As you know, there?s something special about a warm cup or mug of organic, natural matcha green tea. It?s fine powdery form makes it a unique tea that you don?t steep but rather stir in your hot water, allowing all those healthy antioxidants, catechins, and minerals to dissolve into your drink. It provides a rich and complex flavor that?s difficult to describe ? botanical, savory, sweet, mysterious.
It can be consumed in many different ways, from matcha lattes to matcha-infused smoothies and ice cream ? the possibilities seem endless!
But whether you like to eat it in your food, drink it as a part of a fancy hot beverage, or simply enjoy it as a simple cup of tea, it?s no secret that matcha has some great health benefits!
However, did you know that drinking your daily cup of matcha can actually help you lose weight?
The History of Tea and Weight Loss ?You are probably at least a little bit familiar with the history of tea and health benefits. For centuries tea has been drunk for its positive mental and physical health impacts. Tea can help you improve your health in many aspects, from lightening your mood to reducing your risk for cancer and heart disease.
In fact, the Chinese were drinking tea as an herbal medicine long before they drank it as an every day, warm and delicious drink. And that was a very long time before the traditional British daily practice of tea time.
Green tea is usually thought of as the most healthful of all the different types of tea. And matcha is a type of powdered green tea with ten times the antioxidants of regular green tea!
Even more exciting than that is the fact that recent studies over the past several years have shown that tea might be even better for us than we thought! Besides providing all the mental, emotional, and physical health benefits we?ve been talking about for centuries, tea may also be your ticket to a healthier, leaner, and more fit you!
You?ll be amazed to learn the discoveries made in the past few years that connect tea with better weight loss results!
However, before we get into all that, we need to discuss a few other healthy and helpful weight loss tips.
Important Dieting Notes ?You may be trying to lose weight for a New Year?s resolution, to prepare for a challenging physical feat, to get back to your normal weight after a pregnancy or a special circumstance, to help you stay healthy because your doctor recommended it, or any other number of reasons.
However, no matter the reason for your desire for weight loss, there a few important things to remember before you embark on your weight loss process.
First, remember that diet is only half the battle! While it?s important to be conscious of what you eat, regardless of whether you?re actively trying to lose weight or simply trying to eat healthy, good exercise, sleep, and positive thinking are essential to the success of your diet!
Second, remember that everyone?s bodies and physical needs are unique. A dieting trap that many people fall into is thinking that the dieting regime that worked for one person will work for them exactly the same way. However, the truth that science has been learning more and more in recent years is that people have different dietary needs, so the diet that worked for your friend or a celebrity may not have the same fast and dramatic results for you. But don?t get discouraged! There are some common sense dieting suggestions that help everyone to get to a healthy weight, such as the importance of avoiding processed sugar and carbs, eating healthy portions, and drinking lots of water! Don?t be afraid to do your own research and try a few things out to see what works for you!
And, finally, remember that thinking positive and keeping your weight loss diet and exercise routine as good and rewarding of an experience as possible has been shown to lead to better results!
Okay, now that we?ve talked about those three points, let?s get into why matcha tea might be just the thing you need to perfect your weight loss regime!
Matcha?s Heavy Lifting Superpowers ??Matcha is rich in catechins, which have been shown to positively affect a person?s body weight and body fat mass. These special antioxidants can make lowering your BMI and even reducing your waist circumference much easier, especially when accompanied by a healthy diet and regular exercise.
Another great matcha ?superpower? is in its effect on your metabolism. Matcha green tea can naturally help your body speed up your metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories and reduce the excess fat storage in a process known as ?thermogenesis.?
Matcha green tea also has lots of prebiotics that support that growth of good microorganisms that may be related to a decrease of bacteria connected with obesity and an increase of the bacteria linked to a leaner body mass.
Plus, if you drink matcha instead of your normal sugary coffee drink, then you can get all the caffeine with no jitters and much fewer calories! Its natural mood-boosting, detoxing, and appetite-suppressing qualities can also have a beneficial effect on your weight!
How to Make Your Matcha to Help You Lose Weight ?So, after learning all these amazing things about how matcha green tea can help you accomplish your weight loss goals, let?s take a step back and consider how to make the perfect, healthy cup of matcha and how you can incorporate this powerful superfood into your diet!
To create the perfect cup of matcha, start with the finest organic, natural matcha (visit our shop to purchase yours!) Scoop about 1.5 teaspoons of matcha powder into your teacup or bowl using a small strainer or sifter. Then, add about 2 ounces of hot water, just under boiling, and whisk until the tea is frothy and foamy or until the tea becomes a bright green. Then drink up!
If you?re in a hurry, forgo the strainer and just make sure there are no big clumps in the powder before whisking in the hot water.
The flavor of matcha tea is very unique and rich all by itself and drinking a cup of it is delicious, but if you?re looking for a different way to have your matcha, try one of these suggestions to infuse matcha into your every day diet!
SIMPLE MATCHA LATTESimply scoop a couple teaspoons of matcha powder into your latte mug, add some hot water (about one fourth of the way up the mug) and top it off with some steamed milk (almond milk or coconut milk work too!) for a hot and creamy matcha latte! Add a few drops of vanilla to add extra sweetness if you want.
MATCHA SMOOTHIEThere are a thousand ways to make a delicious and healthy matcha smoothie, but adding a half teaspoon of matcha to your favorite breakfast, green, or fruit smoothie recipe is a great start!
MATCHA CHIA SEED PUDDINGCombine almond milk, chia seeds, honey, and matcha powder to create a healthy seed pudding that?s filling and fresh! Add fruit to the top to add natural sweetness.
MATCHA BREAKFAST FOODSAdding matcha to your breakfast is a simple, quick matter! Add a dash of matcha powder to your oatmeal before cooking it, sprinkle some on top of your bowl of Greek yogurt, or add to your granola cereal!
MATCHA SEASONINGAdd a dash of matcha to the seasoning mix for your next vegetable, bean, or meat dish! It also lends a layer of depth to pasta and rice dishes, as well as more interesting choices such as your morning cream cheese and bagel and your guac dip!
MATCHA BAKED GOODSMatcha makes a great addition to almost any baked good you can think of. Simply replace a small amount of the flour in your favorite baked good recipe with matcha powder to add some extra antioxidants and minerals to your cookies, muffins, pancakes, scones, and more! Your baked goods will turn out green ? no need to worry! That?s the natural coloring from the matcha! It doesn?t take much to add an extra burst of flavor and color so don?t be afraid to experiment with your favorite recipes!
MATCHA POPCORNBonus suggestion: sprinkle a little matcha green tea powder on top of your bowl of popcorn to add a bright color and a fun taste!
So, however you eat or drink your matcha, remember that it can be a great, healthy part of your weight loss goals!
