Whether you’ve just come back from a particularly indulgent holiday, have a wedding coming up, or just want to shed a few pounds for health reasons, you’ll be joining almost half of the population in trying to lose weight at any one time. From exercising regularly and eating more healthily, to drinking more water and having smaller meals, there are so many things that can help you slim down. “But where does kombucha fit into this?”, we hear you ask.
Well, although the fizzy, fermented drink has been lauded for offering potential health benefits like greater gut function and improved brain health, kombucha can also be a great tool in your arsenal when trying to lose weight. Allow us to explain how.
What is kombucha?
Kombucha is a fizzy, fermented drink produced using yeast, sugar, and tea. It’s made through a double fermentation process, in which a SCOBY (a pancake-shaped symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) is mixed with sweetened tea, enabling the bacteria and yeast to convert the sugar into ethanol and acetic acid. This gives the drink its unique sweet and sour taste, that, alongside its supposed health benefits, makes kombucha so popular.Here at No. 1 Living, our canned kombucha is sugar-free, with stevia used as a sweetener instead. Two hundred times sweeter than table sugar, we only use a tiny amount to achieve the perfect level of sweetness. Stevia also comes from plants and therefore has no impact on blood sugar levels or negative effects on health.
How to drink kombucha for weight loss?
Swap alcohol for kombucha
Although many of us enjoy a tipple every now and then, drinking alcohol can cause us to go over our recommended daily calorie intake, with the likes of wine, beer and cocktails extremely calorific.
According to Drink Aware, there’s typically 341 calories in a 175ml glass of wine, while the figure for the average pint of beer is 182 calories. Compare this to kombucha, however, and you can begin to see why it can be such a great way of losing weight.
Here at No.1 Living, not only is our kombucha non-alcoholic, but one 250ml can contains around just three calories! As such, swapping out booze for kombucha is a sure-fire way of cutting your calorie intake.
Satisfy your sweet tooth with kombucha
For those with a sweet tooth, sugary drinks like Coca Cola, Red Bull and Ribena can feel like a great way of satisfying your cravings. However, these are also laden with calories, something that can again lead to you piling on the pounds.
For example, there are 139 calories in a 330ml can of Coke, 117 calories in a 258g can of Red Bull, and even 94 calories in a 500ml bottle of diluted Ribena.
Again, by switching to kombucha instead, you can enjoy a sweet treat but without the guilt. The same is true for sugary snacks, though it’s important to note that kombucha shouldn’t be used as a meal replacement.
Fuel your post-workout recovery with kombucha
If you’re serious about losing weight, then regular exercise is key. And regardless of whether you’ve attended a spin class, lifted weights or just jogged around the block, kombucha makes for the perfect post-workout drink.
Not only does it help you to avoid sugary and calorific sports drinks, but research has suggested that green tea, a major ingredient in kombucha, can help boost your metabolism.
Consequently, the fermented drink can make a fantastic workout partner, especially considering its potential ability to reduce inflammation.
When to drink kombucha for weight loss?
Morning
Drinking kombucha before you eat breakfast can be a great way of curbing your appetite and preventing you from overeating. What’s more, doing so on an empty stomach can help balance your gut bacteria, something that may provide a range of potential health benefits.
That said, you can get full from drinking kombucha, so be sure not to consume too much, or you won’t get the nutrition you need from fresh food. In addition, those with a sensitive stomach may not want to drink kombucha without eating anything beforehand, as this could upset it.
Afternoon
Having kombucha with or after your meal is believed to aid digestion, while the fullness it provides can again help you to eat less, aiding your weight loss efforts. What’s more, it stops you from reaching for coffee, a sugary drink or a sweet treat in order to stave off that post-lunch slump, again helping to reduce your calorie intake.
The same caveat of not relying on kombucha for nutrition applies, however, so you should still eat enough to fill you up.
Evening
After being at work all day, it’s often tempting to crack open a nice cool beer or start a bottle of wine. However, as touched upon earlier, both options can lead to you piling on the pounds. By drinking kombucha instead, you help to avoid this, as well consume a healthier alternative overall.
One note of caution, however, is that kombucha contains caffeine, something that could affect your sleep if consumed too late in the day. That said, its caffeine content is typically around 15mg per serving (compare this to around 95mg in your average cup of coffee), meaning, as long as you're not intolerant to the stimulant, you should be fine.
Hopefully the advice here can assist you in your weight loss journey! If we’ve convinced you to start drinking this wonderful beverage, then be sure to check out our kombucha range today, with flavours including ginger, raspberry and passion fruit.
