I recently discovered the green super drink, matcha green tea, and it has changed my world for the best! It all started with an Instagram story by my Instagram consultant @Catecolechic. Cate posted a shoutout Instagram story thanking fellow Philly gal, blogger, and yoga instructor @Kate.van.horn for posting her matcha drink details and that she’s now obsessed. So what is this matcha drink that has an Instagram consultant, yoga instructor, and spiritual lifestyle entrepreneur up in arms?
What Is Matcha?
Originated in China, it made its way to Japan via a monk who visited China and loved it, matcha is plant based and is derived from green tea leaves. Check out the delicate process from tea leaves to powder in this four-minute video here. While it’s mostly used in powder form and mixed with milk, you can also drink matcha via tea leaves or use a tea bag.
Why Drink It?
Matcha is the Superman of green drinks. Benefits wise, it simply blows all other green drink out of the water. Loaded with benefits and none of the jitters afterward, I feel like I’m winning every time I’m drinking my matcha green tea latte. According to matchasource.com, here are some of the benefits when consuming matcha:
- Is packed with antioxidants including the powerful EGCg
- Boosts metabolism and burns calories
- Detoxifies effectively and naturally
- Calms the mind and relaxes the body
- Is rich in fiber, chlorophyll, and vitamins
- Enhances mood and aids in concentration
- Provides vitamin C, selenium, chromium, zinc and magnesium
- Prevents disease
- Lowers cholesterol and blood sugar
My favorite perk about drinking matcha is that it’s detoxifying on a huge level. Matcha helps to majorly get rid of those pesky free radicals in our systems due to it being a high source anti-oxidant. A reason for this is because sometimes the food we eat isn’t as healthy or cleaned as well as it’s being portrayed. On the other hand, we could be eating or drinking too much of something and need to dial it back.
For example, I did one of those sessions where you soak your feet in specially prepared water to ascertain what’s going on internally with you based on the color the water changes. During one session, the color of the water showed that I had mercury in my system. Initially, I didn’t understand why it would show up in that color until I realized that I had been eating a lot of seafood and that could have been the culprit. So a regular detoxification is fine by me! See chart below from matchasource.com explaining how matcha is practically the king of anti-oxidants.
How To Prepare It
I love that it’s super easy to make. No mixing in a blender involved. I haven’t timed myself but I’m willing to say that it takes less than two minutes to make. here’s how I prepare my matcha green tea latte:
- 8 ounces of organic coconut milk poured directly into my drinking container
- 2 scoops (I just use my wide mouth spoon) of matcha green tea powder
- 7 ice cubes in the container and shake after securing the lid.
Three easy steps! Also, I want you to know that you can get the matcha powder by itself. However, I like the taste of the matcha + green tea. Overall, it’s a settle taste and has a settle but delightful smell; unlike one of my other favorite drinks that has a kick to it: apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, and raw honey, mixed in hot water.
I purchase the matcha green tea powder from Whole Foods (see below). I make 1-2 lattes almost every day. The powder lasts about a month.
How Consuming Matcha Benefited Me
Where do I begin?! As I mentioned in last week’s post, 5 Wellness Hacks To Improve Your Life, I briefly discussed how drinking matcha keeps me fuller longer and gives me more energy at the gym. It took roughly two weeks of consistently drinking matcha green tea latte before I noticed changes. Because drinking matcha provides a boost of energy, it serves as a great aid in having the endurance for exercising. I’ve been drinking matcha green tea for about a month now and here’s what I noticed about myself since I incorporated it into my life:
- I can do more reps and add more moves to my workout
- I don’t have a need to eat as many in-between meal snacks
- I get that refreshing feeling – like my internal organs are cleaner!
Who Is Matcha Good For?
You may already have a good system working for you and, until you hit a plateau with that, you may not want to add another drink to your regimen. I get it. I go through bouts where I’m all for one drink or food. For a while, I was drinking ACV (with the mother), cinnamon, and raw honey mixed with hot water in the mornings. Then, I was drinking chlorophyll in the mornings via chlorophyll drops in my water. Now, I’m on my matcha kick. There are enough benefits in matcha for everyone to benefit but it isn’t always that simple. Speaking with your doctor and examining your lifestyle are great ways to figure out if matcha truly is right for you.
When To Drink Matcha
Knowing when to drink matcha boils down to how well do you know your body. Sometimes I drink matcha in the morning and again in the evenings. Other times, I drink matcha just in the morning. While it does provide a boost in energy, it doesn’t cause me to stay up ridiculous hours at night if I drink it in the evening. The timing is really up to you.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- You may not be able to drink this on an empty stomach. One day, I was rushing to go to the gym and only ate a couple of slices of pepperoni while drinking my matcha green tea latte. I got stomach pains shortly after. It may not happen to you and it may be a one-time thing with me. Nevertheless, keep in mind that you just may need to eat something substantial while drinking the latte. Similar to drinking orange juice, because it’s so acidy, you need to have food in your belly before drinking it.
- You may want to consult your doctor first. Because matcha is a powerhouse for energy, it may be too much on your heart when combined with working out. Maybe you can only handle one drink of matcha a day and a small amount of that. It’s best to consult your doctor before diving into trying something new, especially if you have a medical condition.
- You may have to take care of business in the restroom. Matcha is a detoxifier aka you’ll have to do a #2 in the restroom in T minus 20 minutes. Keep that in mind if you’re about to run errands, etc. Will this always be the case? No, but keep that in mind!
- Drink in moderation. There’s never a reason to go overboard with drinking anything. Practice moderation. You’re only be harming yourself if you think of drinking tons of matcha to help you lose weight.
Do you have a matcha recipe of your own? Do you drink your matcha hot or cold? Do you even like matcha? Will you give it a try? Let me know in the comment section below!
Its so funny that I normally hate green tea but I love Matcha!
I used to be against drinking green drinks because I thought ppl were doing it just to be trendy.
I definitely want to try these. Preferably cold. That looks really good.
I like it better cold.
My daughter has been trying to get me to try this for awhile now. Thanks for all of the information!
Do it! Do it!
I love matcha!! Lately, I’ve been obsessed with making iced matcha lattes and adding honey. It adds the perfect hint of sweetness without being overpowering.
Shirin | http://www.queenshirin.com
Wow! I didn’t think of using honey in the drink. I’ll have to give it a try!
I have seen all kinds of stuff about this matcha, but I never really had a chance to look into it. Plus, I wondered if it was just another one of those fads that was going to fade away. Apparently not! I am so glad I came across your post, you made me realize that I need to give this stuff a try! You have provided a lot of information here, so thanks for sharing!
Awesome! Glad to help! I totally get it. I was against green drinks for a while because I thought it was too mainstream.
definitely going to try this! It sounds really good and good for me… and easy to make.
It’s so easy to make, which is another Reason why I love it.
I LOVE matcha green tea! It’s the only latte I get at Starbucks and I love making a simple cup of it at home. A friend of mine got me hooked a few years ago and I’ve been drinking it ever since!
Yes! I started drinking the ones at Starbucks but I learned that I can make it mysel. So I did!!!
I love green tea matcha soooo much! I didn’t know all of this info before; this was a great post!
Hmmm so much information to support its benefits.
Ahh I did a sample size of Matcha a few months ago and absolutely loved it! This is the reminder I needed to add it to my daily routine — thanks!
You’re most welcome. Sometimes, I make it part of my morning routine and other times I make its part of ny evening routine.
Never tried matcha tea before…. Trying it today
Enjoy!
i must admit i have never tried anything like that before! It’s so healthy I need to give it a go!
Def give it a try! I got hooked just over a month ago. Haha
I love Matcha! I get cravings for milk tea… one of my fav drink! Love your post!
I never heard of coconut milk until I started drinking matcha!
I can’t wait to try this! I have been looking for new drink/smoothie recipes and this sounds perfect!
Enjoy!
I’m glad that matcha is becoming popular not because is a trend but because it’s really good for the health!
http://www.bonjourchiara.com
Yes! Exactly!
This is such a great post! So much valuable and meaningful information. I really didn’t know that much about matcha, other than it being in a lot of the health drinks that I enjoy. I’m pinning this post because it is one that I will most certainly be going back to and I have a few friends that would really appreciate it as well so I will be passing along. Thanks for putting in the research and putting it all in one place for us!
Thanks for the pin! It’s my pleasure!
Waiting for the matcha craze to fully hit SA… We have a lot of skin care products but not much of the powder to eat and drink. Looks good.
Yes! There’s nothing like a matcha cafe. Meanwhile, you can get it via Amazon.