For many, the new year is a time for getting in shape. For over 40 years, Weight Watchers has been helping people get active and lose weight in a healthy way. Recently, it seems that they too have taken an interest in tea and its many benefits. In one section of their site, “The Skinny On…”, they offer some wonderful information about tea.

For starters, it helps to know the basic differences between tea. There are true teas like white and green, coming from the same ‘Camellia Sinensis’ plant, and herbal teas like chamomile, which is an infusion of herbs and tea in hot water. Of course, the possible health benefits of tea are in there as well. Oolong tea has been all the rage lately and has been linked to longevity, and in keeping with the goal of Weight Watchers, green tea has been linked to weight loss.

Another benefit of tea is that it has about half the caffeine as a cup of coffee, so it won’t keep you up at night. However, for some people, any caffeine at all is too much. Check out this great video by Cindi Bigelow, President, on how to decaffeinate your own tea:

The many possible benefits of tea are constantly being discovered. For even more potential New Year Tea-lutions, click here!

It should come as no surprise that Rachael Ray may lose her voice from time to time. After all, the recently turned 40-year-old celebrity has her own talk show. After a doctor’s visit she learned that she had damaged her vocal cords. What’s her cure? In addition to some other treatments, “she has been…downing herbal tea”.

Photo Courtesy of Usmagazine.com

However that’s not the only reason she drinks tea. She has used her talk show as a platform to rave about new research linking oolong tea to weight loss. She admitted to drinking oolong everyday in a successful effort to shed some pounds. According to the Journal of Nutrition, a study performed showed that “oolong tea stimulated energy expenditure and fat oxidation”. They do however note that these results were based on the chronic consumption of tea and a normal diet. Oolong tea has even been associated with possibly increasing longevity. Want to try for yourself? Get your own oolong today!

Since it was first sipped by ancient Chinese emperors, Oolong has been heralded as a very special kind of tea. Today, we now recognize that the reason for this lies in the numerous ways in which the tea can improve your health and well-being.

Just like green tea, Oolong contains incredible anti-oxidants which, on their own, supply a tea drinker with many healthy benefits. Oolong also contains something called Polyphenols, which “have the ability to remove free radicals.” Free radicals can be linked to skin aging and dark spots, interfering with the immune system and are connected with cancer cells as well.

Oolong is also known to increase enzyme functioning that, in some cases, can be connected to increased metabolic rate and the breakup of triglycerides, also known as fatty deposits. The caffeine present in the Oolong tea is also known to “stimulate the frontal cortex of the brain,” which increases memory function (perhaps so you can remember which tea to buy when you run out!). Your teeth and mouth will appreciate your choosing Oolong as well because it has been shown to reduce tooth decay and decrease the time it takes your mouth to heal because of the tannins in the tea.

With all of the studies done to reveal the multitude of benefits that this tea has to offer, one thing is clear: You’ve waited too long to get some Oolong.