Matcha Latte, Please

Recently, I was reminded of the antioxidant power of green tea.  In particular, matcha green tea.  I’m one of those people who can eat or drink something if I know it’s good for me….for the most part.  When a choice is presented, I usually tend to choose the fruitier flavored teas because of the natural sweetness.  Although there are choices in flavors of green tea that help to mask its natural bitterness. 

Why should you be drinking green tea?  It’s astringent and bitter.  Not nearly as pleasing to one’s palate as black, white or herbal tea.  We, as Americans, enjoy sweetness; and as a result consume a large quantity of sugar each year (152 pounds per person according to the 2018 statistics.) Sugar is an inflammatory substance and compromises our immune system.  It also invites free radicals to harm our tissues and cells.  Green tea is a bitter, which is why it’s so good for our health, yet many people don’t enjoy the taste.  The over consumption of sugar has rewired our brains into not liking those bitter tastes.  Just like any other addiction, the brain wants more of what it likes.  What it wants is sugar.  The more we consume, the more we want.  Because of our preference to sweet, we often don’t consume the necessary bitters our body needs.  

Each day, we are subjected to toxins that can disrupt our DNA and cause disease.  Toxins are found environmentally and can enter the body through the skin, which is the largest organ, through food, and air.  Once those toxins enter the body, there is the potential to cause harm to our good and healthy cells.  What we then need to have are antioxidants.  These are found in certain foods that bind to toxins and keep them from entering our cells.

Green tea is loaded with antioxidants.  Antioxidants grab those free radicals and hold on to them.  Once and antioxidant binds with a free radical, they are bound for life.  That’s a good thing.  Otherwise, the free radical will grab onto your healthy cell and cause damage.  We are all exposed to free radicals each day from cleaning agents, food, air, and all sorts of environmental factors.  Consuming foods that have a high antioxidants are beneficial to our overall health. Side note:  consuming antioxidants can help you look younger too—yay!

If you haven’t heard of matcha yet, let me introduce you to it.  The powered green tea is a traditional Japanese tea used in ceremonies.  It has gained popularity in recent years due to reports of its healthy benefits.  Why this green tea has more antioxidant power is due to both how it is harvested and how it is consumed.  Just before harvest, the leaves of the plant are covered bringing out the plants’ chlorophyll levels. This process turns the leaves a vibrant shade of green.  Once the harvest is complete, the leaves are laid out to air dry and then ground into a powder.  It’s the powder that is then whisked with hot water or a steamy milk of choice then consumed. It’s because the whole leaf consumed, is why the tea is much higher in antioxidant power.  Traditional green tea leaves are steeped and then discarded, while the matcha leaves are consumed.  According to research conducted by the University of Colorado, matcha contains at least three times a much epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the green tea antioxidant, then originally thought.

There’s a host of research suggesting that there could be several health benefits to consuming this supercharged antioxidant EGCG.  Those include:

·     Lower blood pressure

·     Improved memory

·     Bone strength

·     Lower cholesterol numbers

·     Fat burner

·     Feelings of calm

While matcha does contain caffeine, it’s only about half as much as coffee.  Because matcha contains a hefty supply of the amino acid, L-theanine, the caffeine effects are less noticeable with only a “gentle buzz.”  Research continues in the realm of cancer fighting properties and the prevention of cold and flu.

Not all matcha is the same.  Depending on the process and where is originates from determines the flavor and grade of the tea.  Some companies have better quality control than others.  And because it is harvested as a whole leaf, dried and ground, it will spoil more rapidly.  Be sure to purchase your matcha from companies with high standards of quality control. A poor quality will be pale in color while a better quality is a bright green.

Other uses for matcha is to add to a smoothie, salad dressing, mix with pancakes or muffins. Give it a try and let me know what you think.  It’s now my go to latte with coconut milk.

Health bite: Consume antioxidants daily

Beet it!

Beets, one of the most nutritious vegetables for us, doesn't usually get rave reviews at the supper table. For some people it's the color that is off putting, while for others it's the texture. Consumers eat more canned beets than fresh, and of the fresh, usually without the tops on them. Research tells us that the tops of the beets contain more antioxidants that the roots themselves. Most consumers who do purchase their beets with the tops on, once home, cut them off and throw them away.

Even without their greens, they are among the healthiest of all commonly eaten vegetables. Their sweet taste has a low impact on blood sugar, a good source of fiber, folate, and potassium. They have nine times more antioxidant properties that the typical tomato and fifty times more than orange carrots. Beets get their red color from betalains. Betalains are proving to be good cancer fighters. In a 2009 test-tube experiment, beet juice blocked the proliferation of human cancer cells of the pancreas, stomach, prostate, lungs, and brain by 85-100%. It was also found that those eating beets on a regular basis had a lower risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and diseases of the digestive tract.

Beet leaves are one of healthiest greens you can buy. With seven times more antioxidant than romaine lettuce, they are on the same level with kale in terms of overall nutritive value. Use the greens in salads, substitute for spinach in recipes or serve them with the beets themselves.

Purchasing beets with their leaves still on will likely mean they are the freshest in the store. Once the leaves turn yellow, the produce manager will cull them and repackage the roots for sale. Choose beets that are deep red, as they will contain more betalains than those that are lighter in color. Canned beets are a good choice too. Even though the are less flavorful than the fresh beets, they provide more antioxidant value.

Beets could even help athletes perform better. A 2012 British study determined that fit men and women who had eaten a serving of whole beets daily for several days could run faster than they could when they had eaten a serving of other vegetables. Interestingly enough, with these findings, a number of British athletes who competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics drank beet juice rather than Gatorade before their events, including Mohamed (Mo) Farah, who won the gold metal for the men's five-and ten-kilometer races.

Health-bite: Beets, it's what should be for dinner