Oolong

Oolong tea is a variety of tea that falls somewhere between a black tea and a green tea. Anyone who has enjoyed tea at a Chinese restaurant has likely had oolong tea. It’s a natural choice for Chinese restaurants as it is the perfect complement to most meals and is reputed to cut through the grease of a meal. It is commonly called Wulong. Some Chinese translations of Wulong equate to ``black dragon’’ while others translate to ``blue mist’’. The black dragon translation is far more popular, but have you ever seen a black dragon without blue mist? It originates from Mount Wu Yi, or Wuyi Shan in the Fujian province, which is on the sea coast of China just across from Taiwan, another fabulous oolong producing country.
At another time I will explain better what makes an oolong an oolong. For today, I want to discuss the health benefits of oolong as they pertain to weight loss. Oolong has rapidly gained in popularity for weight loss attempts since an alleged endorsement by Oprah In recent years there has been a flurry of new businesses marketing oolong as an ancient Chinese weight loss solution, many of them based on these endorsements. It doesn’t matter if Oprah or Rachael endorsed oolong tea, there is science to support these claims. Studies done in China, Japan and the US all clearly indicate that people consistently consuming oolong lost weight through increased fat oxidation and further see blood sugar levels significantly reduced after a meal. My personal experience has been oolong helps me lose inches, while Pu Erh helps me lose pounds. That’s a perfect combo for me. It’s something different for everyone.
Be warned that the companies getting rich selling wulong slimming tea and the like are selling tea bags of oolong dust, the lowest grade of this tea. This is essentially what you can get at a take-out Chinese restaurant. They are selling typically a one-month supply (60 servings) for about $35 plus shipping. Many of these companies lock you into a auto-ship plan as well. Here is an informative website about oolong without trying to sell you something. In fact, the opening page examines the business practices of the most popular "oolong for fitness" sites.
http://www.wulongtea.org/index.php
A one-month supply (I recommend three cups a day) of nine ounces for ninety servings of organic loose leaf Wuyi Oolong from SensibiliTeas would cost (as of this posting) $25.88 and there is no auto-ship plan. Nine Dragons Oolong, a rolled oolong from the Wuyi region, is also organic and is exactly like what you would get in a Chinese restaurant would cost the same. If you would prefer flavors, all the flavored oolongs at SensibiliTeas are based on a Wuyi oolong. Citron Oolong ($4.50/oz) and Grapefruit Oolong ($3.00/oz) are the most popular.
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Today's quote is in memory of my older brother,
whom I will greatly miss

Bob Burgess 01/12/1953-01/02/2009

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

---Robert Frost / The Road Not Taken