How I Switched from Coffee to Matcha and Why

I'm sure many people can relate to this scenario: alarm goes off, every fiber in your body wants to stay in bed, then....coffee!!!!
This was my routine for several years and for a while it worked out ok, until I noticed how it was affecting me.

Over the past three years, my work has been very high stress. Most days coffee was the only thing getting me through. If I didn't have that warm, comforting jolt of energy in my hands by the beginning of my work day, I felt like the life was zapped out of me. When I did have it, I felt ready to take on the day, no matter what challenges it threw at me. Coffee was my life.

Over time, the stress and caffeine started to take it's toll on my body. I felt high strung and tense and like there was an electrical current flowing through me most days. I got headaches whenever I went without the caffeine and I knew I was addicted. I took a stab at quitting coffee (once completely cold turkey which I do not recommend), but was never able to make a lasting change. I resigned to the fact I probably never would.

Enter matcha. I don't know when I first heard about it, but the benefits were enough to grab my attention:

1. High in Antioxidants
2. Cancer fighting
3. Enhances Calm
4. Boosts Memory and Concentration
5. Increases Energy and Endurance
6. Detoxifies the Body
7. Burns Calories
8. Fortifies the Immune System
9. Lowers Bad Cholesterol

I decided to make the switch. The first day is always the worst, but surprisingly I had very few "coffee withdrawal" symptoms. Because matcha has so many nutrients and a caffeine content similar to green tea, the switch wasn't too brutal. Matcha has even more benefits than green tea because you are consuming the entire green tea leaf (ground into a powder), instead of just brewing the leaves.

I was shocked at how great I felt. The buzzing electrical current was gone, and the tension in my body had subsided. Not only that, but I still had amazing energy. The energy was also lasting and sustained compared to the drastic highs and lows of coffee. My head felt clearer and I had less mood swings. This was definitely the way to go.

I've been happy with the Encha brand of matcha, but feel free to try other brands (I would just make sure to do some research on the quality of the matcha you purchase). The only other thing you'll need is a matcha whisk like this one from Amazon. I love the look of them for some reason :)

P.S. Here is my morning matcha latte recipe if you're interested :)

Note: If you want a quicker option, you can get a shaker bottle like this one and add the milk and matcha powder. This one is a little pricey, but there are other similar options.

P.P.S. Be sure to eat something with it, as it's better not to drink it on an empty stomach.

Ingredients:

Around 1 cup of almond milk
1 tsp matcha powder
vanilla extract
cinnamon
nutmeg
raw honey or stevia

Directions:

Measure 1 tsp of matcha into a bowl. Heat up the almond milk in a pan with a little cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla until its just under boiling. Pour a small amount of the hot almond milk into the bowl with the matcha powder. Whisk with a back and forth motion until it's completely mixed with no small clumps. Then pour that mixture back into the pan with the rest of the milk. Stir gently with a fork or spoon (so the heat doesn't ruin the whisk) and you're done! Pour into a mug and add raw honey or stevia to taste :)