We hear a lot about the benefits of green tea, and hopefully by now, you have added organic green tea to your life. Even if you don’t do caffeine, at least the decaf version! But did you know that matcha is like green tea elite? It’s a higher performing version of the traditional tea, and it can be really delicious.
Matcha is actually the highest quality powdered green tea available, and is made from the super nutrient dense young leaves picked from the tips of shade-grown Camellia sinensis plants. Matcha has been consumed for over a thousand years and should definitely be considered to be one of the most powerful super foods.
Like with regular green tea, matcha can be bitter if it’s not prepared correctly. But when blended with just the right amount of your favorite sweetener (mine is coconut nectar) and your favorite non-dairy milk (mine is Brazil nut), you can get a frothy, delicate and comforting cup of health. So why should you love Matcha?
1. Super High in Antioxidants – One cup of matcha has 5 times as many antioxidants as any other food, the highest rated by the ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) method.
2. EGCg – The Cancer Fighting Powerhouse. Of all the antioxidants, EGCg is the most powerful in its cancer fighting properties. Matcha Green Tea contains over 100 times more EGCg than any other tea.
3. Zen Calm. Despite the caffeine (which is a small amount). Monks have been ceremonially using matcha for over a thousand years to induce a calm, transcendent state. This is due to the amino acid L-Theanine contained in the leaves used to make Matcha. L-Theanine promotes the production of alpha waves in the brain, which promote relaxation.
4. Burns Fat. Drinking Matcha has been shown to increase metabolism and help the body burn fat, without unwanted side-effects like increased heart rate and high blood pressure.
5. Natural Detox. During the last three weeks before Matcha leaves are harvested, they are covered from sunlight. This causes an increase in chlorophyll production in the new growth. The resulting high levels of chlorophyll make Matcha a naturally efficient detoxifier that can assist you in the removal of heavy metals and toxins.
6. Improves Cholesterol. Various studies have shown that people who drink Match Green Tea on a regular basis have lower levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol while at the same time, higher levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.
WHAT MATCHA SHOULD YOU BUY? I have two easy guidelines: be sure you only buy organic. Non-organic teas are heavily sprayed with pesticides. That goes for all teas, not just Matcha. And, try to get ceremonial grade if you can!
I’ve posted recipes for Matcha drinks on
HTTP://WWW.PINTEREST.COM/LIANASHANTI
and also on my FB page at RawganicVegan
Enjoy!
