A beverage has got to be REALLY good to even be spoken about among everyone's favorite morning time ritual. Coffee is not only a routine for most but an absolute necessity to signaling the start of the day. Whether it is the caffeine we crave in our double shot americano or the sugar rush from a vanilla latte it is hard to find a product to compete with this early morning staple.

Of course there are other options to fuel our body and our brain other than coffee which has some but limited therapeutic benefits to the body. Here to indulge us in our dire need for something caffeinated and tasty in the morning is matcha green tea. I know what you are thinking. Yes most of us inherently know that green tea = better choice than coffee because it's green and contains antioxidants among other things but most would be unwilling to forgo their morning cup of coffee for green tea. Contrary to what you might assume; matcha green tea satisfies all those needs and more! What most do not realize is that some matcha varieties have just as much caffeine as a shot of espresso!

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Much different than typical green tea that one would steep the leaves in a tea bag in hot water; matcha green tea is made by grinding the entire tea leaf into a powder. This makes matcha easy to mix in both hot and cold water and great to use when cooking or baking. This also makes matcha more hearty than typical steeped green tea and also gives it a similar consistency to coffee. By grinding up the entire leaf as opposed to steeping the leaf we are also left with a product that is more concentrated in antioxidants like EGCG. The antioxidant EGCG is most commonly associated with reducing free radical damage and promotion of weight loss through increasing the body's resting metabolic rate. EGCG has also been linked in studies with prevention of Alzheimer's and even displays anti viral activities in the body.

For those who do not tolerate caffeine the good news is that matcha green tea is an excellent source of L-theanine which is a type of amino acid that helps to balance neurotransmitters such as; serotonin, dopamine, gaba etc. This means that those who typically get the jitters from a cup of caffeinated coffee will likely not have the same jittery effect when consuming matcha as the L-theanine works to balance things like serotonin. Serotonin not only influences mood but also slows nerve impulses and reduces anxiety and racing thoughts. L-theanine combined with the caffeine as found in matcha has also been shown to promote mental clarity and concentration. This means that coffee might be giving you anxious energy but matcha could provide clear and concise mental performance which is absolutely perfect to add to your morning routine to promote productivity for no matter what tasks you have to get done!

Even though most matcha varieties have similar amounts of caffeine as found in a shot of espresso; its abundance of phytonutrients cause the caffeine to be absorbed much more slowly into the bloodstream versus other caffeinated beverages. This allows for productive, sustained energy that is crash and jitter free! Best of all it can be enjoyed hot or over iced all year round! Since I live in Houston, Texas I enjoy my matcha iced! Try out my bullet proof style iced matcha latte recipe below!