By Lee-Anne Wann
The Quick Fix
We all want to be healthy, fit and vital, often searching for quick fix solutions. Often These quick fix solutions are pills, programs or gimmicks but what about using quick fix foods?
What: Many foods have a vast array of health properties and there are some we have not even heard of.
I have previously mentioned chia seeds and fish oil, but today we're looking at tea: Yerba mate, known to South Americans as the "Drink of the Gods".
What is yerba mate?
A version of green tea which contains significant levels of polyphenol antioxidants, and has a slightly higher antioxidant capacity than green tea. The major difference between yerba mate and green tea is the plant the tea comes from and how it is dried. Green tea comes from a plant that is native to China. It is dried primarily though fast, high-temperature air drying. Mate comes from a plant that is native to South America. It is dried slowly and often using wood smoke. This gives it very different flavours and changes the chemical make-up. Both green tea and mate contain numerous antioxidants that are the source of their anti-obesity effects. Yerba mate contains caffeine, polyphenols, flavonoids, amino acids, minerals (phosphorous, iron, calcium, and the vitamins B1 and B2 and C.
Why on earth would I drink it?
- It's well known for its anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory properties (when people have high cholesterol, this can often be a sign of increased inflammation in the body).
- Studies show that yerba mate decreases LDL / BAD cholesterol levels from about 500mls per day
- Improves bone mineral density in post-menopausal women by 6 to 10 percent
- Results of a study of obese men and women consuming Mate tea have shown an increase in fat oxidation and an increase in the feeling of satiety after consumption.
- Many herbal teas—such as yerba mate and red raspberry leaf tea—also act as natural appetite suppressants and metabolism boosters.
- Try mixing herbal tea with unsweetened fruit juice for a refreshing, filling, low-calorie drink. These mixtures can do the trick when hunger pangs strike between meals.