I understand people love their coffee. But have you ever thought of trading a little matcha green tea for some of your daily coffee? There are some very good reasons why this would be a good move.

But before getting into that, let’s look at the differences between matcha green tea and simple green tea. Although these two beverages share several commonalities (both coming from the Camellia sinensis plant), they are indeed two distinct beverages.

While loose green tea leaves (sencha) usually come in the form of a tea bag, matcha green tea is actually 100% green tea leaves that have been ground into a fine powder. It is much more concentrated than regular green tea, so you only need ½ to 1 teaspoon per cup. In comparison to regular green tea, when drinking matcha, you consume the whole tea leaf!

Regular green tea also goes through a much longer processing during production, which involves the leaves being left in the sun. Comparatively, matcha bushes are kept specifically under cover to increase the chlorophyll and amino acid levels in the leaves. In terms of taste, they both have slightly grassy undertones.

However, matcha has a much richer, more buttery, more intense flavor. It is often blended with milk and sweetener to create matcha lattes, so many tea drinkers associate matcha with a frothy, velvety texture and sweet taste.

Although these two teas having different flavor profiles and cultivation/preparation methods, they are both full of health benefits. Matcha, however, has 10 times the nutritional value of regular green tea, 130 times more calcium, 172 times the amount of protein, and up to 137 times the amount of antioxidants. In fact, according to the ORAC testing method, matcha has 1300 units per gram. To understand just how substantial this is, pomegranates have 105 units per gram and blueberries have 91.4!

If this information isn’t enough to sway you towards drinking a little less coffee and more matcha green tea, consider this:

MATCHA HELPS KEEP SKIN CLEAR. Studies show that both drinking matcha green tea as well as applying it topically, can help reduce breakouts by up to 50%! This is why you'll find it as a key ingredient in quality skin care products now.

MATCHA HELPS SLOW THE EFFECTS OF AGING. This is because it’s incredibly rich in antioxidants and catechins, which neutralize free radicals (and the oxidative stress they produce) and protect against UV damage from sun exposure.

And speaking of protection from free radicals and UV damage, let me digress a bit and tell you about three other foods that are superior at protecting your skin.

Watermelon is stellar at this. It’s not just an excellent detoxing food, it’s also rich in the antioxidant lycopene. Lycopene is foremost in nourishing the skin and protecting it from free radicals and sun damage.

Strawberries are rich in the antioxidant vitamin C, which protects the catechins in matcha green tea, making those catechins 5 times more powerful once they’re in the bloodstream.

Lime is also rich in the antioxidant vitamin C. This vitamin is necessary for building collagen, the supportive protein in the skin that keeps it smooth, supple, and youthful-looking.

But back to matcha green tea. The most common way to drink matcha powder is by adding a teaspoon to hot water. My favorite way to drink matcha however, is to add it to my morning juices or smoothies! So it’s with that suggestion that I’ll close. Here’s a recipe for a recipe found on a great site, Body Unburdened (www.bodyunburdened.com) for one of the best juices I’ve ever had.

Now I’m not asking you to give up your coffee…just consider trading a little matcha green tea for some of your daily coffee. This juice will make the move easy!