MATCHA made in Heaven

MATCHA made in Heaven

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If you’ve downloaded our Find Health Your Way Summer Edition e-mag, you’ve probably seen the Matcha and Salted Coconut ice cream recipe (if not, you can get it here). Whilst Matcha has been around for a very long time, it’s has only just started to gain some awareness and popularity here in Perth.

We asked Nutritionist and Goodness Patroller Simone from GingerNotes, to give us the run down on it.

What is Matcha Green Tea Powder?

For all the tea drinkers out there, Matcha green tea powder is as Remetea quotes; “Japans best kept secret”.
Traditionally consumed as part of a Japanese tea ceremony, this nutrient rich leaf is unique from the very beginning in the methods of when and how it is grown to harvested and even the delicate preparation and robust earthy taste. It is a very special experience that is now available for us to easily access and enjoy.

Why Consume Japanese Green Tea Powder?

Green tea leaves are known to contain high phenolic content, one group of bioactive compounds responsible for general health improving effects. One of the major beneficial effects is the antioxidant activity on human health. It has been suggested that the initial cause of numerous chronic diseases is due to the density in free radical attacks within the body, creating a depleted and stressed environment to efficiently thrive. Consuming a diet rich is phenolic compounds from the Matcha tea powder, allows those free radical molecules to be scavenged, this is known as an antioxidant effect. It is the perfect way to ensure you are protecting your body and maintaining good health.

If you are looking for more hard evidence on why you should be drinking Matcha green tea, a recent randomised cross-over human trial published in the Planta Medica Journal concluded Uji green tea reduced the effect of fatigue and improving attentiveness. Sounds like we all could be more uplifted and productive if we consumed an afternoon Matcha Latte.

One popular health claim that can be misunderstood by some about the green tea is for the weight loss benefits; unfortunately if this were the primary solution for weight control, our battle with obesity rates would not exist. It is important we are educated on the science behind this particular claim to avoid fad diets and misuse of supplementation. To be honest the evidence is unclear, a review of multiple controlled studies that have shown a small decrease in body weight over a 12 week green tea drinking trial have concluded the reduction as not enough to be statistically significant and therefore not a preventative solution.

Ok so lets not shadow Matcha tea as having no beneficial properties to weight loss, let us look at this holistically. Match green tea is a low calorie caffeine beverage with anti-fatigue, anti-inflammatory and immune boosting properties – not to mention a super-hydrating alternative to a milkshake or soft drink. By making a direct swap in your everyday diet from a processed high fat/sugar beverage along with a mostly wholefood diet over a consistent amount of days/weeks/months – you are likely to LOSE WEIGHT. So although the evidence may not prove the claim, it is not to say it cannot ASSIST in weight loss. One reason why I believe Remetea and Matcha Tea Co are genuine companies is because they do not lead you into false claims on their products, only providing information on their products to support your health journey.

Where can I buy Matcha?

I am privileged to have tried and tested two of Perth’s leading Matcha importing businesses, both passionate in providing the best quality, certified organically grown and hand picked straight from the lush tea fields in Japan. I would highly recommend trying both companies to experience your very own local tea ceremony. Both websites have some amazing recipes to get your body screaming for MATCHA.
Matcha Tea Co – Visit or Buy Now http://www.matchateaco.com.au/

Remetea – Visit or Buy Now http://www.remeteamatcha.com.au/

How do I prepare a Matcha Latte?

  • The ideal temperature of the water is to be 80 degrees.
  • Pour a small amount of water into a bowl or cup along with ½ teaspoon of Matcha powder and whisk together using a traditional bamboo chashaku or metal whisk until well combined.
  • I have then poured my plant-based milk and matcha mix into my electric milk frother and the result turned out perfect.
  • You can alternatively enjoy the tea topped up with hot water alone or heating milk separately and gently whisking into your cup for a pleasant home DIY latte.

I hope I have given some great information on why you may like to hop onto the Matcha bandwagon. At least give it a go, some Perth cafes including The Little Shop of Plenty offer Matcha Latte’s on their menu.

Warm Positive Vibes,
Simone Nicholls
GingerNotes Nutritionist

 

 

Green Goodness Co

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