If you’ve been looking for the fountain of youth, the search is finally over.

GREEN TEA.

Green tea heals from head to toe, inside and out.

It is a veritable cure-all that has been continuously tested by Homo sapiens for over 2,000 years.

It beats black tea, white tea, and coffee  (Although you should drink all those, too).

It beats kale, spinach, apples and blueberries (although you should eat all those, too).

Not only does this liquid heaven contain a dose of caffeine that can help you kick-start your morning or pull you out of an afternoon sluggishness, but the natural chemicals found in green tea prevent some of the most deadly and debilitating dilemmas we humans face.

Study after study continues to show that consuming just 1-3 cups of green tea a day can miraculously transform your overall well being.

Whether you’re looking to calm the nerves before a big presentation, aid a weight loss regiment, or invoke a positive impression on a first date, savoring a cup of green tea is the right choice.

You have a savings plan that invests in your future, right? RIGHT?!

You have a fitness plan that invests in your future, right? RIGHT?!

Well, green tea is an essential component of a dietary plan that invests in your future!

Remember, this is your life and you alone are responsible for your own health and well being. By putting in the right fuel, you will get out the best possible performance.

Your body is a temple, not a trash can. Treat it accordingly. 

Benefits of Green Tea

• Physical
  • Hair Health – keeps it from falling out, and keeps it shiny and smooth
  • Fresh Breath – plus preventing tooth decay
  • Clear Skin – Helps clear up acne and prevent sunburns
  • Healthy Weight Loss – increases metabolic rate, reduces bloating, eliminates the excess water in your body (this is why green tea is your ticket to six-pack abs)
  • Strong Muscles – stimulates muscle fibers to help lift heavy weights (this, along with all the above, will definitely aid your sex life)
  • Long Life – Promotes longevity
• Physiological
  • Preventative against cancer (more specifically, EGCG, a chemical found in green tea, stops the spreading of cancerous cells).
  • Reduces risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD)
  • Reduces cholesterol
  • Regulates body pressure and body temperature
  • Lowers blood sugar
  • Strengthens immune system
  • Reduce inflammation and hypertension
  • Reduces risk of stroke
  • Reduces the risk of leukemia
  • Reduces allergic responses
  • Reduces symptoms of asthma
  • Anti-viral – prevents the spread of influenza and other common colds
  • Also inhibits HIV infection
  • Reduces risk of rheumatoid arthritis (in mice only so far)
  • Reduces risk of multiple sclerosis (in mice only so far)
• Emotional
  • Lowers stress
  • Calms the nerves
• Mental
  • Boosts mental energy
  • Increases attention
  • Boosts ability to solve hard problems
  • Improves clarity
  • Reduces risk of neurological disorders by preventing the build of up neurofibrillary tangles and neuritic plaques (both highly correlated with the onset of Alzheimers and other neurodegenerative disorders).

Chemical Properties

• High level of antioxidants – prevents the free radicals roaming in your body from settling down and causing cancer or other deadly diseases
• EGCG is a catechin that acts as a natural anti-aging component while preventing wrinkles and blemishes
• High level of Vitamin C – more than oranges and kale
• Contains high levels of polyphenols – preventing all cancers and other degenerative diseases
• Flouride – helps prevent tooth decay

But Wait….There’s More

If you’re not already boiling water for your first cup of green tea this year, I suggest you go do so right this instant.

However, it gets better. There is a specific type of green tea, called matcha, that every self-respecting green tea aficionado should be drinking. 

If green tea is a home run, matcha is the grand slam. If green tea is getting a new job, matcha is opening your own company. If green tea is winning the battle, matcha is ending the war.

I think you get my point.

So just why is matcha the bee’s knees, the cat’s pajamas, and the elephant’s berries all rolled into one?

• Matcha is the highest quality powdered green tea available. It is made from nutrient-rich young leaves picked from the tips of shade-grown Camellia sinensis, then steamed, stemmed, and devined before being stone-ground into very fine powder. It is stored away from light and oxygen in order to preserve its brilliant green color and antioxidant properties.

• Matcha has almost 140 times the amount of antioxidants as green tea. Yowza.

• Per cup, matcha contains:

  • 6mg of Vitamin C
  • .31g of fiber
  • 25mg of Calcium
  • .17mg of Iron
  • 6mg of Potassium
  • 289mg of protein
• Matcha also contains superior levels of:
  • Amino Acids
  • Beta-caronine
  • Complex polysaccharides
  • Vitamin A & E
  • Gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA)
• L-Theanine, which promotes calmness while enhancing memory and boosting concentration
• Chlorophyll – which increases healing processes
• Higher caffeine content, but without nervousness or hypertension (!)
• Increases dopamine production – a VERY important neurotransmitter in the brain responsible for so many things including; regulating emotion, goal fulfillment, and ability to sense pleasure. Furthermore, lacking dopamine can lead to addictions and neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.
• Lastly, it is delicious!

WARNING: When consumed in glutinous amounts, this miraculous food item can have dangerous effects. While we fully support the act of indulging this antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic beverage, be warned that too much of a good thing can cause adverse effects. Like all things in life, there is a risk present.

Any reasons to avoid green tea and matcha?

• Does contain caffeine:
  • Can disrupt sleep patterns
  • Increase irritability
  • Diuretic and hydrating– causes frequent urination, which leads to an increase in amount of iron depleted from the body
• Contains Tannins
  • Block the absorption of essential vitamins and minerals in high doeses
• Drinking Green Tea in excess can contribute to:
  • Nausea
  • Diarrhea
  • Heart palpitations
• Studies with mice have also shown that over 5 cups of green tea a day for extended periods of time can lower the sperm count of albino mice. Take what you will from that.

More Science

• Auvichayapat, P., Prapochanung, M., Tunkamnerdthai, O., Sripanidkulchai, B., Auvichayapat, N., Thinkhamrop, B., . . . Hongprapas, P. (2008). Effectiveness of green tea on weight reduction in obese thais: A randomized, controlled trial.Physiology & Behavior, 93(3), 486-491.
  • Green tea reduces body weight by increasing energy expenditure and fat oxidation.
• Kuo, Y., Yu, C., Liu, C., Wang, S., Pan, P., Wu, M., . . . Christiani, D. C. (2009). A population-based, case–control study of green tea consumption and leukemia risk in southwestern taiwan.Cancer Causes & Control, 20(1), 57-65.
  • Drinking green tea, and not black or oolong tea, reduces the risk of leukemia.
• Noguchi-Shinohara, M., Yuki, S., Dohmoto, C., Ikeda, Y., Samuraki, M., Iwasa, K., . . . Yamada, M. (2014). Consumption of green tea, but not black tea or coffee, is associated with reduced risk of cognitive decline.PLoS ONE, 9(5)
  • Green tea was shown to reduce cognitive decline in this longitudinal study of elderly Japanese folks, whereas similar caffeine level alternatives like coffee and black tea did not have the same effect.
• Schmidt, A., Hammann, F., Wölnerhanssen, B., Meyer-Gerspach, A., Drewe, J., Beglinger, C., & Borgwardt, S. (2014). Erratum to: Green tea extract enhances parieto-frontal connectivity during working memory processing.Psychopharmacology,231(19), 3939.
  • Drinking green tea increased cognitive performance – specifically by changing short-term plasticity in the parieto-frontal synaptic connections in the brain. Furthermore, the magnitude with which green tea was consumed was correlated with a continuous improvement in cognitive functioning

There you have it, too many reasons to ignore your health and just the right amount of reasons to go try a cup of green tea or matcha green tea today.

If you’re a heavy coffee drinker, I challenge you to an experiment where you switch out coffee with green tea for a week and see what happens.

Try it out and let us know!

THE RECIPES

Paleo Matcha Green Tea Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond flour
• 1 tbls matcha green tea powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3 tbls coconut oil, melted
• 2 tbls coconut nectar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
• Directions: Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a blender or food processor, pulse together almond flour, green tea, salt and baking soda. Next mix in coconut oil, nectar and vanilla until dough comes together. Use a cookie scoop to make 1 tablespoon-sized balls onto a lined baking sheet. Make indentions in the center of the balls with your thumb. Don’t press too hard. You just want to make a nice dip for your chocolate. Place 3-4 chocolate chips into each divot. Cook for 8-10 minutes. Once cookies are done, use the back of a small spoon blend chocolate chips together. Try patting down twice then swirling. Let cool on the baking sheet.

Editor’s Addendum

It was back in 2007 that I started my green tea habit   — as you can can read in “How Green Tea Made Me Superhuman” — but suffice it to say, it was nothing short of life changing.

Among many other positive life changes, I credit green tea with helping me achieving the following:

• Getting up at 530am
• Going to the gym 4 days a week
• Eating a healthy lunch 5 days a week
• Eating a healthy breakfast 5 days a week
• Meditating 30 minutes to 1 hour each day
• 5 promotions and raises in 5 years at my corporate job

I only drink 1-2 coffees per week, but to this day, 8 years later, I still drink 4-6 cups of green tea per day.

I have yet to switch to matcha. I’ll let you know what happens when I do.

-Drew

We love the match chai latte from Onnit nutrition — tell them we sent you and try it for 20% off.

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