Tired? A cup of hot tea will perk you up, boost brain power

CUP THAT MATTERS

London: Feeling exhausted? Just sip a cup of hot tea, for a study has claimed that drinking the beverage not only gives human brain a lift, but also reduces tiredness.
    Tea drinking has already been linked with lowering the risk of heart disease, cancer and Parkinson's. Other research has shown that drinking tea on a regular basis for ten or more years may help improve bone density.
    Now, Dutch researchers have carried out the study and found that it's the natural ingredients in tea which improve brain power and increase alertness, the latest edition of the 'Nutritional Neuroscience' journal reported.
    For the study, the researchers looked at the effect of key chemicals found in tea on the mental performance of 44 young volunteers.
    The effects of these ingredients, an amino acid called L-theanine — which is also found in green tea — and caffeine at levels typically found in a cup of tea, were compared with a dummy treatment.
    The active ingredients significantly improved accuracy across a number of switching tasks for those who drank the tea after 20 and 70 minutes, compared with the placebo. The tea drinkers' alertness was also heightened, the study found.
    Tea was also found to reduced tiredness among the subjects, who were aged under 40, say the researchers. "The results suggest the combination helps to focus attention during a demanding cognitive task," they were quoted by the 'Daily Mail' as saying.
    Dr Tim Bond, of the industry-backed Tea Advisory Panel, said the latest findings backed a previous study which showed drinking two cups of black tea "improves the ability to react to stimuli and to focus attention on the task in hand". PTI

Eat& Burn Try these fat-burning foods to make your wish come true

You live to eat but don't want to pack the pounds either. Sounds redundant?

 So you are foodie and whether you're sad, happy or just tensed, you seek comfort in food. Pizzas, burgers, ice creams, cookies and milkshakes have a very soothing effect on your mood. But deep down in your heart, you know that you are going to put on weight by resorting to such sinful edible indulgences but you somehow manage to give a deaf ear to your inner voice. Some weeks and months later, everyone around comments on how much weight you have gained. You feel depressed by this and desperately wish there were foods, whose consumption whose consumption wouldn't add bulge to your body.
    Well there's some good news. There are certain natural foods known for their fat-burning properties, which boost your metabolism and burn some fat in the process too. The logic here is simple, these fat-burning foods require more calories to digest than they contain. These foods also help in detoxifying the body. One thing to be kept in mind is that you shouldn't make these foods your only diet, rather they should be incorporated in your daily diet.

CELERY
    Celery is an excellent source of vitamin C and fibre. It contains negative calories i.e. you burn calories to digest them and this property of celery is very beneficial for those who want to lose weight.

OATMEAL
    Making oatmeal a regular part of your diet is beneficial because they are loaded with soluble fibre that results in a slower energy release in the body. Because of this process, the metabolism in the body runs at a steady pace which is perfect for losing fat.

BERRIES
    Berries in the form of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc. are a good source of natural dietary fibre that is known to lower down the rate of carbohydrate absorption in the body. They prevent the insulin levels in the body to rise, which are known to cause storage of fat in the body.

GREEN TEA
    Green tea is packed with powerful anti-oxidants and contains a compound epigallocatechin gallate that is known to prevent serious health problems. Green tea fires up the body's metabolism thus, aiding the body to burn more calories.

BEANS
    Beans contain a lot of fibre that help reduce the absorption of fat in the body. Also, beans contain high amounts of protein that is beneficial in building body muscle. Body muscle cells are known to burn calories at a much higher rate.

NUTS
Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc. are actually quite healthy as they are packed with vitamins, fibre, protein, minerals and monounsaturated fats that help in controlling blood sugar levels and aiding fat loss. Eat them in moderation.

GRAPEFRUIT
    Grapefruit is one of the best natural foods that helps to kickstart fat loss by increasing the body's metabolism. That's because it contains a good amount of fat-burning enzymes. Also, because it is high in fibre, one feels fuller by eating less.