Power up with this matcha latte recipe

Start your morning with a cup of bright green energy.

Don’t get me wrong, I love coffee. On a good day it gives me lots of energy and a beautiful bitter taste that I crave. It’s just that all too often coffee gives me the jitters accompanied by anxiety, nausea and unpleasant gut effects. Oh, and didn’t I mention not sleeping?

Cue the matcha.

Long story short is that matcha is the perfect alternative to coffee if you need a mental boost and lots of energy without feeling the same effects from a coffee overdose (or just bad quality coffee). Matcha is made of young green tea leaves that are ground up and dried into a bright green powder. So matcha powder will have the same characteristics and properties of your regular green tea:

• High in antioxidants such as flavonoids, vitamin C, polyphenols and catechins like EGCG
• Bitter and astringent qualities (great for digestion, and acts as a diuretic)
• Protective effect for the brain, and improved cognition (especially in women)
• High quantities of the amino acid L-theanine
• Anti-inflammatory properties and reduction of oxidative stress
• Supportive for the immune system
• Improves insulin sensitivity (better blood sugar regulation)
• Supports cardiovascular health and healthy cholesterol

Like coffee, green tea and matcha do contain caffeine. However, they both also contain the amino acid L-theanine, which was studied to negate or cancel the effects of caffeine in the body. This amino acid is actually responsible for that distinct “green” taste in matcha and green tea.

L-theanine is known to reduce stress and anxiety, as well as improve sleep. There have been a few times where I found myself lying in bed with a racing heart because I drank coffee too late in the day, and turned to my L-theanine capsules to settle me.

Maybe some of my spoonie sisters can relate – those days when I’m tired and have trouble brain fog and finding my words, I notice an improvement once I’ve had a cup of matcha. I feel mentally sharper, my thinking is more clear, and I have more energy to do what I need to do. Mental acuity and improved word recognition time with less cognitive fatigue were actually studied and proven using green tea.

Some things to bear in mind:

• If matcha is outside of your budget, you can obtain the same benefits in regular green tea (just in different ratios)
• Whether you drink coffee, green tea or matcha, get organic! These plants are sprayed with an abhorrent amount of pesticides and are often contaminated with mold (coffee, especially).
• Only use water heated to a maximum of 80 F degrees, because a higher temperature could destroy these valuable compounds.

And now, the recipe:

Below is my very own favourite matcha recipe. I take it hot on the cold days and icy on the hot days. I also tend to add some organic collagen powder to give me a protein boost and keep me satiated for longer in the morning. I add cardamom simply because I love how it tastes with the matcha, and it gives a little sweet accent without my having to sweeten my latte whatsoever. And I typically use DoMatcha summer harvest powder, which is a beautiful quality with a delicate aroma.

I use a Blendjet portable hand blender to create my morning latte. It could technically make 2 servings but I drink it all to myself! 🙂

Time to share

Tell me your thoughts on matcha! Love it? Hate it? How do you like to use matcha?

Are you a coffee connoisseur, a green tea expert, or a matcha lover?

How do you like to take your matcha? Do you eat it or drink it?

What benefits have you noticed from using this bright green bundle of joy?

If you’re looking for a beautifully pink herbal beverage to lighten the mood, try my Rose Hibiscus Lemonade!

Thanks for reading, Spoonie Sister. 🙂