There’s no shortage of articles, blogs and general tips online detailing how to “lose weight fast”. From low carb diets to black coffee for breakfast, it’s all out there to help those who feel they’re too easily inclined to overindulge. But for some, weight gain is just as much if not more of a priority, whether for health reasons or personal preference. Tea can be a perfect way to increase modest weight gain while not drastically altering your lifestyle, and there are plenty of different types to try.
How Tea Can Help
While there are many methods by which one can gain weight, not all of these are helpful. In fact, many of them aren’t. Using processed fast foods and fizzy drinks may help pile on some weight in no time, but are about as reliable for your long-term health as a “get rich quick” scheme would be for your bank account. Conversely, tea is known as a rather mellow drink that provides mental as well as physical benefits for your body.
Unlike high-calorie foods, it can promote weight gain without the other side effects you’d get from unhealthy eating habits, such as high cholesterol. Rather, the side effects of tea drinking are positive across the board. But it’s true that some types may have slightly different properties from others. So if you’re looking for unique drinks that can help you gain a little weight while providing other benefits, here are 8 to consider (all of which are available to purchase through a good online shop):
1. Peppermint
Peppermint tea is one of the most popular forms of this beverage for a good reason. Its refreshing warm menthol taste is perfect for unwinding from the stresses of your day. The herb used for brewing is a well-known muscle relaxant, enhancing this sense of stress relief. Most importantly from the perspective of weight gain though, it is great for general gut health and improved digestion.
The inherent antibacterial and antioxidant properties found in peppermint also help to boost your immune system, ultimately improving your appetite and staving off illness that could lead to weight loss. Kent & Sussex Tea & Coffee Company offers an especially popular range of peppermint tea in different forms online at tea-and-coffee.com. It can work well as a loose-leaf due to the pleasant aroma that peppermint leaves offer.
More about remedies for immune system booster, you can find on Coldeeze.
2. Chamomile
Another well-known variation, Chamomile is similarly heralded for its calming nature and ability to soothe stomach aches, thereby removing your barriers to a healthy metabolism. Having gastrointestinal issues? Eaten something that feels like it has started a fight in your stomach? Then chamomile tea should be your number one go-to choice. A well-performing digestive system is one that will ensure extra calories aren’t wasted and help you remain at your optimum weight.
3. Dandelion
Packed with vitamins and minerals, dandelion tea is used by some as a healthy coffee substitute due to its similarity in taste. It’s also a diuretic, meaning it can be useful in clearing you out if you’ve been having trouble in that department – which can be a culprit in the loss of appetite. Antioxidant properties still apply here, helping boost your immune system and help overall digestion. Basically, you’ll be able to eat more while feeling less bloated.
4. Gentian
Gentian is typically a bitter root, but it seems to work very well as tea. This is excellent for improved food absorption, meaning you’ll get more out of your meals and snacks than you would otherwise. This includes both nutrients and calories, so it can aid in slight weight gain while improving your general health. Similar to other teas, it also works to solve common digestive issues such as constipation and indigestion.
5. Fenugreek
The Fenugreek herb has been used by Indian and Chinese cultures for hundreds of years as an alternative medicine for all kinds of ailments, primarily related to digestion (if you’re spotting a common trait, it’s no coincidence – most herbal teas are great for digestion in general). In addition, this herb is unique in that it contains a large amount of protein (‘large’ for a herb at least), which aids in muscle growth, and it can also boost testosterone levels in men. This may make it a popular choice among bodybuilders. Of course, this isn’t to say you should use it as a substitute for getting the right amount of protein via your regular food diet – but a little extra won’t hurt, especially if you’re trying to bulk up slightly. Read more about the benefits of Fenugreek here.
6. Chen Pi
Fans of citrus flavors will likely want to try Chen Pi as their herbal tea of choice. It is made from dried tangerine peels and is known to be an appetite enhancer. This means it will give you a craving to eat – so long as you use that craving wisely, it can be a great sidekick in your quest for modest healthy weight gain. Also popularly used for digesting heavy carbohydrates and oily foods, Chen Pi has much more potential than its light citrus taste would have you believe.
7. Ashwagandha
While it may have the longest name here, the health benefits of Ashwagandha tea are refreshingly simple. It’s been known to promote both physical and mental strength, reducing the effects of depression and fatigue while increasing energy levels and muscle growth. If you want to gain a little weight but less fat, this tea could be the key to doing just that; it helps convert excess fat into muscle, putting that extra weight to good use.
8. Any herbal tea… with sugar and/or milk
Okay, so if you want to cheat slightly rather than put much thought into your choice of herbal tea, you could just add a small amount of sugar, giving a pleasantly sweet taste to your drink. This automatically adds to your calorie intake. The same is true of milk, which has protein to further boost your gains. Of course, going overboard with sugar intake has both short and long-term negative health effects, so bear this in mind if you have a sweet tooth.
Choose Organic Tea
All the types listed above are available online and shopping organic is the most sustainable way of supporting the industry. For a reputable teabag online shop, consider the Kent & Sussex Tea & Coffee Company, which specializes in organic tea. They sell a wide range of flavors and types, from loose leaf to regular tea bags online.
