MATCHA

I was never really a “coffee addict” like some people would describe themselves, but definitely relied on a cup every morning to start my day and usually another cup around 1 or 2 in the afternoon to pick me up from my crash. While I did notice coffee helped to wake me up, it normally makes me really jittery, anxious and I crash later in the day feeling like I either need a nap or another cup of coffee. I recently went an entire month with zero caffeine and cut out coffee completely. I noticed, after working through some struggles the first couple days, I felt so much better overall. I was sleeping better and waking up feeling awake and refreshed. After taking a food allergy test, I found out that coffee bean was one of my highest sensitivities so I decided to switch up my morning routine and look into alternative ways of getting some caffeine. That’s when I discovered M A T C H A, not only does it give me a cleaner more alert feeling, but it tastes SO good.

I’m not knocking coffee. There are proven health benefits with coffee as well, and I still enjoy it occasionally, I’m just suggesting another option to try!

What is Matcha?

Matcha is a green tea powder from Japan and the word literally means “powdered tea”. When making traditional green tea, componants from the leaves get infused into hot water and then you discard the leaves. With matcha, you are ingesting the actual leaves that have been finely powdered and made into a solution. Because you’re consuming the whole leaves with matcha, it makes for a more potent source of nutrients and caffeine.

Benefits of Matcha

The absorption rate of caffeine from green tea is more gradual than coffee, therefore providing a less jittery, more sustainable energy boost without the crash. Matcha contains L-Theanine which helps your body process caffeine differently and creates a state of “calm alertness”. L-Theanine also improves focus and helps you concentrate.
Matcha is said to be one of the very best sources of antioxidants in the world, protecting against disease & aging
Matcha helps boost metabolism & burns fat by increasing thermogenesis, the rate at which your body burns calories
Matcha provides fiber & nutrients that coffee lacks such as chlorophyll, vitamin A and vitamin C.
Aside from being a great tasting beverage, matcha is also a great baking ingredient! Check out the recipes below for some ideas!

**Ask or check the ingredients before purchasing your matcha. A lot of them are sweetened with lots of hidden sugar! For example, a Grande Coconut matcha Latte at Starbucks is 27g of sugar- and that’s considered unsweetened! Their matcha, like many others, is mixed with sugar in the actual mix. That’s why I normally buy and make my own. My favorite sweet matcha is the Ujido brand which is sweetened with Monk Fruit and super good! I normally use that sweet matcha for my lattes.

“Bullet Proof” Matcha Coconut Latte

1/3 C Unsweetened Coconut Milk
1 TBSP Coconut Butter
2 scoops vital proteins collagen peptides
1 packet Ujido Sweet Matcha (follow link for 20% discount)
1 ½ C boiling water
Cinnamon to taste

Add all ingredients into blender, blend it on up!

Matcha Pistachio Bliss Balls (Paleo & Gluten Free) from Kris Carr

3/4 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup raw pistachios
12 Medjool dates, pitted
1/4 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
2 teaspoons matcha powder
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 cup pistachios, chopped for topping

Place all the ingredients (except the last 1/4 cup pistachios) into a food processor. Process for one minute or until finely chopped and blended.
Using a cookie scoop, scoop out balls of mixture. Roll between your hands to create evenly-sized balls.
When all balls are rolled, roll them through the chopped pistachios.
Refrigerate for 15 mins and enjoy!

Matcha Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies (Paleo & Gluten Free) from DETOIXINISTA

2 cups blanched almond flour
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons Ujido organic matcha powder (follow link for 20% discount)
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a large bowl, stir together the almond flour, maple syrup, oil, salt, matcha, peppermint, baking soda, and vinegar. Once a smooth & sticky batter is formed, fold in the chocolate chips.
Scoop the dough onto a lined baking sheet, making roughly 12 to 14 cookies. Press the mounds with your finger tips to shape them-- because there are no eggs in this recipe, they won't spread significantly. (You can get your fingertips wet to help prevent the dough from sticking to your hands.)
Bake the cookies until lightly golden around the edges, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

** I have used vanilla extract in place of peppermint due to what I had on hand and it was equally as good

Dark Chocolate Matcha Date Bars (Paleo & Gluten Free) By Little Market Kitchen

1 2/3 C pitted dates
1/3 C Cocoa Powder
2/3 C Almonds
2 TBSP Ujido Matcha powder (follow link for 20% discount)
2 TBSP Coconut butter
1/3 C coconut flakes
2 TBSP maple

1. If using whole almonds, chop or pulse in food processor until they're just little bits and pieces. Alternatively, use slivered almonds if you like.

2. Combine all ingredients in food processor and blitz until completely combined. Your dough may form a ball, or it may form several clumps, depending on your food processor.

3. Once all the ingredients are totally worked into one another (about 2 minutes), turn off food processor.

4. Dump the contents of your food processor onto a piece of parchment paper and form into a lump. Using hands press the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick.

5. Wrap in saran or parchment paper and chill on a flat surface in your refrigerator at least 2 hours before cutting.

Matcha Icing

1tsp matcha
¾ C cashews, soaked over night (if you don’t have time to soak them overnight, follow this tip here
¼ C coconut butter
¼ C coconut oil
¼ cup coconut milk
2 TBSP maple syrup.

Put everything in blender and blend until all combined. Smooth icing over Dark Chocolate Date Bars and let cool in fridge for at least an hour before enjoying!