Friend of the blog Tameka “Tiny” Harris cleared the air on rumors that she had tummy tuck surgery after the birth of her last child, Heiress Harris.
Some people are miserable and tend to be rude in comments sections. Tameka set those people straight in a language they understood.
Tameka responded to comments left under a post on Instagram.com. The mother-of-4 explained that her tummy is flat thanks to drinking a herbal tea that promotes weight loss.
As you may know, Tameka is paid to advertise a product called Activate flat tummy tea. The product claims to help consumers lose belly fat by decreasing bloating.
Tameka is not the only urban celebrity endorsing this particular brand of tea on social media.
But does it work?
Activate does not provide any clinical data to prove their claims that their tea promotes weight loss.
Drinking tea alone won’t result in a dramatic decrease in belly fat despite what anyone tells you.
However there is research that proves drinking green tea burns a tiny amount of belly fat.
Green tea contains catechins which briefly promotes weight loss by increasing the body’s metabolism.
I saw results after drinking 3 cups of the green tea pictured above. But the results from drinking any green tea varies.
Weight loss from drinking green tea is barely noticeable if you don’t also diet and exercise.
Losing belly fat is a challenge, especially for women who are over 40.
The culprit is estrogen, testosterone and low progesterone.
In some women over 40, progesterone levels begin to decrease with the onset of perimenopause.
Low progesterone causes other hormones such as estrogen and testosterone to be artificially elevated.
This means that estrogen and testerone become the dominant hormones in your blood once your progesterone level drops.
Testosterone and estrogen coupled with low progesterone increases the storage of fat in the abdomen, hips and thighs resulting in the classic pear shape in women.
This type of belly fat is very difficult to get rid of. No amount of exercising or dieting or tea drinking will burn this type of belly fat.
Increasing your progesterone levels (through hormone replacement) helps to reverse the effect of estrogen and testosterone on belly fat.
Most women who have the financial means to pay for cosmetic surgery undergo belly tucks or liposuction to get rid of stubborn belly fat.
Insulin resistance and stress also cause increased weight gain. Please Google Insulin Resistance for more on that subject.
Ask your doctor to draw your blood to check thyroid and hormone levels.
If your progesterone and estrogen levels are low, talk to your doctor about Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).
FYI: most general practitioners will not prescribe hormone replacement for female patients due to the risk of cancer.
Women who have a history of cancer in their families are at higher risk for cancer when taking hormone replacement.
If you are over 40, and you are having difficulty losing weight, visit a doctor who specializes in anti-aging, or an endocrinologist.
From my own experience with HRT, I can tell you it is generally safe. But balancing your hormone levels can be tricky.
Most doctors who prescribe HRT treat all women as if our bodies respond to HRT exactly the same way.
YOU are your best advocate. Be proactive and monitor your hormone levels regularly while on HRT to make sure your hormone levels are balanced properly.
Failure to monitor your hormone levels can result in weight gain, hot flashes, mood swings, insomnia, weakness, acne, facial hair, premature baldness, hair loss, fibroids, endometriosis, uterine bleeding, and a long list of other medical problems.
Some anti-aging doctors are scam artists who aren’t sympathetic to your needs or your suffering when you are in menopause. Don’t be afraid to shop around to find the right doctor for you.
I could go on all day about the problems I’ve had dealing with anti-aging doctors and hormone replacement therapy over the years. But this is already a long post.
The bottom line is to be proactive and take charge of yourself.
BEWARE of anyone who tells you that you can lose weight or belly fat by drinking tea.
