What if I told you that the biggest contributor to your weight gain wasn't sugary drinks, or too much couch time, or the 1,800-calorie Bloomin' Onion you ate the last time you visited Outback?

What if the real culprit were something more sneaky and insidious, something you couldn't see, couldn't taste, and couldn't get out of your life? No, I'm not talking about the Kardashians. I mean something even more ubiquitous: stress.

Stress derails your weight loss in several different ways:

The stress-nosh effect.

You're anxious/bored/worried/tired, and you need something to occupy your hands/your mouth/the empty feeling in your gut, so you automatically reach for a cookie/brownie/slice of cake/entire bag of Doritos. Stress drives us to distraction, and distracted eating is eating that adds a lot more calories, but little if any quality nutrients or feelings of satisfaction.

The fat-storage effect.

When you're under stress, the hormone cortisol gathers up all the extra lipids in your blood stream and stores them right in your belly. Then it sends out a signal:"Hey, need more lipids here. Go eat something." More stress leads to more belly fat, even if actual calories consumed remain the same.

The sleep lessness effect.

Sitting up all night long because you can't stop thinking about your credit report, your kids' school report, or how much you miss The Colbert Report may set you up for a miserable day of nutrition. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that when people are sleep-deprived, they are more likely to make bad food choices, snack late at night, and choose high-carb snacks. And a second study found that when people miss out on shut-eye, it makes them eye more calorie-dense meals.

That's why using tea to battle stress is an important part of the Tea Cleanse. The following teas can help soothe the soul, bring calm and focus to your world, and improve the quality of your sleep, even on evenings when the gap between income in and payments out are looking precariously narrow.

THE BODY CLEANER

DETOX TEA

DRINK THIS: Detox Tea with Ingredients of Black Tea, Hibiscus, Rose and Stevia Extract

BECAUSE IT: Helps cleanses and purifies

Detox tea is made of Hibiscus, rose and stevia, black tea. It helps lower blood sugar and cholesterol,lower blood pressure,reduce the risk of heart attack,help weight loss,accelerate body detoxification and promote better skin. this particular species of tea extract provides a vegetal-tasting tea that calms nervousness and anxiety and helps you get to sleep at night. It is generally considered safe to use, but should be avoided by pregnant women.

THE SLEEP ENHANCER

VALERIAN TEA

DRINK THIS: Yogi Tea Herbal Tea Supplement, Bedtime
BECAUSE IT: Brings on deeper sleep
Valerian is an herb that's long been valued as a mild sedative, and now research is showing what tea enthusiasts have known for centuries. In a study of women, researchers gave half the test subjects a valerian extract, and half a placebo. Thirty percent of those who received valerian reported an improvement in the quality of their sleep, versus just 4 percent of the control group. In a study published in the European Journal of Medical Research, investigators gave 202 insomniacs valerian or a Valium-like tranquilizer. After six weeks, both treatments were equally effective. And in other studies, valerian root has been shown to increase the effectiveness of sleeping pills. While researchers have yet to identify the exact active ingredient, they suspect that receptors in the brain may be stimulated to hit "sleep mode" when coming in contact with valerian.

THE STRESS-HORMONE SQUASHER

JASMINE GREEN INSTANT TEA

DRINK THIS: Green Tea and Jasmine Extract
BECAUSE IT: Reduces cortisol levels
A quality selection of high grade tea extract and delicate jasmine petals as preferred materials, combining the use of high-tech low temperature extraction technology, just completely to preserve strong aroma of jasmines, and with elegant green tea extract, together leave the jasmine green tea filled with savory taste and fragrant smell. Convenient brew, hot or cold. Jasmine green tea relaxes you after a long day. Jasmine green tea extract has various essence components, such as aromatic oil, geraniol and carophyllin. Theses particularly good for soothing your mind.

THE INSOMNIA SLAYER

LEMON BALM TEA

DRINK THIS: Traditional Medicinals Organic Lemon Balm
BECAUSE IT: Reduces sleep disorders
A European study found that lemon balm serves as a natural sedative, and researchers reported that they observed reduced levels of sleep disorders among subjects using lemon balm versus those who were given a placebo.