4 Teas to Enhance Blood Circulation and Melt Fat Away

The medicinal properties of some Chinese herbs demonstrate that our weight can be influenced not only by what we eat, but also by what we drink.
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Amid today’s obesity epidemic, many seek ways to shed unwanted pounds other than dieting. What if simply drinking tea could help? Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) offers four teas and one powder, called lotus leaf ash, that are all said to help eliminate fluid retention and cellulite and help people lose weight.

TCM holds that “phlegm dampness” is the main cause of obesity. Both phlegm and dampness come from excessive waste accumulated due to imbalances in the internal organs and conditions such as hyperlipidemia (excess lipids) and hyperglycemia (excess glucose). Therefore, TCM treats obesity by first regulating the internal organs to expel excess substances and toxins from the body.

Since ancient times, tea has been a traditional drink for Chinese people. Natural weight loss is one of its benefits.

Recipes for Body Slimming Teas

1. Oil Removal and Cellulite-Reducing Tea to Trim Waist and Abdominal Flab

If you have what is called an “apple-shaped” figure, meaning you tend to carry weight around your waist, this tea might be for you. It incorporates cassia seeds, hawthorn, and tangerine peel as the main ingredients.
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According to TCM theory, when “dampness” invades the body, it can cause organ dysfunction, resulting in excess water being retained by the body, causing edema and other conditions.

Research suggests cassia has diuretic effects. The cassia seeds in this tea can assist in clearing excess heat from the body, soothe the intestines, and help discharge excess water and waste. Note that people who have regular smooth bowel movements should not add too much cassia seed to avoid diarrhea.

Hawthorn can promote fat decomposition, eliminate food stagnation, and lower blood lipids.

Tangerine peel contains volatile oil, which can regulate digestive function and eliminate gas accumulation in the intestines.

To Make the Tea:

In a filter tea bag add:
  • 15 grams of cassia seeds (adjust the dosage according to the health of bowel movements)
  • 4 grams each of hawthorn and tangerine peel
Place the bag into an insulated cup, steep with boiling water for 2 minutes, then discard the water. Add 2 cups of boiling water back to the cup and steep for another 10 to 15 minutes.
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Halfway through drinking, you can top off the cup with hot water once again. Continue doing this throughout the day until the herbs completely lose their taste.

Suggestion: You can make use of the steeping time to do 10 minutes of exercise to increase the effect of fat elimination.

Note: People with stomach problems and gastroesophageal reflux should avoid this oil-reducing cellulite tea as it may increase gastric acid secretion and irritate the gastric mucosa. In addition, pregnant and breastfeeding women shouldn’t use hawthorn. This tea shouldn’t be taken on an empty stomach.

2. A Drink to Remove Swelling and Promote Slimming: Improve Lower Body Obesity

For those with a “pear-shaped” figure, that is, tending to carry weight around the hips and lower half, this drink may help remove swelling and promote a slimming effect. Its main ingredients are Poria cocos fungus, Codonopsis pilosula (dangshen), and pink rose.

Poria cocos can strengthen the spleen, remove dampness, and eliminate edema.

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Codonopsis pilosula can replenish qi. The “qi” mentioned here can be understood in TCM as the “energy” or “vital energy” that constitutes human life. This energy flows throughout the body and sustains all physiological activities. Disease or other conditions only occur when there is an imbalance or deficiency of qi inside the body.
Pink roses can soothe the liver and regulate qi, activate blood circulation, promote metabolism, and at the same time beautify the skin.

To Make the Drink

In a filter tea bag add:
  • 12 grams of Poria cocos
  • 3 grams of Codonopsis pilosula
  • 4 to 6 pink
Add 2 cups of boiling water and steep in an insulated cup for 10 to 15 minutes before drinking.

Again, while it steeps, why not add in some light exercises, such as squatting to exercise the gluteal, leg, and abdominal muscles? Squats mobilize muscles throughout the legs and torso and can effectively help overweight people burn fat and reduce retained fluid in the lower body.

Suggestion: Drinking hot or warm drinks rather than iced or cold drinks is of more benefit to the body. Carry a thermos with you to drink warm water, teas, and other beverages throughout the day and keep the body warm. This warmth can encourage an improved metabolic rate and help you burn calories more effectively.
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Note: Because pink roses have the effect of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, this drink isn’t suitable for women who are planning to become pregnant or are already in pregnancy or breastfeeding.

3. Blood-Nourishing and Fat-Reducing Tea: Removes Waste from Blood Vessels

You can embark on a healthy weight loss regime and also take care of cardiovascular health at the same time with this blood-nourishing and fat-reducing tea. Its main ingredients are hawthorn, Panax notoginseng, rose flower, and chrysanthemum.

Panax notoginseng can enhance blood circulation and remove blood stasis, help to remove fat from the body, and help remove long-standing phlegm and phlegm dampness.

Roses can nourish liver qi.

Chrysanthemum can clear the liver, improve eyesight, and help burn fat at the same time.

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If the qi or spleen (the main organ involved in producing qi) is weak, water can’t be transported and transformed properly, and “moisture” can accumulate. If moisture stays for too long, it will condense into “phlegm.” In TCM, weight loss starts with eliminating stagnated qi and phlegm dampness from the root.

To Make the Tea

  • 10 grams of hawthorn (washed)
  • 3 grams of Panax notoginseng (Chinese ginseng)
Add the above to 1,500 ml (about 6 cups) of water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 30 minutes or until reduced to about one cup. Add 5 to 6 roses and 5 to 6 chrysanthemums. Simmer for another 10 minutes before serving.

Suggestion: Drink 2 to 3 times a week for best results.

Note: Because roses and Panax notoginseng both have the effect of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, women shouldn’t drink it during menstruation. In addition, hawthorn is quite acidic, so people with stomach problems or acid reflux symptoms should avoid drinking this tea.

4. Lotus Leaf Tea: Lowers Blood Lipids and Blood Pressure

Lotus leaf can lower blood lipids, which is immensely helpful for obese people with hyperlipidemia. Lotus leaves as a tea for daily consumption can form a fat isolation film on the intestinal wall, which can inhibit the body’s absorption of fat, eliminating fat and lowering blood pressure on the other.

To Make the Tea

  • 15 to 20 grams of lotus leaves
  • 6 grams of green tea leaves
Add to boiling water, simmer for about 15 minutes, and then drink.

Lotus leaf tea can serve as both a diuretic and fat reducer. People whose faces are prone to swelling and who don’t urinate frequently can drink the tea before meals. It has the effect of strengthening metabolism, detoxifying, and reducing weight.

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Suggestion: Drink in moderation to avoid diarrhea.

Lotus Leaf Ash: An Ancient Weight Loss Tip

Lotus leaf ash, also known as burnt lotus leaf or lotus leaf charcoal is very special. It’s used to strengthen the spleen, aid in weight loss, remove phlegm and dampness, and is proven to be exceptionally effective. Many TCM pharmacies can make lotus leaf ash.

Dai Sigong, an eminent TCM practitioner in the Ming Dynasty, recorded the efficacy of lotus leaf ash in his medical classic “Key to Diagnosis and Treatment.”

“Cure edema due to yang fluid by retaining the property of burned lotus leaf. Grind it into powder, mix it with watery porridge, and drink. Lotus leaf ash can help people lose weight,” he wrote.

After consuming lotus leaf ash for a while, your preference for greasy foods (such as deep-fried delicacies, and butter-drenched pastries) will naturally diminish and your appetite will lessen.

Directions

Add 5 to 15 grams of lotus leaf ash to rice porridge. Take 1 to 2 times a day for 1 month to lose weight and reduce swelling.
Note: Some of the herbs mentioned above may sound unfamiliar, but many can be found in health food stores and Asian grocery stores. In addition, since everyone’s body constitution is different, treatment methods are also different. Please consult a professional doctor for your specific treatment plans.
Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here.
Naiwen Hu
Naiwen Hu
Naiwen Hu is a traditional Chinese medicine physician at the Shanghai Tong Te Tang in Taipei, Taiwan, and a professor at the Nine Star University of Health Sciences in Sunnyvale, Calif. He also worked as a researcher of life science at the Standford Research Institute. In his over 20 years of practice, he has treated more than 140,000 patients. He was known for successfully curing the fifth melanoma patient in the world by using traditional Chinese medicine. Hu currently hosts a YouTube health program that has 900,000 subscribers. He is also known for his popular road show on health and wellness held in various cities in Australia and North America.
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