The Green Tea Experiment: 30 days to a healthier me?
Posted on January 19th, 2010 in Health with 9 Comments »As I write this article, I am listening to some ambient sounds, drowning out the chaos around me, writing in the focused air app and sipping my very first green tea. There’s something soothing about it all.
Wait, let me back track for a minute.
I’m walking through the grocery store and I come across the health food isle. Now, I normally do not spend much time there (if any) but tonight was a bit different. I took a stroll down the isle and started looking at all of the food and drinks they had. I came across the tea section and remembered reading somewhere that green tea was good for you. So, I grabbed a box. 48 tea bags in the box for $4.99 – if I was going to do something healthy, it might as well be cheap too.
But how did I end up here, writing this post and telling you all about my evening at the grocery store?
The experiment
Instead of just saying that I was going to drink green tea, I figured I’d challenge myself. Let’s see if I can drink this green tea for thirty days and then log the results. Do I feel better, does it help calm me down in the mornings, does it taste good, and so on. I like to experiment with stuff that’s a bit out of the ordinary, and this is definitely something I am not used to – you’re reading an article by a guy who keeps a case of Monster energy drinks in his house at all times.
So what I will be doing is drinking one cup of green tea every morning, for thirty mornings and then coming back here and logging my results. I’ve drank a full cup of it tonight as a test run, since I’ve never had it before and I was unsure if I’d need to put some sugar in it or something for flavor – yes, yes I do. I have to admit that this is not the most pleasant thing I’ve ever drank before in my life, but I am starting this and I will finish this. I’ll just try to drink it quickly until I get myself used to the flavor (or lack thereof).
What about you? Do you drink green tea?
I’d love to hear from some people who have drank green tea before, or currently drink it. Do you like it or are you a bit skeptical like I am? Let me know in the comments.
Here’s to an interesting thirty days. Cheers!
What an interesting Experiment. A valuable one to engage in I think. I personally have a coffee problem which I’ve been trying to address in all kinds of ways.
I’m Muslim so every year during Ramadaan I fast for 30 days during daylight hours, and for the last 2 years that included staying away from coffee even at night when we’re allowed to eat.
Green Tea was one of the substitutes and it works well due to it’s caffeine content which I believe is quite high.
I can’t stand the taste of plain green tea so I opted for a mint flavoured one which I have with at least 2 teaspoons of sugar.
Of course it doesn’t have the kick of a coffee, but it doesn’t bring on the anxiety which coffee does either. I’d say finding the flavour of greentea which suites your tastebuds is important. The plain one if not for everybody.
In South Africa we have something called Rooibos Tea, or red bush tea which is a caffeine free and much healthier tea, and the taste is a bit better even without sugar that green tea.
Thanks for the reply @nomadone. I think a bit of sugar added in might help out the taste, which at this point is pretty nasty.
I never got into coffee, but I do drink Monster energy drinks like they’re going out of style, so I know what you mean about the caffeine addiction.
I’m hoping this experiment helps me cut down on that – we’ll see
Awesome write up and read my friend. It seems a lot of us are trying new things in 2010. I have been on a detox diet for a week now. I was an avid coffee drinker but put it away due to how caffeine affects our metabolism. My substitute was caffeine free green tea for my (I got sleep days) and caffeine free for my i need help…badly mornings.
Between the diet and drink change, I can honestly say…I feel great. It took me a while to get used to the caffeine withdrawls but I feel my body in a whole new light. Corny yes but I can’t describe it as it’s a physical feeling translated to a written word and our experiences may vary.
Mike, I’d love to hear about your results, DRINK ON BROTHER!
Hey Dwyndal,
Yeah, I know what you mean. I’ve had some caffeine withdraws from the lack of Mountain Dew, but overall, I’m starting to feel better. I’m hoping by doing this, as well as the cold shower tests (20-30 seconds at the end of the shower, turn all hot water off and stand under the cold water), I’ll start feeling better.
Oh, and I’m exercising too. Which is weird since I haven’t really done that in a long time. haha
Mike
“I drank”
but
“I have drunk”
Your grammar is jarring.
Sorry
Roger Charlesworth
EFL teacher
PS :
ALL tea is supposedly good for you due to it’s antioxidant level, particularly green tea.
PS : I suppose, according to your philosphy, this is
“My personal space to discuss whatever the fuck I want
”……… and in presumably in whatever language format you choose too!
Hey Roger,
I write in the way that I speak. 100% might not be grammatically correct. Thanks for pointing that out though
Mike i Seriously love your blog and all of your articles! You do such a fine job. Have you finished the green tea experiment yet? I would like to know if you felt any difference after the 30 days?
Hey Dwyndal,
Yeah, I know what you mean. I’ve had some caffeine withdraws from the lack of Mountain Dew, but overall, I’m starting to feel better. I’m hoping by doing this, as well as the cold shower tests (20-30 seconds at the end of the shower, turn all hot water off and stand under the cold water), I’ll start feeling better.
Oh, and I’m exercising too. Which is weird since I haven’t really done that in a long time. haha