Weight Loss, Diet and Slimming blog

Tuesday, September 2. 2008

Are Oolong Tea And Wu Long Tea The Same?

Whether it is called oolong tea or wu long tea, it means the same type of tea.

The reason for the different spellings is due to the two common systems used to Romanize the Mandarin language, which consists of Chinese characters and not letters. One system is called Wades Giles, the other is called the Pinyin system.

When translating the first character in the Mandarin meaning for this tea type using the Wade Giles style, we get the pronunciation "Oo"...and when using the Pinyin system, we get the pronunciation "Wu". Put them together with the other characters, and you get either "oo-long-cha", or "wu-long-cha". (Oolong tea, or Wu long tea.)

This tea is also known as "brown tea", and in the past was also referred to as "rock tea".

Oolong tea is a beverage sort of in between green tea and black tea, although most varieties have more green tea characteristics. The leaves of this tea type are not fully oxidized as much as black tea, but are allowed to ferment longer than green tea leaves would. The result is a cup of tea that is quite unique.

Wu long tea can come in many varieties, and is mainly produced in China or Taiwan. However, it is noted that the best oolong tea comes from Taiwan. Chinese oolongs brew a darker brownish liquor and produce a taste that is slightly "woody" with some mild sweet notes. The leaves are also broader than their Taiwan cousins, and are rolled length-wise instead of in to curly balls.

Taiwan varieties brew a cup that has a more golden color, and a brew that tastes more "flowery" compared to the Chinese oolongs. Some varieties come real close to resembling green tea, and even have a slight vegetal taste save the sweeter flavors that may be present as well. As mentioned above, the leaves are rolled in to curly balls which open up revealing leaves that are the largest of the four types of tea.

In Taiwan, many folks consume this tea and only a very small percentage is available for export. It is estimated that only around two percent is shipped out of the country.

Some noted health benefits of this tea type are similar to what green tea offers; in fact the tea has shown to increase thermogenesis in the body quicker compared to green tea, which is the act of the body "heating up" resulting in calories to burn quicker.

In a study done at Japan's University of Tokushima School of Medicine, which was published in the Journal of Medical Investigation, found that wu long tea has more than twice the calorie burning properties than Japanese green tea. People who consumed wu long over green tea daily experienced better fat oxidation; which equals weight loss. However, proper exercise and dieting is a must and is very important in accompanying these weight loss benefits.

Other studies show that wu long tea helps destroy free radicals in our bodies which could mean younger and healthier looking skin, as well as a decreased risk of certain tumor development.

Brewing oolong is very much the same as brewing black tea. For best results regarding flavor and obtaining maximum health benefits, use loose leaf tea and natural spring water or well-filtered water. Bring to a boil and let steep for around 4 to 5 minutes in a large infuser allowing the leaves room to open. Poor and enjoy with friends or family.

With so many varieties of this tea, years of enjoyment await along with the possibility of a healthier lifestyle!

Learn more facts and information about oolong tea

David Carloni is the creator and webmaster of The Color Of Tea.com

An online resource guide that offers information, tips, facts, varieties, and the introduction to the simple pleasures of brewing and enjoying loose leaf tea.

Bike Riding for Weight Loss - Tips for Beginning A Bicycling Plan

If you are one of those people who leisurely pedal around the block or over a flat stretch of scenic road, you?ve probably been riding for sheer pleasure. Riding bikes for pleasure is a good form of aerobic exercise. But unless you map out a plan to ?push yourself,? you probably won?t lose much weight.

I really get sick of hearing people say, ?No pain, no gain!? But the old adage is true when it comes to riding bikes to lose weight. By pushing your cycling distance or speed, you are sure to feel some pain in your leg muscles, your hands, wrists, and your derriere-- even some pain in your throat and lungs as your body tries to accommodate your increased demand for oxygen.

HEALTH TIP: Stretching exercises prior to exercising are helpful in preventing injury!

GETTING YOUR BICYCLE READY...TO ROLL OFF THE WEIGHT

Your first concern will be outfitting your bicycle. If you need an excuse to purchase a new bike, this is an excellent opportunity! I went from a 3-speed bicycle for leisure riding, to a 24-speed bicycle for more committed exercising. Once I learned how the different gears worked, I was very thankful for the extra speeds. They make my ride faster and the hills a lot easier to handle.

We?ve found the guys at the bicycle shop to be very helpful, and concerned for our unique cycling needs. Rather than simply steering us toward the most expensive bicycle available (as I had expected), they asked how much riding we would be doing, whether we were trying for speed or leisure, and whether we would be riding on paved roads or dirt trails. When you honestly share your goals and level of experience, the sales clerks can match you with exactly what you need. They want you to be successful in your biking venture!

Some state laws require bicycle lights. But if you will be riding anytime from dusk to dawn, common sense demands that you have lights on your bicycle. These little accessories are battery-operated and last a long time. There are a variety of lights to choose from. My tail light has different blinking speeds, and is designed to make my bike visible to cars approaching from both the rear and the sides. Check for brightness before you buy one. Install the light where it makes the most sense.

We held off on buying a speedometer and odometer unit for our bikes, but once we got serious about losing weight and getting in shape, this feature became a ?must have.? You simply cannot track your progress without knowing how far and how fast you?re riding.

If you already have a bicycle, take it to the bike shop for a safety inspection each season. They should check the gears, tires and brakes to make sure everything is working properly. They can adjust your seat to fit your height and adjust the handlebars to fit your reach, making your ride more comfortable. If you?re lucky, they might even clean and polish your bike!

If you want to save money in the long run, you can find books and videos that teach you how to care for your own bicycle. It?s always a great idea to know how to change your own flat tire and adjust a loose chain.

Another must have is a bicycle pump. Ask your bike dealer how many pounds of air pressure to put in your bicycle tires. Check the tires each time you get ready to ride! We guessed at the air pressure one summer day, and lived to regret it. We rode the bikes to the swimming pool, not realizing that one tire was too full. While we were cooling off in the water, the hot sun was rapidly expanding the air in the tires?one tire blew as it sat in the parking lot. The day in the sun was not so fun, once the pool closed and we had to wait for a truck to haul us home!

HEALTH TIP: Talk with your doctor first, and get his or her blessing before you increase your rate of physical activity!

STAYING COMFORTABLE ON YOUR BIKE

Sitting for long periods of time on a bicycle seat can cause pain, discomfort, and even serious blood circulation problems in avid bicyclists. At your local bike shop, you?ll find a variety of bicycle seats made specifically for your comfort and health. The salespeople at our local bike shop encouraged us to try out new seats on our bikes for a few days. My husband found the split seat to be more comfortable for himself, while I opted to keep my old gel seat. Someone has even invented seats that look more like a bird perch than a bicycle seat!

HEALTH TIP: Get off your bicycle seat and walk around every 25 minutes or so to get the blood flow to important unmentionable parts of your body.

Think about your clothing...you don?t have to have padded biker shorts and special clothing to start riding bikes. There are actually scientifically engineered fabrics designed to pull sweat away from your body in the summer and to keep you from getting hypothermia in the winter. But for now, just wear layers of comfortable sports clothes.

Make sure your clothes aren?t so tight that you are miserable trying to pedal. But they shouldn?t be loose enough to become entangled in the bicycle chain, either! If you become overheated, strip off a layer. If you get cold, add a layer. Wear light or bright colors to allow drivers to see you easily.

It really helps to have a small cargo rack on the back of your bike. Mine looks like a little shelf over the back tire. It has two bungee cords to keep any cargo securely fastened to the bike. I?ve used it to tote a small picnic cooler, a shopping bag or extra clothes.

I had the bike shop attach a water bottle holder to the bike under my seat. I can grab a quick swig as I ride or pour some water over my pulse points to cool off a bit. Take small sips of water when needed during your bike ride, rather than chugging huge gulps.

A helmet is almost a must. Life is filled with hazards?and biking has its share. Be smart. Wear a helmet. You can buy a cool rear-view mirror for your helmet. The mirror helps you see when it?s safe to turn and lets you observe traffic coming up from behind.

I recommend wearing sunglasses?both for the sun and for bugs! At certain times of the year, the air is thick with flying insects. Getting a tiny bug in your eye is a painful event. For contact wearers, carry a contact case and lens cleaner on bike rides for just that reason. Some day you?ll be glad you did!

HEALTH TIP: Shake your hands downward frequently to get the blood flowing and to prevent pain or numbness in your arms and hands.

MAPPING OUT A WEIGHT LOSS PLAN

You will want to keep a record of your daily diet and food intake, your weekly body measurements and weight, as well as your bicycling miles and time.

The web site www.OpenFitness.net is an excellent way to track your progress. It is very easy to use?simply type in your information you wish to track. As the only community fitness web site of its kind, you?ll find it to be a fantastic motivation tool that will print out charts and graphs to show how much progress you?ve made in a few days, a week, or a month!

It keeps track of your food, vitamin, and supplement intake. Thousands of foods have already been analyzed by experts for number of calories, fat, carbs, and protein. You simply select the foods you ate from a pull down feature, and the daily total is tallied for you. Make sure you don?t exercise when you?ve just eaten, or when it?s almost meal time. Both times will slow you down.

No matter how humiliating it is, measure your arms, legs, chest, waist, neck, hips and thighs once a week. The software keeps track of your weight and body measurements. The thrill of seeing those same inches melt away in the coming weeks will be worth the effort. It?s especially impressive seen as a graph!

Consider investing in an instrument that actually measures body fat?there are inexpensive pincer-type instruments that measure fat by pinching you, or buy a set of bathroom scales that cost more but calculate body fat quite painlessly.

Try to ride 4-6 days per week. When you map out your weight loss plan, your short-term goals will change as you change. You?ll quickly develop stamina for longer distance. As fat turns to muscle, your speed will increase. Each week, try to increase either your mileage or your speed.

You know how far you?ve been able to ride, thus far. Start keeping track of the exact route you are taking, the total mileage, and the length of time it took you. Make notes in your records for special circumstances. Did it get dark outside so you were forced to cut your ride short? Did the road crews dump a layer of gravel on your normally paved road?

What was the weather like? Was it dangerously hot? Was it windy? The wind can be your friend or your enemy. When the wind is behind you, your ride is a breeze...but coming from any other direction, be prepared to huff and puff. Accept any length of time as a job well done and simply get the ride accomplished!

Finally, add an upper body workout three times per week. Bicycling works your legs, but to get the rest of your body firm and trim, you?ll need to exercise your upper body, as well. The www.openfitness.net web site, created by a certified personal fitness trainer, has excellent features which allow you to design and track this portion of your fitness program, as well.

Bicycle riding is a fun, inexpensive form of aerobic exercise?it?s good for every part of you. But be warned?you will need to buy a whole new wardrobe for the thinner, more beautifully fit body that emerges!

Sharyl Calhoun

See our 9 Day Cleansing & Fat Burning Program page at http://www.fastandnaturalweightlossprogram.com

7 Simple Weight Loss Tips To Lose Weight Fast

Without a doubt, dieting and losing weight can be among the toughest things to do in life. If you have been trying to lose weight and are having a difficult time with it, try some of these simple weight loss tips.

1. Make a Diet Journal - Write down everything you eat throughout the day no matter how small it is. This will help you stay on your diet in the long run. You can also use your journal to track your weight loss, your feelings and so much more. You can really get creative here. The main point is to write it down. It will keep you involved and motivated.

2. Drink More Water - I know this diet tips is so basic, but it is because it flat out works. 6-8 glasses of water every day may sound like a lot, but spread out over the course of the day it isn't. Drinking water before meals will also make you seem fuller and prevent you from overeating.

3. Don't Weight Yourself Every Day - Your weight naturally fluctuates day-to-day. Weighting yourself daily can lead to frustration and giving up on days you see no success. Instead, weigh yourself once a week at the same time, like Monday at 7:00am for example.

4. Have A Goal - Set a goal for yourself of where you ultimately want to be at. Now, break the goal down into reasonably obtainable chunks. For example, your goal is to lose 25 pounds in the next 3 months. Break that down into 5 pounds every 2-3 weeks. This makes it much easier to stay on your diet and achieve success when you work with smaller numbers.

5. Never Grocery Shop When Hungry - One of the biggest no-no's there is. You'll only find yourself getting all sorts of foods you know you shouldn't be eating. We've all been guilty of it before, but be sure you grocery shop after you eat.

6. Close The Kitchen - Late evening eating or snacking is a huge cause of weight gain. You eat, go to bed, and the food just sits in yours stomach and turns to fat. Set a time that the kitchen is closed and then stick to it. This tip helped me to lose 5 pounds in 10 days just on its own.

7. Eat At The Table - Always eat at the dining room or kitchen table. Avoid eating in front of the TV at all costs. You get lost watching a show and you just keep eating and eating.

These are just a few simple tips to help you lose weight fast and achieve success with your diet plan. They have certainly helped me achieve results, which I show you on my blog. Put them into practice and I know they will help you too.

By the way, you can learn more about how to Lose Weight Fast as well as see my results from the plan I have been using and much more information on weight loss on my blog at http://www.FatLoss4IdiotsReview.net