I’ve always struggled with the idea that being fat is the “ABSOLUTE WORST THING A HUMAN BEING COULD EVER BE!!!” and, as such, have often fallen prey to the tricks that diet culture plays to reinforce this.
I’m not quite so wrapped up in that anymore, thank goodness. I still have difficulty shaking the idea that fat = bad (for myself, I hasten to add) but I’m well aware that carrying a few extra pounds isn’t the be all and end all of a person. But, as a young, impressionable teenager invested in diet culture, I’d buy all the quick-fix workout DVDs and miracle diet cookbooks in an effort to lose weight.

One fad I fell for time and time again, for example, is the teatox. These cure-all teabags that magically make you thin in a matter of weeks, with a lengthy list of natural ingredients that sound super healthy and apparently work wonders. All for a hefty price tag, of course.
These days, I understand that these quick fixes don’t work. They just are not a way of life. Eating well and exercising is the best way forward for your body, and finding exactly what works for you. As an alternative, I found a genuinely natural tea that really does help me – not for weight loss, but just as an everyday booster which is good for my body.

Green tea is brilliant for me. It’s an acquired taste – I wasn’t sold at my first sip I’ll be honest – but now I love it. I drink a cup of green tea every morning, and I really do feel the benefits. It wakes me up using less caffeine, it helps my digestion stay on track, it bulks up my breakfast so I feel fuller for longer and it tastes very refreshing.
It’s pretty affordable too. From my local supermarket you can get 400 green teabags – so at least a year’s supply – for £5.92. That works out to just over 49p per month, just over 11p per week or just over a penny per day. People think healthy, nutritious, beneficial food and drink has to cost the earth, but they don’t!
I suppose what I’m saying is stop throwing money away on short-term diet culture miracles and find low-cost, basic ingredients that can work into your everyday life and help look after you and your body in a well-rounded way. It’s difficult when gorgeous reality stars are instagramming these quick fixes, especially when you’re feeling vulnerable, but you’ve got to remember that it’s all about money for them and you are worth more than that.
It might not be green tea for you, but trust me, there’s something real out there for everyone!
