How Many Calories Does a Cup of Matcha Contain?

According to popular claims, one gram of matcha green tea powder contains 3 calories. Not too bad, eh? Of course not. That’s what the health experts have been saying too. The benefits that come with having 2-3 cups of matcha green tea every day outweigh the calorific value by leaps and bounds.

According to Coastalteaco.com there are 1.5 - 2 grams of matcha per teaspoon, and on average we use approximately 1 teaspoon per 12oz glass of matcha.

"There are 1.5 to 2 grams of matcha per tsp or teaspoon, depending on the specific brand or matcha and it’s current moisture levels. 1 teaspoon of matcha is generally a good measure for a 12 oz. cup of 170F degree water. High grade ceremonial matcha usually comes in 20g or 30g sizes, so we can assume the following servings per size based on weight."

But What About Matcha in Latte Form?

The situation with these beverages is different... While matcha is a rich source of catechins (anti-oxidants responsible for increasing energy levels and combating few dangerous free radicals in the body), by adding milk, sugar and sweeteners to our drink we start to increase the calorie count. If you are looking to gain the maximum health benefit, a regular cup of matcha green tea without milk or sugar is the way to go.

At Starbucks the calorie intake from a matcha latte is contains 240 calories, 7g of fat and 32 grams of sugar...

Here is the nutritional profile directly from the Starbucks website for a 16oz matcha latte (Grande):

Sorry to break it to you but if you are switching to matcha green tea to achieve all kinds of health benefits such as weight loss, it makes very little sense for you to have lattes and crème frappuchinos made of matcha green tea!

Even though there are numerous health benefits to drinking matcha, buying sugary drinks with a little matcha in them is not the way to go about it. It will cost you in the long run! So, stick to a healthy exercise regime, eat a balanced diet and team it all up with matcha green tea, preferably without milk and without sugar for the best results.

How Many Calories Does a Cup of Matcha Contain? was first seen on: HealthyWild

How to Find out The True “Grade” of Your Matcha

Nowadays every other matcha seller lists their products as a ceremonial or premium grade, but not all of them are  truly representative of the quality indicated.... Some sellers will claim their matcha is "ceremonial grade" for example, but that does not guarantee the matcha will be of high quality.

There are a few factors that come in to play when determining the quality of a matcha powder and we are going to cover them here.

The Origin of the Powder

You might think the tag “ceremonial grade” or “premium grade” should mean that the matcha is high quality, authentic and handpicked from Japanese farms but that’s far from being true. While matcha is grown and exported from various parts of Japan, only the ones which come from Nishio city are likely to be true ceremonial grade. The 80/20 rule applies here as well - 80% of the best comes from 20% of the farms.

The Price You Pay

It’s simple - you pay more for a higher quality matcha powder. Usually, a 30-gram pack of ceremonial grade matcha is supposed to cost you somewhere between $26 to $30. If you aren’t paying in that range, it's possible you aren’t getting the quality you want or you are overpaying for what you are receiving.

The Matcha's Color

Very bright green is your color to go for! The more green it looks the better its quality. Matcha is grown in shade, hence, the lack of sunshine promotes the growth of chlorophyll. More chlorophyll means more antioxidants, which in turn means better hair and skin. So, the leaves which aren’t properly shaded will have a faded green tint and those are the ones you need to avoid.

The Taste of the Matcha

Matcha has a bitter-sweet smell to it because of the amino acids and L-Theanine present in it. The sweeter it is, the better the quality. Lack of Theanine marks the absence of health benefits and the powder has a bitter and astringent taste. If possible, try to smell and taste your matcha powder physically before you make a purchase.

Lastly the Feel of the Powder

The powder should be fine. When you dissolve it into a bowl of hot water, the mixture should be a thin liquid unless you blend it and make a Koicha, thicker version of matcha tea. The powder is super light, almost feel like eye shadow. The lower the quality, the bigger the particle size.

How to Find out The True “Grade” of Your Matcha was originally published on: Healthywild Blog

Try This Easy Iced Matcha Green Tea Latte Recipe

I'm a big fan of matcha, and am always looking for new ways to incorporate it into my daily life. This iced matcha green tea latte recipe offers a wonderful opportunity for you to enjoy the feel and texture of a delicious iced latte while reaping in the benefits consuming matcha brings!

You CAN mix it with coffee but as you may (or may not) know matcha already has a reasonable amount of caffeine so I don't think it's necessary. If you want to add coffee prepare an espresso and add to the iced matcha drink and the beginning.

Without further ado here is the recipe!

Iced Matcha Latte Ingredients:

• Matcha green tea powder: 2 Tbsp.
• Fresh filtered water
• Milk
• 1 cup of ice cubes
• Added flavors like masala chai, cinnamon, chocolate, coconut, vanilla or mango

Steps:

1. Put all the Ice cubes in the mojito or martini shaker.
2. Take 2 tbsp. of matcha powder in a bowl and sift well.
3. Mix the powder into the shaker containing ice cubes.
4. Add filtered water to fill up the shaker to half its volume.
5. Shake the mixture well and pour it out into a tall glass full of ice.
6. Add cow milk or soy milk into the glass and keep in the freezer for a while.
7. Add your favorite flavors or essence from the top.
8. Your perfect cup of matcha ice tea latte is ready to be served.

The following post Try This Easy Iced Matcha Green Tea Latte Recipe is courtesy of: http://healthywild.org

The Low Down On Matcha Green Tea Kit Kats

We know all about the health benefits of matcha green tea. We see matcha green tea, lattes, snacks and now even chocolate bars swarming the shelves at supermarkets and stores... Matcha is clearly widely popular and highly loved.

Dark Chocolate Is Good For You, Right?

Dark chocolate is good for the heart, some say it’s good for the skin, in small quantities it's pretty much established to be beneficial to our health. Now we have matcha green tea kit-kat bars, which promise to bring the goodness of dark chocolate and matcha green tea powder together.

In case you're not familiar, the green colored chocolate bars were first spotted in Japan and are limited edition (to the disappointment of matcha lovers all across the world). They have not been made available anywhere else.

Let Me Tell You about How the Matcha Flavored Kit Kats Taste

Having tasted these in Japan recently, I bought a sack full of these chocolate bars for my friends back home. And as I expected, they loved the taste. First off, the matcha green tea powder used in Kit-Kat bars are bright green in color and highly concentrated. You really do get the full flavor of matcha tea from the Kit-Kat bars. It is really really sweet though, but so is dark chocolate. Strangely it sort of tastes like matcha green tea mixed with white chocolate and and a Kit Kat texture.

The Question Still Remains, Are These Chocolate Bars Healthier than Normal Bars?

And that is to say the least, given all that we know about goodness of matcha powder.

The answer is yes and no.

While they have the added anti-oxidants from quality matcha green tea powder, they still are sugary chocolate bars. Once you eat them, be sure to spike down rest of your calorie intake for the day. They certainly are not “health bars”. They are junk food with matcha in them.

Now, having said that, you will only like them if you like matcha green tea itself because the Kit-Kats bear strong matcha flavor. Some people would love them, some people not so much and both the groups will have their reasons.

The following article The Low Down On Matcha Green Tea Kit Kats is available on: http://www.healthywild.org/

5 Things to Look For In Ceremonial Grade Matcha

Ceremonial grade matcha is the "creme de la creme"of matcha - the best of the best. But be aware that not all matcha with this label is going to live up to this standard. We understand that with many matcha suppliers out there, it can be a little intimating trying to find quality matcha.

So we've put together a list of 5 things to look out for when buying ceremonial grade matcha to help you get the real deal!

Without Further Ado, Here Are 5 Things to Look for in Ceremonial Grade Matcha:

1. Origin

   You might think the tag “ceremonial grade” or “premium grade” should mean that the matcha is high quality, authentic and handpicked from Japanese farms but that’s for from being true. While matcha is grown and exported from various parts of Japan, but the ones which come from Nishio city are true ceremonial grade. The 80/20 rule applies here as well, 80% of the best comes from 20% of the farms.

2. Price

   It’s simple. You pay high for a higher quality matcha powder. Usually, a 30-gram pack of ceremonial grade matcha is supposed to cost you somewhere between $26 to $30. If you aren’t paying in that range, you either aren’t getting quality ceremonial grade stuff or you are overpaying for what you get out of your buy.

3. Color

   Very bright green is your color to go for! The more green it looks the better its quality. Matcha is grown in shade, hence, the lack of sunshine promotes the growth of chlorophyll. More chlorophyll means more antioxidants, which in turn means better hair and skin. So, the leaves which aren’t properly shaded will have a faded green tint and those are the ones you need to avoid.

4. Taste:

   Matcha has a bitter-sweet smell to it because of the amino acids and L-Theanine present in it. The sweeter it is, the better the quality. Lack of Theanine marks the absence of health benefits and the powder has a bitter and astringent taste. If possible, try to smell and taste your matcha powder physically before you make a purchase.

5. Feel

   The powder should be fine. When you dissolve it into a bowl of hot water, the mixture should be a thin liquid unless you blend it and make a Koicha, thicker version of matcha tea. The powder is super light - it almost feels like eye-shadow. The lower the quality, the bigger the particle size.

These five tips should help you make your matcha experience wholesome and your health better. We hopes this helps you find true ceremonial grade matcha!

5 Things to Look For In Ceremonial Grade Matcha is republished from: Healthywild Blog

3 Reasons to Drink 100 Percent Organic Matcha Green Tea

The best matcha is grown on organic matcha farms in Japan. The matcha green tea leaves are carefully extracted from the tips of a plant called Camellia Sinensis. These plants are grown in shade and are harvested many times during a year. The best matcha powder is grown on organic Japanese farms, is made out of picked, crushed and dried matcha green tea leaves and sold by sellers in different grades (qualities).

But Why Should You Ensure Your Matcha Is Grown Organically?

1. Pesticides:

   Well to start, organic crops are sure to be free of any pesticides or other chemicals that might harm you. With regular green tea you steep the leaves then discard them, but with matcha the entire leaf has been ground down into a fine powder and so you consume the whole leaf.

2. Lead Contimation:

   Secondly the chemical lead has been found in some green tea varieties. This is usually due to lead contamination of the soil, and usually pertains to matcha grown in China. For this reason alone we recommend organic Japanese grown matcha green tea.

3. Consuming The Whole Leaf:

   Thirdly, with green tea, you steep then discard the leaves.  With Matcha, you’re actually consuming the whole leaf that has been dried and grown down into a fine powder. This means that your getting more of everything, and that includes any potential contaminates - so it's extra important to buy organic with matcha.

Now matcha is generally very safe to drink regardless of where it comes from and in no means should you be put off by this information. We just recommend that you check where your matcha is sourced, avoid buying from china and go Japanese.

Like I said earlier there are a lot of benefits to matcha green tea and we still whole heatedly recommend drinking it.

Just To Remind You Why We Love Matcha (Especially Organic Matcha!) Here's 3 Reasons to Keep Drinking It:

• Cancer Resistance:

  The catechins and antioxidants present in matcha green tea prevents diseases such as cancer. It’s empirically proven now according to studies arranged by various reputed universities in the world. A powerful catechin in matcha called EGCG allegedly contains anti-carcinogenic properties.

• Anti-Aging:

  Where in the world do people have highest life span? It’s in a province called Okinawa, in Japan. Believe me or not, there are fit 200 years old living in the city. The longevity of these people could very well be partially attributed to their matcha green tea consumption. They are bestowed upon with ability to fight pathogens, toxics through the anti-oxidants in matcha.

• LDL reducer:

  There is nothing more harmful to our body than “bad cholesterol” known as LDL. It is known to increase weight gain, affect heart and lung functions and also affect brain activity. Matcha green tea has been shown to reduce LDL concentration in the blood by a significant amount.

You cannot ignore multitudes of benefits that matcha  provides you with, but just be wary of non-organic, non-Japanese matcha brands. Do your research and make sure you go for authentic, organic, Japanese matcha green tea every time.

 

 

3 Reasons to Drink 100 Percent Organic Matcha Green Tea is republished from: healthywild.org

3 Reasons to Buy Japanese Grown Matcha Green Tea

What do you think is the Secret of long healthy lives of Japanese Zen monks? We’ll tell you. It’s fine quality matcha green tea, freshly picked from Japanese farms of Nishio city and brewed with traditional Japanese utensils.

1. Nishio City and Okinawa Cultivate Top Quality Matcha

Small farms in Nishio city and Okinawa cultivate fine grade matcha green tea, some say the best grades in the world. Nishio city has a history of green tea cultivation dating back to 1200s, and Nishio matcha constitues 60% of all the matcha sold in various parts of Japan. Nishio’s predictable climate, lush green forests, fertile soil and pristine rivers make it the opportune place for Japanese green tea farmers to cultivate high quality matcha green tea leaves.

The leaves used from these farms to be dried and crushed to make nutrient rich matcha green tea powder are more resilient and fresh compared to green tea leaves plucked anywhere else in the world.  A small organic farm known as Shimoyama, which is located quite close to Nishio city, is known to produce matcha of the very highest quality around.

2. They Grow Matcha On Organic Farms

Organic food production does not involve pesticides and fertilizers and hence, are difficult to carry through. But the cool Japanese climate and fertile soil supports the plantation of matcha green tea, which must be done in shade.

The lush green organics tea farms are located in the valleys of the mountains, far away from civilization where pollution can’t hold ground. The cultivation is carried out by skilled farmers who know how to operate in mountainous terrains and work smart to retain the nutrients of the leaves inside. This means no chemicals and more nutrients!

3. The Matcha Is Cultivated By Skilled, Specialist Workers

Matcha is harvested once a year, during the beginning of the month of May. On these famous Japanese matcha farms the leaves are traditionally hand picked and put through a long refining process to obtain matcha green tea powder. This process is complex, and for best results should be completed by someone with a lot of experience.

The first process is refinement, and happens in batches. After that its time for blending, and in Japan this is usually done by skilled workers who often have more than 40 years of blending experience. Workers can use different blends to obtain more than 100 grades of matcha, each differing in taste and nutritional content. Finally, the blended residue is dried and stone ground to obtain a fine powder, matcha green tea- ready to be packed and delivered to the best of cafes and shops around the world.

So you can see why we recommend you always buy authentic, Japanese matcha. You just can't beat the quality!

The post 3 Reasons to Buy Japanese Grown Matcha Green Tea is republished from: www.healthywild.org