I first learned about Matcha a few years ago while working at Natural Grocers but not until recently, have I incorporated it into my daily routine.

I decided to cut back on my daily caffeine intake and started by reducing my morning cup of coffee from 2 to 2 1/2 cups to just 1 cup.  I was finding that I was struggling a bit to get through the day.  So I added a serving of Matcha as a mid-day “pick-me-up”.  I worked through this regimen for about a week; 1c of coffee in the AM then 1tsp of Matcha in the afternoon.

I have now found a nice energy balance!  I get up pretty early 3 times a week which makes for long days.  On those days, I have one cup of coffee along with a Matcha beverage mid-day.  All other days, I enjoy a warm Matcha Latte in the morning and an iced Matcha Latte midday, if needed.

1 cup of coffee yields about 95mg of caffeine

1 tsp of Matcha Powder yields about 35mg of caffeine

So I’m happy to have reduced my total caffeine intake from about 177.5mg to only 70mg!

There are many benefits to consuming Matcha Powder; Brain health via energy + calm (w/L-Theanine), weight loss & skin health (via EGCG), healthy heart (lowering LDL), Chlorophyll (detox) and #1 in my opinion is it’s potent antioxidant power supply.

Antioxidants protect your cells from free radicals.  Free radicals is what your body creates when processing food, environmental exposure, sunlight, chemical exposure, alcohol, etc.  Antioxidants may break down free radicals so that they are less harmful or keep them from even forming.

Oxidative stress is when there is an imbalance of antioxidants and free radicals (too many).   Various studies and theories have connected oxidative stress due to free radicals to:

• central nervous system diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and dementia
• cardiovascular disease due to clogged arteries
• autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis and cancer
• cataracts and age-related vision decline
• age-related changes in appearance, such as loss of skin elasticity, wrinkles, graying hair, hair loss, and changes in hair texture
• diabetes
• genetic degenerative diseases, such as Huntington’s disease or Parkinson’s

Studies suggest that antioxidants cannot “cure” the effects of free radicals, at least not when antioxidants come from artificial sources.  I absolutely have an interest in fighting free radicals so I avoid common sources of free radicals, such as fried food, tobacco smoke and pesticides, as well as keep alcohol minimum.  I also eat nutrient dense foods without worrying about supplementing with antioxidants.

An excellent source of Matcha comes from a company called Encha Matcha.  Please check out their site to learn more.  They provide you with so much information and teach you about various types of Matcha which will help you decided which Matcha is best for you.