Matcha Matcha Matcha
I used to be a coffee drinker.
Now don’t get me wrong — I still love a good coffee and will have it now and again, just not as often as I would have used to.
Past me, a busy uni student consumed multiple coffees throughout the day because it kept me awake. It was also a reason to go sit in a cafe and do work or catch up with friends. It was a go-to — habit, if you like because everyone else around me did the same. As an adult, you just drank coffee to function and get on with your life.
I wasn’t so in touch with my body then and pushed the feeling of jitters, nervousness and nausea that caffeine caused for me to the back of my mind. Eventually, I had to have coffee in the morning to stave off the blooming headaches from caffeine withdrawals. It was only then, years later that I thought “this can’t be good for me.”
But I didn’t know what else to have instead so I just kept going (also because they’re yummy).
It wasn’t until I discovered matcha that I became absolutely obsessed.
Not just because of it’s gorgeous green colour and oh-so yummy flavour, but also for the plethora of health benefits that this super-green drink has.
Matcha is a caffeine-containing drink that also has a substance called L-theanine. Together, they create a balanced and steady stream of focused energy so you don’t experience the jittery highs and crashing lows that coffee gives you.
L-theanine balances out the effects of caffeine. On it’s own it helps to enhance mood, focus and calmness.
It is also super rich in antioxidants which fight and prevent oxidative stress and free-radical damage in the body. This means significantly less inflammation. Just one cup of matcha is reported to have the nutritional value of up to 10 cups of regular green tea and over 100 x the antioxidants
Matcha also help to boost your immunity (who couldn’t use a little bit of that right now) and also helps with improving your complexion for better skin (also, yes!).
When you buy matcha for yourself, make sure you’re purchasing the correct “grade”! Ceremonial is the highest quality traditionally used in tea ceremonies in Japan. Matcha this pure is typically consumed with hot water on it’s own.
If you love a latte like me, then latte-grade will do you just fine. My favourite way to have it is with some oat milk all frothed up in my milk frother — but you can do it by hand with a matcha whisk (I’m just lazy). Serve hot or over ice.
It is honestly so good.
