Morning Ritual Matcha Green Tea: Health Benefits, Why I Drink Matcha, and How I Prepare It!

Why matcha?

When I worked as a personal chef, I was waking up at 5 AM to get my workout in before my 12-hour workday. I used to drink coffee every morning but it never agreed with me.  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the taste and smell of coffee, but it would always give me those horrible caffeine jitters. I felt weird and often got a stomach ache. So, even though I thought I needed that extra coffee kick, it turns out I didn’t. I did some deep research, found a ceremonial grade Japanese matcha, and spent a little extra money to get the most health benefits. It gave me SO much more energy all day, never a tummy ache, and helped me be more focused. Well, it’s safe to say I’ve never gone back. I travel everywhere with matcha and a matcha whisk so I always have it, no matter where I am. Think of it like ground green tea with 120 times the antioxidants.

Morning Ritual

It’s so important to put high-quality, whole foods into your body. My matcha is 100% organic, ceremonial-grade green tea leaves that are only ground once I place an order. I store them in a fridge until I ship it out to you, as I want to ensure it has the highest antioxidants and nutrients as possible. This is the reason we recommend storing your matcha in the fridge to keep the freshness! ⁣

Quality Matters

Now, not all matcha is the same; the type with the highest concentration of nutrients is ceremonial grade from Japan. I’ve been searching for the best matcha for years and I have FINALLY found what I think is the best quality in the world. Of course all I wanted to do is share it with YOU!  I always stick to ceremonial grade for its many health benefits and slightly sweeter taste, instead of bitter and chalky. Chinese matchas are reported to have a higher risk of contamination from lead, so it’s best to stick to the Japanese varieties. I know you will love Morning Ritual as much as I do!

Health Benefits

Matcha provides you with the same burst of energy as coffee, but unlike the popular caffeinated beverage, matcha is considered a superfood, which means it is packed with awesome health benefits.

1. ANTIOXIDANTS AND CANCER FIGHTING PROPERTIES

EGCG and other green tea antioxidants have been found to stop cancer cells from growing, kill cancer cells altogether, and prevent the formation and growth of new blood vessels in tumors. Green tea leaves contain so-called ‘bioactive’ compounds, including green tea antioxidants, which act on our body in multiple beneficial ways. Specifically, green tea polyphenols known as catechins are believed to be responsible for many of the health benefits of green tea. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the most abundant catechin in green tea and accounts for 50-75% of its total catechin content. EGCG is also the most effective green tea antioxidant as far as health benefits are concerned – and it has been tested extensively over the past few years to better understand its potential cancer-fighting abilities.The results of these studies clearly show that EGCG and other green tea antioxidants are toxic to cancer cells in laboratory experiments and indicate why health experts are so optimistic about their use in cancer therapies in the near future. – If you want to read, click here.

2. BURNS FAT AND BOOSTS METABOLISM
Matcha tea is practically calorie-free, and it works to both boost your metabolism and improve your efficiency for burning fat. Best of all, matcha won’t tax your body, as it doesn’t raise your blood pressure or heart rate in the same way that coffee does. A study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that matcha helped your body increase thermogenesis (its natural rate of calorie burning) from 10 percent of daily calories to up to 43 percent. Over time, this can lead to real results regarding weight loss. Other results show that if you take green tea extract while working out, you can also increase your rate of fat burning by 17 percent. When combined with a healthy diet and active lifestyle, matcha tea is a great way to achieve your ideal weight.

3. CALMS THE MIND AND RELAXES THE BODY

Matcha contains theanine – an amino acid known to help calm an anxious mind and increase focus.

4. PROVIDES VITAMIN C, SELENIUM, CHROMIUM, ZINC AND MAGNESIUM

Also rich in B complex, a lot of the daily vitamins you should have everyday.

5. ENHANCES MOOD AND AIDS IN CONCENTRATION
This soothing effect helped the Buddhist monks in maintaining deep concentration during their meditation sessions and was the main reason behind its popularity.

6. FORTIFIES THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

Catechins, a natural disease-fighting antioxidant found in plant-based foods, are the main key to matcha’s health benefits. Catechins in matcha green tea contain antibiotic properties, leading to an increase in overall health.

7. INCREASES ENERGY LEVELS AND ENDURANCE

Matcha contains caffeine in a healthier form — not to be mistaken with the caffeine in coffee. The caffeine in matcha, known as theophylline, works to sustain energy levels for up to six hours, without the unwanted side effects.

8. HEALTHY SKIN CARE

Not only does matcha tea help you internally, but it’s also great for your external appearance, too. It turns out that there are lots of benefits of matcha green tea on the skin, as it can work as a powerful antioxidant for your skin. Gentle enough for all skin types, matcha packs a punch of vitamins and anti-inflammatory agents that work together to improve your complexion, diminish the signs of aging, and even restore your pH levels to treat oily skin. Look for camellia sinensis leaf extract on the ingredients list, and you’ll have the assurance that the matcha tea skin benefits are within the bottle.

PS, some of my most asked questions are about what goes in to my latte. This is my milk frother and this is my collagen of choice. I make my own nut milk a few times a week and here’s a link to that recipe!

During the summer, I also love an iced matcha with lemon. I really love an iced mango matcha latte— it’s super light and refreshing.

Matcha is a delicious way to brighten up any cocktail! I love to add matcha for a burst of flavor and fun color.

This fall, I created a matcha-take on the Pumpkin Spice Latte! It’s like bringing home the warmth of the coffee shop into your very own kitchen!

Have you ever tried baking with matcha? Here’s my go-to cookie recipe. I also like to add matcha to my chia pudding recipe to brighten it up and wake me up for my breakfast.

I will be regularly adding to this list as I create more recipes with Morning Ritual. Stay tuned!

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out. Matcha is one of my biggest passions and being able to share Morning Ritual with you brings me so much joy. I know you will love it as much as I do!