Green Tea Benefits: Matcha and More

Some well known green tea benefits include being high in antioxidants and healing properties, but gentle enough for all types of sensitivities. Similar to red wine, this buzz-free beverage also contains a lot of anti-aging compounds. And according to the Mayo Clinic, green tea lowers blood pressure, reduces cholesterol levels and inflammation, improves bone density and memory, and lowers your risk for heart disease and cancer.

Throw in a kitchen sink, and you’ve got it all!

If you’re not a big coffee drinker, green tea is a perfect daily alternative. It’s zero calories with a lil punch of caffeine. But even if you’re not consuming this tea, you can still reap the glorious benefits of it by using it on your skin.

Here are my top secrets to becoming a Green Tea Goddess!

Like I said before, you don’t just have to drink green tea to reap the benefits.

My favorite type of green tea is Matcha – a high grade, concentrated green tea that comes as a finely ground powder. I know, I know, it’s very ‘on trend’ and more expensive, but pays you back with its deliciousness factor!

In addition to brewing up a warm matcha and almond milk latte in the morning, you can sprinkle this healthy magic dust into your breakfast smoothie or bake it into homemade muffins or cookies. There’s even matcha guacamole out there, so adding it into my avocado ice cream recipe should be easy peasy.

Skin care

But my favorite benefit of green tea is that it can help clear up your skin – whether you’re sipping it or slathering it on your face!  

Green tea has incredible anti-inflammatory properties which help calm redness and irritation on a cellular level. According to Allure magazine: “A 2013 study done in South Korea also found that green tea has the potential to be more effective than other acne medications.” I personally dab green tea bags on zits, and the tannins in them help reduce the production of sebum, the oil that causes pimples.

Protector

It’s also a bit of a green warrior. It contains powerful polyphenols called catechins – which protect your skin against sun damage. Obviously, your iced green tea at Starbucks is not a substitute for a good, natural sunscreen (so keep SPF on your buddy list) but these photo-protective puppies “trap and inactivate free radicals in the skin, thus thwarting many of the signs of aging” and reducing inflammation from sun exposure.

One of the most potent polyphenols found in green tea, EGCG (or epigallocatchin‐3‐gallate, if you’re into tongue twisters), has moved to the forefront of scientific study as a potential cancer chemopreventive. It also temporarily speeds metabolism after sipping it, so it’s a great fat-burning food for weight loss.

Green tea, but make it fun!

I am a fan of Annmarie Gianni organic skin care products, so I’m excited to share their DIY Matcha Green Tea Mask recipe. If you’re obsessed with sheet masks (like everyone else), check out this DIY sheet mask recipe. If you don’t have matcha handy, here is a Homemade Green Tea and Honey Mask recipe that you can make with green tea bags. Plus, it makes a nice gentle exfoliator to slough away dead skin.

Any way you choose to soak in your green tea, make it a ritual.

Matcha has been a part of Japanese tea ceremonies for centuries, so incorporate some zen into your ‘tea time’. Meditate while your DIY mask is working its mojo or practice some breath work. Or perhaps enjoy a matcha latte outside in nature or while you’re writing in your gratitude journal.

In the spirit of green tea, bring your own mindfulness to the moment and you’ll start to see the amazing benefits of this little plant both inside and out.

Have you tried matcha yet? What’s your favorite way to enjoy your green tea? How will you make the moment more significant moving forward? Let me know in the comments below.

–

REAL FOOD + matcha love!