Let me start this post by explaining that I have never been a big fan of the taste of tea. I don’t detest it, but it previously would not have been my first choice for a caffeinated beverage…especially over my beloved coffee.
But then I learned about the amazing health benefits of matcha green tea and everything changed!
On top of the health benefits, I discovered you can enjoy matcha tea in so many ways including a simple shake-and-drink option (which is awesome when you’re short on time or traveling).
Now I start every single day with a cup of matcha green tea (right after I have my daily detox lemon water).
And if ever I feel the need for a “pick me up” in the afternoon, matcha is my go-to.
What is matcha green tea and how is it different from “regular” green tea?
Matcha is a premium green tea powder with a fine texture that’s grown in Japan. It can be used for making cold or hot tea, or as an ingredient in recipes for things like smoothies, lattes, ice cream and baked goods.
The tea leaves used to produce matcha are shielded from sunlight several weeks before they are harvested. This allows the leaves to darken more effectively and produce higher levels of nutrients and amino acids.
After the best tea leaves are picked, they are dried out and ground manually into a fine powder on a stone mill to protect the nutrients in the leaves.
Because the entire tea leaf is ground up to create matcha green tea powder, it is far richer in health benefits (like disease-fighting antioxidants) than its loose leaf counterparts.
In fact, one cup of matcha green tea has the same amount of antioxidants as 10 cups of green tea that’s been brewed using loose leaves or tea bags.
Other than the health benefits it provides, my favorite thing about matcha green tea is that being in powder form makes it so easy to prepare!
For my morning fix, I simply toss a teaspoon of matcha green tea powder into a beverage shaker with a cup of purified water, shake it up and chug it down with a straw to avoid staining my teeth.
NOTE: I prefer using glass kitchen tools whenever possible to avoid plastic, because even “BPA free” plastics can be toxic. Part of the magic of my daily matcha routine includes a glass shaker bottle (I love this one) and glass straws (I use these).
How does matcha green tea powder taste?
Because of its high level of amino acids, pure matcha has a deep and complex taste that’s initially bitter with a sweet aftertaste.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF MATCHA GREEN TEA POWDER
Matcha green tea powder provides tremendous health benefits! To avoid turning this post into a novel, I’ve narrowed the list down to what I believe to be the top 3 benefits below:
1) Antioxidant Powerhouse & Potent Detoxifier
Matcha green tea powder contains more antioxidants than virtually any other food in existence. Antioxidants are so important to your overall health, because they protect your cells from being damaged by free radicals in your body.
To best understand what free radicals are, I think of them as the “crud” floating around in your body that’s trying to latch onto a healthy host. They are caused by exposure to toxins like air pollution.
When your cells get damaged by free radicals, serious health issues can result like cancer, heart disease, advanced aging and other degenerative diseases
Matcha green tea powder is a rich source of catechins, which are a group of antioxidants that protect your cells from the disruption caused by free radicals in your body.
The most prominent catechin found in matcha green tea powder is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which is an even more potent antioxidant than vitamin C or E.
As shown by the chart below, matcha green tea powder blows the most commonly known “superfoods” out of the water when it comes to antioxidant value.
(REGARDING THE CHART BELOW: ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, which is a score given to foods to quantify their antioxidant capacity.)
On top of its amazing antioxidant value, matcha green tea powder is a potent detoxifier!
Because matcha leaves are predominately grown in the shade and protected from sunlight, matcha green tea powder is a rich source of chlorophyll…far richer than all other teas.
Chlorophyll is a powerful cleansing and detoxifying agent that helps rid your body of heavy metals and other toxins. It has strong links to cancer prevention, skin protection, faster wound healing and liver detoxification. It’s also what gives matcha green tea its bright green color.
2) Provides Energy, Alertness & Calm at the Same Time
Matcha green tea powder contains high levels of L-theanine, which is an amino acid that lowers stress levels while also promoting alertness.
Matcha green tea powder contains up to five times as much L-theanine as regular green tea. The L-theanine content counteracts the caffeine in the tea, making matcha ideal for providing energy while also creating a mental state of relaxed alertness.
3) Weight Loss
When it comes to losing weight, matcha green tea powder can help in two ways:
First, its natural caffeine content promotes thermogenesis. That means it causes your body to produce heat, which helps burn more calories.
Second, the EGCG in matcha green tea boosts metabolism and promotes the breakdown of stored fat.
BOOM, talk about an awesome one-two punch for weight loss!
GRADES OF MATCHA GREEN TEA POWDER
When you start shopping for matcha green tea powder, you will notice there are various “grades” available. The most common are “culinary” (AKA “cooking” or “cafe”) grade and “ceremonial” grade.
The difference in grades is in the flavor profile, not the nutrients. So regardless of which grade of matcha you buy (provided it’s pure matcha green tea), you will get the same health benefits.
In a nutshell, culinary grade matcha is best for blending into recipes because it has a bold flavor that may be too much for some people to enjoy on its own as a straight cup of tea.
Ceremonial grade is best for tea lovers who want to sip and enjoy the flavor of their tea.
HOW TO PREPARE MATCHA GREEN TEA POWDER
There are loads of ways to enjoy matcha green tea powder as part of your daily diet. Basically, you can add it to any drink or recipe where you want to add a tea flavor or create a pretty green color.
Here are some examples:
- Hot Tea. Whisk it into a glass of hot water to enjoy as hot tea.
- Iced Tea. Toss a teaspoon in a shaker bottle with a cup of cold filtered water, shake and enjoy. Or, pour it over ice after it’s blended to enjoy it chilled.
- Lattes. Add it to your favorite hot or iced latte recipe.
- Smoothies. Toss a teaspoon in with your favorite smoothie recipe.
- Sweet Treats. Add it to your baked goods or this delicious DIY ice cream recipe.
WHERE TO BUY MATCHA GREEN TEA POWDER
You have to be very careful when buying matcha green tea powder, because there are lots of imposters on the market. Many tea powders marketed as “matcha” are actually blends of various tea powders. There are also lots of adulterated/impure versions that don’t actually contain pure matcha.
To truly experience the health benefits of matcha green tea powder, you must get the real deal.
You can go to a local tea shop and talk to a tea expert to help you select your matcha. You can also find some solid options on amazon:
- Culinary Grade by Jade Leaf Organics
- Culinary Grade by Kiss Me Organics
- Ceremonial Grade by Eco Heed
Cheers to making matcha green tea a daily part of your health-focused routine!
With love and gratitude,
Kandi
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