Matcha Smoothie Bowl

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 banana frozen
1 teaspoon matcha powder
1 cup fresh baby spinach, packed
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1/4 Cup frozen berries
Handful of ice

INSTRUCTIONS

Pour the almond milk into the blender. Blend in banana, matcha powder, spinach, and chia seeds. For a thick smoothie bowl add just enough liquid to turn the blender blade and be patient. For a thinner, drinkable smoothie, add more liquid.

MATCHA HEALTH BENEFITS

Courtesy of RunningOnRealFood.com

Antioxidant content. Antioxidants are naturally occurring compounds that help prevent disease. Matcha, an anti-aging and protective superfood, is packed with more antioxidants than most fruits and vegetables. In fact, according to Tufts University, matcha has 20 times the antioxidants of pomegranates and blueberries.

Catechins. Catechins are a class of potent antioxidants that aren’t found in other foods. Green tea contains the catechin EGCg which has powerful cancer-fighting properties. Catechins such as EGCg help fight free radicals in the body caused by environment toxins such as pollution, UV rays and chemicals.

L-Theanine. Matcha is rich in the amino acid, L-Theanine, which helps promote a state of relaxation and well-being. L-Theanine is found in all teas but is matcha may contain up to 5x more of it than regular green or black tea. This amino acid is also thought to help improve memory, concentration and focus without the negative effects caffeine can sometimes have. This is why I love matcha to help with productivity when I need to get some writing done.

Weight loss. Matcha boost the metabolism helping to burn more fat without putting any stress on the body like a “fat-burner: supplement might.

In addition, matcha contains fibre, chlorophyll, vitamin C, selenium, chrominum, zinc and magnesium. I just love it! The fist thing I do every morning is make myself a matcha. I’ll get into how to make matcha tea and matcha lattes at home but today we’ve got a quick matcha fix with this beautiful matcha smoothie.