In cooler weather, or in the evenings when I want to relax, I like to drink hot tea. I usually like a nice mint or herbal tea with a spoonful of real honey (amazing health benefits) and sometimes a bit of milk. Just recently I learned about Matcha tea and how wonderful it is for health. Matcha is stone-ground and you are consuming the whole tea leaf, therefore getting all the benefits of tea but with a boost. Matcha is a fantastic type of tea that can calm stress, boost weight loss or maintain a healthy weight, give clearer skin, provide a healthy energy boost, and so much more. Matcha is full of catechins, flavonoids, and polyphenols. It is a highly antioxidant tea, and high in ECGC.
I was happy to test out a Matcha tea from the company Matcha DNA. "All Matcha DNA tea is 100% Chinese tea. Only the finest tea leaves are used in its preparation and production." This tea is organically grown and picked lovingly by hand. Here is the website for you to take a look at MatchaTeaGreen.com. The bag I received was their black tea and I will be reviewing their green tea in the next few weeks. The black tea (blend of black and green) arrived in a generous sized 10 oz. bag with a resealable closure at the top. On the website the bags have 34 single use packets in them, but I was happy that mine was loose so I could use more or less powder to my liking. The tea has a nice fresh herbal fragrance. I have been using it each morning in a smoothie. Here is how I prepare it:
I use 1/2 teaspoon of the black matcha, 2 bananas, 1 scoop of my Rainbow Light Spirulina Vanilla Energizer / Protein Powder, 1 tablespoon of organic unsweetened/pure Cacao powder, 4-6 ice cubes (made with filtered water), and about 8 oz. of 2 %milk. (you could use skin or 1%, but I like the 2 %) I mix this up in my blender, and enjoy. It really helps me in the mornings as I am a stay at home momma to a 11 week old and a 3 year old. I seriously can tell a difference when I do not have my morning Energizing Shake as I call it.
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I also drink my Matcha hot in the evenings (in my lemon tree and bees patterned tea cup) when I want to unwind and relax. I make it quickly in my Keurig machine. I realize the experience of the traditional Matcha brewing style is much more desirable, however, I am constantly chasing after a little one, changing a diaper, washing something or cuddling a baby. I need things to be prepared fast if I am going to be able to enjoy consuming it. I do not always have time for drinking a hot drink as I usually drink it much cooler than most people, which means I have to wait for it to cool, and often that means setting it down on the counter somewhere and often forgetting about it until it is cold and needs to be reheated. (Which I know defeats the whole purchase of the Matcha calming, relaxing experience.)
So I mainly drink my Matcha as my daily morning smoothie. I will often have another later in the day as a pick me up. This is a much healthier option than coffee. It has less caffeine than coffee and does not have the energy lows that come after a spike in caffeine and does not cause any jitters. Often the high levels of acid in coffee bother my stomach. When I add my herbs (in my Spirulina Vanilla Protein Powder, milk, pure unsweetened cacao, and 2 bananas, I am adding even more nutrients to my drink and also it tastes amazing!
I am really enjoying this Matcha tea, it has so many uses. Try adding matcha powder to your pancake batter, or cake batter. This provides a boost of antioxidants to foods that normally may not have much nutritional value. You can always play around with the amount of powder you use. I typically use 1/2 teaspoon for a one serving smoothie. For pancake or cake batter, I might suggest a full teaspoon.
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Find Matcha DNA on Amazon: MatchaDNA Black Matcha, 10 Ounce
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i would make it in my keurig hot as well---after the boys are in bed!
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