5 Reasons to Add Matcha Tea to Your Diet

By: Laura Peill – (Check out her blog Chronicles of Passion & Facebook)

It’s the middle of the afternoon, and you’re reaching that 4 pm hour, when it’s nearly time for the end of the day, but not quite yet. And it ‘s just long enough between now and the end that you know you need something to pick you up and keep you going. Stop. Don’t reach for a sugary sweet, a coffee or a Starbucks latte. Instead, try a Matcha tea! The powerful green tea powder, made from grinding up whole green tea leaves is super good for you and has so many health benefits, not to mention boosts your energy. Here’s 5 reasons you need to add this to your routine:

Loaded with antioxidants – Green Tea is loaded with antioxidants, but when you consume it in it’s most natural and unprocessed form (the entire leaf), it is that much stronger! Antioxidants help prevent against cancer and other diseases and protect our body.

Boosts your energy, as it is a natural stimulant – Not only does matcha contain some caffeine, which acts to energize you, but it has a unique combination of other ingredients which when combined together with the caffeine act to give you a boost of energy that can last for up to 6 hours. The good news is that this buzz won’t send you crashing later. Instead, it delivers a steady stream of increased energy and then gradually decreases.

Helps with immune function – The naturally occurring catechins in Matcha Tea, offer disease fighting abilities which help prevent us from acquiring immune debilitating infections.   In turn, this strengthens the immune system and makes it less susceptible to being overcome by viruses and disease.

Detoxifies the body – Consumption of food and exposure to our environments causes the accumulation of free radicals in the body. The antioxidant abilities of Matcha allow it to cleanse the body of these free radicals and work to detox our system of harmful toxins and chemicals. It also does this through the high levels of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is the natural substance in plants that gives them their green colour. In Matcha tea leaves, this substance is unharmed and we are able to reap the benefits of it as a bodily cleanser when we consume Matcha.

Boosts your concentration – Matcha tea contains the amino acid L-theanine, which has been shown to promote a state of relaxation and well-being, thereby letting the individual focus better. The amino acid creates alpha waves in the brain which are counter to beta waves – the ones that cause us to be agitated – and thereby enhances a state of alertness and focus.

Matcha is a delicious, healthy alternative to coffee and caffeine and has so many health benefits. You can get it at your local health food store, and turn it into plain tea or a latte. Just don’t add too much sugar or sweeteners to negate all the healthy goodness!