My Momma taught me to eat my greens. ( Or drink them).
I was there: Getting buried in your homework and projects ( not to mention tests because they think you don’t have enough work on your plate). Staying up until 2 am to cram all the part of a cell into your brain right before your 8 am test. Yup. That was me. Not having enough time to eat breakfast, lunch or even a snack in between because #CollegeLyf so then you chug down liters of coffee. Definitely me. Coffee has become a part of me, up until it started deteriorating parts of me,
One word, Acid Reflux. if you have it, you know how bad it gets. And if you have it , you know better than to drink coffee. This is where matcha my new love comes in. I have become an avid customer at New York City’s Chalait Cafe but when I miss days to visit, I brew my own at home.
(“MA-cha”) – the current darling of the tea world. Matcha is essentially processed green tea leaves that have been stone-ground into a delicate powder. The powder is then sifted and whisked with hot water.
I can give you a million reasons why I love Matcha, switched and never want to drink coffee ever again ( acid reflux or not ), but here’s 5 top reasons instead:
1) Matcha has a better caffeine high. By “better” I mean that coffee’s caffeine high wreaks more havoc on the body. It starts off with a blast, and ends in a crash. Coffee causes spikes in adrenaline glucose and insulin levels, which in turn create jitteriness, nervousness, and, at least for me, often crazy hunger pangs. Matcha, in contrast, does a better job of creating a calm alertness, with just a quarter the caffeine. There are no spikes and crashes, it just comes on gently and leaves just as gently. No adrenal weirdness, no glucose spike, and no need for pastry; it satiates like nothing else, making it the perfect treat for anyone worried about their weight. The 25 mg (or so) of caffeine bind with matcha’s phytonutrients (especially L-theanine) ( See that? Putting my college learnings into good use!) in a way that slows the body’s absorption of the caffeine; it typically lasts at least three hours, though some people report feeling it for as long as six or seven.
2) Better breath. There really is no comparison here. Matcha is also better for your teeth: it thwarts the bacteria that causes plaque, making it a powerful ally for everyday oral hygiene. Coffee breath and enamel staining? This is a no brainer.
3) Better skin. Ever notice the skin of hardcore coffee drinkers? Matcha helps clear up acne, and has been used for centuries by Japanese women as a facial mask. Matcha’s antibacterial properties help to give skin a natural glow.
4) More antioxidants. Matcha is ridiculously full of catechins, flavonoids, and polyphenols, especially the mighty epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which has been linked to so many health benefits and has therapeutic applications to the treatment of so many disorders, including cancer. ( YAY).
5) Great matcha is WAY easier to make than great coffee is. Matcha has the reputation of being difficult to make, but seriously: scoop sifted tea into cup, add hot water, froth. All of 30 seconds to perfection (assuming you’re starting with great matcha, of course). Great coffee should be measured (20 grams seems to be the most common weight), freshly ground, then steeped or steamed, using a variety of complicated and expensive machinery. And then there’s the waiting for the machine to do its thing.
Needless to say, matcha is not intended to prevent, treat, or cure any disease; it’s just green tea, albeit a very special one that has all kinds of interesting health properties. And because there are no known downsides or side effects to regular consumption of matcha, there is little to lose in making the switch from coffee to matcha, at least some of the time. You needn’t give up coffee altogether (unless your doctor tells you to, of course) — I sure don’t plan to. But do give matcha try; you have nothing to lose but stained teeth, bad breath, and heart-pounding jitters. And you might have a whole new world of wellness to gain.
Recommended Matcha powder to buy: Ceremonial power ( The Highest grade matcha)
Tools to brew matcha: Matcha Brewing set starter kit