Photo Credit: Hailey Bieber
If you are suffering from Chronic Illness, Medical Medium would advise you to ditch caffeine altogether to support your adrenal glands, central nervous system, and liver. He's right. Coffee is a drug that consistently stimulates your nervous system and puts your body on high alert - otherwise known as 'fight or flight' mode. If you are drinking it every day and can't function without it, you are gradually wearing your body down and weakening your liver.
When I look back, giving up coffee was one of the first steps of my healing journey (both mind and body). When I decided to give it up, I was heavily addicted to black coffee and couldn't function in the morning without it, but my goal was to clear my skin. That was almost 8 years ago now.
I didn't give up caffeine altogether, though. I still love a little caffeine boost from green tea or a matcha latte in moderation. While I do miss the pleasant aroma of a cup of coffee and the creative boost it can provide, I don't miss having dry skin, anxious energy, or the inevitable energy crash that comes with it.
On the other hand, Matcha provides stable, balanced energy for me thanks to the amino acid and natural calming agent l-theanine, which works on your brain waves to help you stay alert, chill, and focused. Drinking tea vs. coffee helps me feel more grounded in my body and most definitely has helped me calm my central nervous system.
Truthfully, I prefer making my matcha at home vs. going to a café. I genuinely look forward to the ritual of making it, and I also trust the purity of the ingredients I am using. I believe it's important to still have things you enjoy and love and not become so strict that you don't enjoy anything. It's all about baby steps and making better, healthier choices. Below are the items I use to make my favorite cup of matcha.
1. Organic Unsweetened Almond Milk by @goodmylkco So many alternative milks on the market have too many additives such as natural flavors, carrageenan, MSG, and inflammatory oils. Added oil also = extra fat. Good Mylk is made with 4 simple ingredients: organic sprouted almonds, alkaline water, ancient mineral salts, and dates. It's the next best thing to making your own. It's sold as a concentrate and stored in the freezer until ready for use. I de-thaw mine in the fridge overnight. Then, I add it to a blender with about 22 oz. of spring water in the morning, and pour it into a jar. It comes out so frothy :)
Just remember to check the labels at the grocery store, and if you are at a café, ask if they offer raw or homemade almond milk.
2. Manuka Honey by @activistmanuka 300+ for sweetener. Manuka honey is antiviral, antibacterial, and great for the immune system. Traditionally, manuka has been used for wound healing, soothing sore throats, and improving digestive issues. If you drink coffee but are looking for a healthy sweetener replacement, I would suggest swapping it for manuka honey.
PS. Raw Honey works well too!
3. Sun Goddess Matcha Powder by @piquetea Pique calls their matcha "the world's purest matcha." It's 100% organic, ceremonial grade, and they quadruple screen the tea for heavy metals, fluoride, pesticides, toxic mold, etc. Get 5% off your first order on their website with my special discount code SHGUIDE
To Make the Matcha Latte: Pour the pique matcha packet into a mug and heat about 3/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk in a saucepan. While the milk heats, add a little hot water to the matcha and whisk together. Pour the hot almond milk over the powder. Whisk together again. Then sweeten with honey to taste (about 1/2 tablespoon or however much your heart desires).
If you're not a big matcha fan, check out some of the other options pique tea offers. All teas come in powder form and are bagless (no microplastics or chemicals leaching into your tea).
Photo Courtesy of Pique Tea
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