Kick Off Your Week With #MatchaMondays

Interested in the bright green frappes and frozen drinks you see at the coffee shop? The chlorophyll powerhouse responsible for this trend is matcha, a green tea powder packed with feel-good phytochemicals.

Tea isn't always greener on the other side! You can beat your Monday melancholy with matcha and make all your coworkers green with envy.

What is matcha powder?

This tea comes from Japan, and the name "matcha" translates to powder tea. To call it "matcha powder" is redundant. Matcha is the tea featured in the traditional tea ceremony. The sorting process is extensive. Only the highest quality leaves become matcha.

Facilities take special care to taste each batch for quality control, and a magical machine sorts the leaves by color! The process is: pick, dry, sort, taste, and grind. The result is a versatile and super fine green powder.

How do you prepare matcha?

The concept of powdered tea may be unfamiliar, but it is an excellent method of green tea preparation. When we think of brewing tea, we tend to think of bags, balls, and teapots.

Since matcha is a powder, it is very versatile; You can utilize it in baked goods, lattes, smoothies, and even ice cream. To prepare matcha traditionally, you need a bamboo whisk and a small bowl. More modern preparations involve milk frothers and blenders.

Why should you drink matcha?

Matcha is a concentrated form of green tea! All the benefits you can expect from a high-quality tea are amplified because you ingest the entire leaf in high doses.

What kind of benefits are we talking about?

Catechins are the antioxidants responsible for most of the benefits associated with tea drinking. A study revealed that matcha powder could contain up to 137 times the available catechins in a single brew vs. other high-quality teas!

Catechins help support a healthy weight. Internally, the catechins help support your cardiovascular system, reducing inflammation in the arteries and blood pressure. Matcha has been associated with lowering BMI (body mass index), body fat percentage, and cholesterol levels.

In addition to being a concentrated nutrient boost to support your physical well-being, combining caffeine and l-theanine in matcha improves cognitive function! This impressive combination of phytochemicals creates a state of relaxation and calm while simultaneously energizing and invigorating the mind!

L-theanine also increases beta brainwave activity, which is responsible for clear and creative thought.

Matcha #EveryDay?

Be forewarned! Once you try this high-powered and rejuvenating elixir, you might get hooked! While your coworkers hit up the coffee machine, you can be whisking yourself away to your happy place.

With fat-busting, brain-boosting, heart-healthy nutrients in every sip, what's not to love about a mug of matcha?