Meet Matcha!
I love tea as much as I love Total Gym! I actually dedicated a corner in my home to my love of tea. I found a whole world of happiness by trying out all the different types. I began my research into green tea after losing my father to cancer. I was looking for possible ways to prevent myself from the same fate as so many had passed away in my family. During my research I came across all the health benefits of green tea and specifically the wonders of matcha! I was clueless about this amazing healing tea. I found that matcha was the mother-load of green tea. I also like to refer to it as, “Top Shelf Tea”. I am sure you heard that drinking green tea in general is super healthy, and trust me I was sucking down 5 to 7 cups of day of hot steeped green tea for my health. Discovering matcha was HUGE for me. I found that 1 cup of powerful matcha was equivalent to 10 cups of regular brewed green tea! That is simply AMAZING! So now I could get 1 perfect shot of health every morning before starting my day. It is really my secret weapon.
What is Matcha?
Matcha comes from a tea plant called Camellia Sinensis and is grown in Japan. While green tea come in leaf form, matcha is in powder form. Matcha is actually 100% green tea leaves that have been stone ground into a fine powder. Much like the consistency of protein powders but bright green. It is much more concentrated than regular green tea, so you only need ½ a teaspoon per cup. In comparison to regular green tea, when drinking matcha, you consume the whole tea leaf!
Health Benefits
Matcha has 10 times the nutritional value of regular green tea and up to 137 times the number of antioxidants. It is a powerhouse of antioxidants and vitamins! Matcha is especially high in epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a type of catechin that has been shown to have powerful anti-cancer properties. Matcha is packed with more antioxidants than any other superfood! Antioxidants like this will help you fight disease, aging, and free radicals. It can reverse cellular damage. It is rich in chlorophyll which naturally detoxifies your body and gives it a rich bright green color. So, it is a safe daily cleanser. Matcha is rich in L-Theanine, a rare amino acid that actually promotes a state of relaxation and alertness that helps boost brain function! It reduces levels of total and “bad” LDL cholesterol, as well as triglycerides which can help prevent heart disease. The caffeine in matcha is not like coffee. It does not raise blood pressure or cause rapid heart rate. It gives you energy without the crash and burn later. It has half the caffeine as coffee. I cannot drink coffee because it gives me the jitters really bad. Making the switch to matcha was the best decision for me.
Weight loss & Fitness
Drink matcha before your workout to increase fat burn by up to 25%! It will boost your metabolism. Even gives you up to 24% endurance performance. Speeds up the recovery time in athletes. Safely cleanses the body. You will get clear focus and concentration which will aid you in your fitness goals. I personally have experienced all these awesome benefits. Matcha really helped me reset my metabolism and removed impurities from my body.
Made Simple
When I say different types of matcha, I should clarify, different grades. I buy the pricier ceremonial matcha. That is the highest grade because my body requires the best and so should yours. It is a little sweeter in taste naturally and very green. You can make traditional matcha tea by sifting 1 to 2 teaspoons of matcha powder into your cup, adding hot water and mixing it together with a bamboo whisk. I do not recommend boiling water because you will burn the leaves.
However, you saw on the video I use a simple matcha whisk to get the same frothy bubbles on top. If you love your protein shakes, simply add the matcha into your shaker cup and shake away. I like to keep my morning simple, and using this tea ware from Steeped Tea makes it easy. I also found they make naturally flavored matcha too. Which is amazing since I do not use any form of sugars to my matcha. My new favorite is Mojito! You can check it out at www.mysteepedteaparty.com/Cassandra .
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I love all my Total Gym Addicts so MATCHA!!! XOXO
Total Gym Brand Ambassador,
Cassandra Kurpiel
Terri Ness
6 Dec 2018I only learned of the benefits of matcha recently. I add a bit to my smoothie daily. I’m looking to start drinking it more on a regular basis. I, too, like to find natural ways to be healthy and I’m finding that tea is one way. Great post!
John
8 Jan 2019Matcha is awesome Terri! And thank you for the article Cassandra! I also like Matcha in joghurt. It’s kind of strange but it’s fantastics with berrys and oats!