Meals - Day 10

After adding a handful of peanuts to my diet after lunch i felt much better yesterday afternoon, concentration was back, hunger was gone and i felt less giddy than i did Tuesday afternoon, there was only one component i decided no to partake in and that was green tea, i normally drink a good quality green tea after lunch, a blend called Alexandria which is subtly scented with Mediterranean mint and vanilla. so i was wondering if this was the culprit in the 'why was i off my face on Tuesday afternoon?' story.

It turns out out it may have been a significant factor.

Instead of a post lunch green tea i elected to have an after dinner one instead and once again i was sat buzzing away in a semi retarded stupor.

At home i have a few green teas to choose from, i go for the loose tea like a good quality Chinese sencha flavoured with orange and berries and steep it in a ceramic and stainless steel infuser, the infuser is quite large for a normal tea cup so i use an oversized mug which has recently been relegated from hot chocolate duties for obvious reasons, my infuser also has a little ceramic stand to put it on to keep it safe and not mess up the counter when i remove it from the mug, i keep my green tea sealed in the foil lined bag it came in in the refrigerator to keep it fresh.

Back to the effects green tea has on our bodies, first of all green tea contains many bio-active compounds which are beneficial to our health such as powerful antioxidant polyphenols like flavonoids and catechins which protect cells and molecules from damage by reducing the formation of free radicals.  The antioxidant Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) is one of the most powerful compounds in green tea and has led to as yet unsubstantiated theories that it's affects can reduce the risk of various cancers, i say unsubstantiated as there are yet to be any approved claims of this from studies on humans in Europe or the USA.  But in theory if oxidative damage can contribute to cancer cells developing then it makes sense that combating this with an antioxidant can have a protective affect?

This next benefit of green tea blew my mind, the catechins present have been shown in studies to inhibit the growth of streptococcus which is the primary bacteria in the mouth which causes plaque formation leading to tooth decay and cavities!

Other possible advantages of green tea are as follows but i must stress that most of these advantages are as yet verified in human studies, show only marginal success in controlled trials or depend on the individual:

• Lowers risk of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and ultimately dementia.
• Lowers risk of type II diabetes by up to 42%.
• Lowers risk of cardiovascular disease up to 31%.
• Boosts metabolic rate and weight loss.
• Decreases the risk of death from heart disease and strokes

The compound i need to focus on for my answer to why i have a overpowering desire to listen to 160bpm drum and bass after drinking green tea is caffeine which has the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, although green tea has less caffeine present than coffee it can still block an inhibitory neurotransmitter called Adenosine increasing the firing of neurons and the concentration of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine improving mood, reaction time, memory and vigilance.

Caffeine works in conjunction with the amino acid L-theanine increasing the activity of another neurotransmitter known as GABA which has anti-anxiety effects, this amino acid also has the ability to increase the production of alpha waves in the brain which are the gateway to your subconscious and lie at the base of your conscious awareness, mainly intuition, problem solving and creativity. Alpha waves unlike beta waves also improve moods and establishes emotional stability by increasing serotonin production which is key to alleviating stress and depression. 

So there you have it, when i drink green tea i am basically experiencing amongst other things a legal high, hmm there may be a niche in the market for a green tea only nightclub... 

I will end on the fact that i have reduced the amount of green tea i am steeping to half a teaspoon and this seems to shorten the jittery effects i have been experiencing.

So yesterdays meals were as follows:

Breakfast: Bran flakes with semi skimmed milk.

Mid morning snack: Carrot, pineapple and orange booster juice plus a banana.

Lunch: Basil and lemon chicken salad plus salted peanuts.

Afternoon snack: Apple and a peanut butter sandwich on low GI white bread.

Dinner: Low fat lasagne.

Desert: Stewed fruit and custard.

Drinks: 2.8 litres of water, 2 coffees and one hit of green tea!

Total calories: 1885 calories (still working on the increase)