Matcha Madness
The other day, I woke up CRAVING a matcha latte... It was seriously all I wanted in life. But I have to leave for work by 6:30am and I rolled out of bed at a casual 6:17... So there was no room in my morning routine for the whole simmering coconut milk + whisking matcha thing. As I raced around the house attempting to swipe on mascara and brush my hair at the same time, I soothed myself by deciding that I would walk to Starbucks a few hours into work. I'll get a little fresh air, a nice walk, it'll be great!!
.
.
.
It was not great.
In fact, it was HORRIBLE.
The latte, that is. The fresh air and walk were both very nice! Problem Number One was that it wasn't actually matcha. Just a green tea latte. Whatever, THIS I can deal with. Problem Number Two... the coconut milk. A casual glance at the carton the barista used told me it was a safe bet that $h*t wasn't organic. Problem Three was that it tasted like it had about a pound of sugar in it... SO SO sweet that I couldn't even be sure there was any green tea at all...! So at this point it didn't even matter that the "coconut milk" was most likely laden with additives + the dreaded "chemicals", because it was way too disgusting to drink anyway. OY.
SOOOOO... lesson learned. Unless you've got the option of a cute little chemical-free coffee shop that shies away from ingredients like "carageenan" and "sugar", you're making it at home.
Here's how I do mine...
INGREDS
- Matcha - I like to order this one off Amazon - it's shade-grown ((important)) but I'm sure there are great options in stores like Whole Foods
- Maca - I started adding maca to my mornings due to a little hormone imbalance - how fun is it being a girl amirite?! ((more on that to come))
- Coconut milk - I was determined to find a filler-free coconut milk - I order this one on Amazon - 100% coconut milk
- MCT oil - I use Bulletproof's Brain Octane Oil
- Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Stevia drops - Depending on my mood, I'll add the Stevia for some sweetener. It can be pretty savory otherwise, just depends on what you like. Vanilla is always a good call though
HOW?
Cinchy.
- I start by simmering 1/3 cup of coconut milk and 2/3 cup of water in a saucepan ((simmering= fancy way of saying heat up before boiling))
- While that's heating up, I dump a TBSP of matcha, a TSP of maca, and a capful of the brain oil in my blenderJust pour the milk/water over the tea and blend! ((Be careful with the whole blending hot liquid thing)). I also always add a few drops of either vanilla extract or vanilla stevia.
Sidenote - Traditionally, matcha is prepared with a cute little bamboo whisk. Chic as that sounds, who has the time? A blender works just fine to get that frothy green goodness.
SO WHATS THE DEAL WITH MATCHA?
Glad you asked! Matcha is a special type of green tea. Unlike regs green tea that you steep, the leaves are ground up and actually ingested. And because of that, you get more of the nutrients! Matcha is:
- Super high in antioxidants
- Super detoxifying ((It gets it's rich green color due to the high chlorophyl content; chlorophyl = detox))
- Boosts metabolism
- Increases energy - It's got nearly three times the amount of caffeine as steeped green tea - It's about the same as a cup of coffee
On days I make it out of bed BEFORE 6:17am, I blend it up and throw it in a baby mason jar before racing to work....!
If you're a little foggy on the whole "Bulletproof" thing...
A quick recap: Fat for fuel! Basically, "good fat" is the new kale. AKA all the rage in the wellness world. The brain octane oil ((and the coco milk)) adds a dose of healthy fat to your morning and when combined with caffeine, a little magic happens...
- Suppresses hunger
- Gives you energy without jitters
- Burns fat
After lemon water, a bulletproof matcha is the first thing I'll have in the morning and it keeps me going until about 10:30/11 when I have a real meal. Occasionally, I'll make a bulletproof coffee instead of matcha, but I'm just more of a tea girl. If you're keen for the bean, this post is for you!
