The green revolution is here!
Sadly, the beverage doesnt agree with me.
For years I drank coffee and endured the intense jitters, anxiety spike, and mood crashes that followed.
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Id walk around with a ballooningcortisolknot-in-your-stomach feeling until finally it dissipated and Id either fall asleep or cry.
I thought this was normal and simply the price we paid for an hour or two of energy.
One of those drinks is matcha, which I switched to about a year ago and never looked back.
Most high-quality matcha tea powder is still grown in Japan.
Nowadays, matcha is a ubiquitous cafe menu item.
I will say, the earthy, vegetal flavor of powdered green tea can take some getting used to.
But just like espresso, it pairs deliciously with a little milk and sweetness.
I personally like to drink it with steamed oat milk and honey.
But if you enjoyed the base complexity of espresso, youll probably like matcha too.
Whats in a Matcha Latte?
Matcha green tea powder contains high levels of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory substances in the form of catechins and polyphenols.
It also helps the body absorb caffeine more gradually.
Plus, studies show that the combination of L-theanine and caffeine improve mood and cognitive performance.
Just Enough Caffeine
The tea leaves used for matcha are always young and shade-grown.
This increases chlorophyll content, thus giving them more antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals than other varieties of green tea.
As for caffeine content, matcha falls somewhere between coffee and tea at about 70 mg per cup.
Therefore, matcha will certainly give you a boost!
Still, I persevered through the initialcaffeine withdrawalsand bought the supplies to make quality matcha lattes at home.
This included buying a milk frother to get the full experience.
One of the biggest draws of switching to matcha was that a matcha lattefeelslike an espresso drink.
I like honey and steamed oat milk in mine.Regular black teajust doesnt have the same appeal.
Coffee perks you up almost instantly while matcha slowly and gently boosts your energy, says Moore.
Minor dramas and inconveniences feel less consequential.
I feel more OK, content, willing to face the world with less intimidationwhatever will be will be.
Deep inhale, longer exhale, et cetera.
And speaking of not being a monk, Im a huge proponent of everything in moderation.
Maybe just try swapping a couple of your weekly coffees for matcha and see what happens.
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Frank C.Matcha: A look at possible health benefits.Harvard Health.
