Matcha Magic- The stats & a fun recipe!

Marisol and I have always been hardcore coffee & espresso drinkers but recently thanks to Downtown Abbey & David's Tea, we've been poshing it up with more tea! Tea is not a miracle drug but there does seem to be a tea for whatever ails you. I started out with blends that are congruent with coffee palates; black teas, namely Earl Gray & Chai.  The superstar of teas is green tea due to it all of it's amazing health benefits but I just couldn't stand the bitter, burnt taste that I got with most of the green teas I've tried and I've tried a lot! 

With David's Tea in front of MaZi Dance Fitness Wicker Park, we began going weekly and Marisol began drinking lots of Japanese Matcha (stoneground green tea leaves). So many in fact, that when I walked in last Sunday they informed me that they would get right to making "my" Matcha! Many people confuse us as twins and this woman thought we were the same person. Somehow I gave it a chance because I thought if Marisol is drinking that many, it MUST be good! 

And it was! It's smooth, almost velvetey, with both a refreshing & soothing effect. What's really exciting for us are the health benefits:

Baby Jane wondering where hers is!

• Is packed with antioxidants including the powerful EGCg
• Boosts metabolism and burns calories
• Detoxifies effectively and naturally
• Calms and relaxes
• Enhances mood and aids in concentration
• Provides vitamin C, selenium, chromium, zinc and magnesium
• Fights against viruses and bacteria
• Is rich in fiber
• Lowers cholesterol and blood sugar
• Does not raise insulin levels (source: matchasource.com)

MaZi Matcha Magic
REFRESHING, NOURISHING SUMMER TREAT

Here's a little matcha green tea frappucino "wanna-be" recipe to make the green powder a little more fun. PLUS, this has whey protein to make it a filling snack or part of a light lunch (have an 1/2 an avocado on top of a rice cake)! 

4-6 oz. vanilla unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk

2-3 drops of vanilla extract
1 tablespoon of vanilla whey protein powder 
1 heaping tsp. matcha green tea powder (get at David's Tea or Whole Foods) 
2 no-calorie sweetener packets (like Stevia) 
1 1/2 cups crushed ice
 

3-5 tablespoons of warm water
Approx: 150 calories

Blend the matcha powder and warm water together to disolve completely. Throw everything in the blender, and enjoy the cool, sweet summer bev! 

Finally, will leave you with some final nutritional facts! 

-Zi

Some stats! source: Matchasource.com