of the water and the tea." Regarding water she claims that if the water (from the tap) doesn't taste good, it will reflect on the taste of the tea. Rouner talks about spring water as well as reverse osmosis, the most effective treatment, being used for tea water. She claims that minerals in the water are essential for good tasting tea therefore discourages the use of distilled water. "For green tea the water temperature should be between 160-175 degrees Fahrenheit" which means the water must not be boiling (212 degrees.)

It was interesting for me to learn that when tea was first introduced to England it was cost prohibitive, however, milk on the other hand was not. How much milk was added to the tea indicated social standing. The poorer people used a lot of milk in their tea whereas the more affluent the people were, the less milk was used.

Rouner's main point of "Loose Weight with Green Tea" is just that - encouragement to add green tea daily to the diet, not only to loose weight but to maintain it. Her research shows that metabolism can be increased by consumption of green tea in turn causing burning of access fat as well as provide the body with essential antioxidants.

I encourage those that are interested in a healthy body to consider reading Rouner's "Loose Weight with Green Tea," add drinking green tea to their daily routine, and benefit the abundant results. Here's to health!

Received book free of charge.

This small books packs a mighty punch! Patricia Rouner has assembled enough research and clear-thinking into a guide that will not only answer all of your questions about green tea and its benefits, but what may be important, and how you can use the information to become healthier and to lose weight if you so desire. Witty and well-written, the book is a quick read, full of facts, supporting facts, and more support for conclusions than you may expect or be used to. I recommend it as an advanced primer for green tea and as a thoughtful guide to contemplation of how to best present an overview and an in-depth study of one subject all at the same time.

Patricia Rouner became a tea expert when she wrote this book. It is not hype about weight loss, but a well-thought-out and well-written book that delves into tea, in general, and into green tea, specifically. She tells us what people in many other cultures have known for years about tea. One of my favorite green teas is 'green tea with vanilla,' which adds a nice flavor. Patricia's book will help you explore tea, use it while you're trying to lose weight, and, hopefully, turn you into a tea drinker for life!

You know the kind of person who when you ask: What are you drinking? they answer--TEA. Ask another person, like author Patricia Rouner, and you will know more about green tea that you thought possible.

Some of the topics covered are:

-- The science
-- Growing and processing tea
-- How to brew (and this IS important)
-- Polyphenols (huh?)
-- Coffee / caffeine comparison
-- Extracts
-- Fighting diseases

The subtitle about weight loss might pull a lot of readers in, but the chapter on fighting disease was very important.

"If only half the studies are proven accurate, green tea's health benefits are stunning," the author states on page 85. She had Googled "kidney disease and green tea" and 477,000 articles of interest were listed. A sample of the health issues discussed in the book are: immune system, allergies, Alzheimer's, blood pressure, bone density, carbs, artery disease, etc., etc.

Did you know...?

-- A report stated that oral cells damaged by smokers can be decreased by drinking green tea.

-- The most popular tea brands have different antioxidant levels.

-- Adding sugar and milk do not affect the flavonoid in the tea, but increase the calorie count.

-- Ice tea "happened" in 1904 at the St. Louis Exposition. It was HOT! and no one wanted the vendor's hot tea. He added ice, and happy lines formed. Ice tea makes up almost 85% of tea consumed in the U.S.

The FAQ (one at the end of each section) about caffeine was interesting. A pound of tea has more calories than a pound of coffee--but tea makes 300 cups while coffee yields 80 cups. Draw your own conclusions on that.

All that said, what is it about green tea that helps you lose weight? Well, it speeds up metabolism and helps the body bun fat, about 80 calories a day. It can reduce hunger, which means lower calorie intake. It can help older people lose weight and younger people prevent middle-age spread. With almost two-thirds of Americans overweight--that's a good deal. And you'll learn so much more in the "Science" chapter.

Losing weight is part of being more healthy--and green tea combines the two benefits.

Armchair Interviews says: If you want to know about green tea...but were afraid to ask, this book has all the answers. So when someone asks, "What are you drinking?" they better be prepared for a lot of information.

When I first started reading this book, Patricia stated that she wasn't an expert on Green Tea, but I would beg to differ. All of my questions that I had in my mind were answered in her book. She gives documented case studies and additional insite as to where and how green tea all began. As readers, we are given a choice to do it this way or do it that way, it doesn't make a difference. The choice is all yours! I am a fan of green tea and this book gives me the information that assures me that I am on the right path.

I did not gain any viable knowledge about weight loss and green tea.
Vague and redundant.

What I really like about this book is how unique it is. Most commercials on weight loss, whether they be programs, pills or books, seem to border on the disingenuous. That's putting it kindly!

This book is different. It is written by someone who has a background in medical research, coupled with an interest in the subject. So, the author does something stunning: she begins the book by telling you all about the science behind the subject, then explains things, and lets you draw your own conclusions.

If you have ever heard about the connection between green tea and weight loss, and wondered about it, then the few bucks asked for this book will be money well spent. And as a bonus, the book, itself, is just nice looking and easy on the eyes to read. Get it!

Gary Micheloni
Author: "Get Paid for a Change"
Columnist: "Full Contact Project Management"