Michaela’s Matcha

This is brain fuel in a cup. My morning Matcha is something I look forward to and crave every day, because of this! Without it I sometimes forget what I’m saying, or walk to the fridge open it up only to forget what I opened it for. Does this ever happen to you? If so, then like me increasing your consumption of high quality fats could make a big difference. My Matcha latte is full of healthy fats that fuel my brain and provide a mental clarity that is unparalleled.

These key ingredients provide me with energy and mental clarity all day:

• Matcha- Matcha is ground green tea leaves, so you can enjoy all the wonderful antiaging and antiinflammatory benefits of drinking green tea in an even strong dose since you are actually consuming the green tea. Matcha contains caffeine, which has shown to boost metabolism, and gives you the energy to kick-start your day!
• Collagen- The building blocks for our hair, skin, and nails, this protein is also wonderful for healing the gut lining if you struggle with digestive issues. It also makes your beverage more frothy like steamed milk, without the dairy!
• MCT Oil- this is derived from coconut oil and stands for Medium Chain Triglyceride. These MCT’s are easy for our body to break down and for the brain to use as fuel. Despite the previous demonization of saturated fats this one has been shown to even improve cognitive function. So I love to use it to saturate our brain with the healing fuel for a daily improvement of cognitive function and as prevention against future diseases, like Alzheimer’s. My favorite brand is Bulletproof’s Brain Octane Oil, which is a concentrated version that works even better than standard MCT oils.
• Coconut Butter- This creamy delight also contains the beneficial ingredients of MCT oil and acts as a non-dairy creamer and subtle flavor.
• Cinnamon- This spice has the power to balance blood sugar and tastes wonderful.

Optional add ins:

• Nut, Oat, or Hemp milk These add ins can add some additional flavor and creaminess, but make sure they are unsweetened if you are buying them prepared to avoid the added sugar. I love to add about 2T of Hemp Hearts into my latte for a nutty and creamy addition, but make sure to blend well to avoid graininess.
• Grass Fed Butter or Ghee- This can add a delicious flavor to your latte and provide your body with more nourishing fats. It will also contain Omega-3s if from Grass-fed sources. If your familiar with Bullet Proof Coffee this is key ingredient but can seem a bit odd for those who are still used to butter being a NO food, but when it comes from the right source this can be an incredibly nourishing fat to add to your diet and the saturated fat helps slow the release of caffeine into the blood stream so you have more consistent energy.
• Sweeteners- If you find you still need some sweetness in your life, do yourself a favor and avoid sugar it will only keep you coming back for more and tricking your brain into thinking your hungry when really you’re not. I would recommend xylitol or erythritol as they won’t impact your blood sugar and have fewer calories than sugar. Honey and Maple Syrup are more natural forms of sugar that do have some vitamins and minerals, but in the end your body still processes them as sugar (I would still recommend them over refined sugars).
• Adaptogens- These ancient potions help you adapt to things like stress and can help strengthen your immune system. I love Sun Potions Ashwagandha.

Something important to keep in mind is that if you do decide to add these healthy fats into your Matcha it is a source of fuel so it can be treated as a meal/snack to get your started in the morning or in the afternoon, but if you add it into your diet in addition to everything you already eat it will be an additional source of calories that could add up to too many in one day. BUT this isn’t to say don’t add it in, use this drink as a tool to make you feel awesome and get rid of something else that isn’t

Adding this Matcha in first thing in the morning before consuming your first meal can be beneficial because it helpful your body to use ketones to fuel the brain, which occurs when your body burns through its carbohydrate stores and then starts to burn body fat as fuel, which who wouldn’t want that! If you find that the caffeine is hard on your stomach without food I highly recommend adding in some hemp hearts or nut/oat milk to provide a little protein to keep your belly happy (which is what I do!).