Ginseng & Green Tea Diet Menu

Ginseng and green tea have the same weight loss benefits: they both speed up your metabolism. As a result, your body can burn calories faster and will not turn excess calories into fat as much. Ginseng also works wonders for your exercise program by increasing your energy and stamina. Green tea may not act as an energy booster, but it helps lower cholesterol or the “bad fats.” Adding ginseng and green tea to your diet therefore will accelerate weight loss and promote your overall health.

Cooking with Ginseng

• The easiest way to use ginseng is to make tea from root or powder. In the morning, start your day with a low-calorie breakfast, then finish the meal with a cup of warm ginseng tea, spiced with honey or cinnamon. If you don’t have time for a real breakfast, just add a thick pinch of ginseng root or about 1 tsp. of ginseng powder to your favorite breakfast smoothie recipe, and you will get a perfect energy-booster on the go. You can add ginseng to your lunch dishes as well. For example, dice up ginseng roots (about 1 tsp. per serving) and add it to your salad. Or add about 1 to 2 tbsp. of ginseng powder to stir-fried dishes. You can make ginseng venison, for instance, by marinating venison with chopped ginseng root and your favorite marinade. It is said to help tenderize the meat and lessen the harsh gamy flavor. Because ginseng is a stimulant, it should be avoided at dinner time.

Caution about Ginseng

• Panax ginseng, which includes Asian and American ginseng, has weight loss benefits whereas Siberian ginseng doesn’t. When you buy ginseng, make sure you get the type of ginseng you want. Due to its stimulant properties, ginseng is not recommended for children and people with insomnia or anxiety problems. Don’t consume ginseng if you are on heart medications, antipsychotic drugs or blood thinning medications. Your daily ginseng intake should not exceed 2g, and ginseng should not be used for more than three consecutive weeks. According to University of Maryland Medical Center, you can consume ginseng daily for up to three weeks, stop for about two weeks and then restart the cycle.

Cooking with Green Tea

• Green tea has been used in a variety of drinks and food. You can brew green tea with either dry tea leaves or tea bags, then serve it as a beverage or use it for cooking. For example, you can add green tea flavor and extra nutrition to plain pasta by boiling it in green tea instead of water. This technique can be done with rice as well. Another way to cook with green tea is to use green tea powder. Most people add it to smoothies or desserts such as cookies, cakes and ice cream. But in fact, putting green tea powder in salad is also a great way to spice it up. Try adding green tea powder to your potato salad; it is quite a popular dish.

Caution about Green Tea

• Although 1g. of green tea contains only about 11 to 20mg of caffeine, it may still cause restlessness in those who are extremely caffeine-sensitive. So if you are in this category, limit your green tea intake to only one cup a day. Moreover, green tea may lower your ability to absorb some medications such as ephedrine, theophylline, aminophylline and warfarin.