Matcha Latte Update

I’m two weeks into replacing my morning coffee with a Matcha Latte and I am happy to report that it’s honestly going super well. I don’t know if it’s partially because I made a very conscious decision to slow down my morning and actually drink said latte out of a mug at my kitchen bar while reading or if it’s because the Matcha is actually the super food that everyone says it is, but it’s made my mornings 100% better.

I was originally planning on just having the straight Matcha with no milk (nut or animal) in an effort to keep my calories in the morning to a minimum, but then I realized that not eating anything until 10 am or later on days that I lift at 5 am felt like torture.

In an effort to get something in my stomach that was both caffeinated and made me less of a hungry bear, I opted for the Matcha Latte.

The recipe I make was cobbled together from a number of recipes online as well as some recommendations from Instagram people and my own testing. While slightly more involved and involving far more equipment than my morning coffee, I find the process of making the latte kind of weirdly soothing and calming.

Here’s my basic recipe:

1.5 Teaspoons of Matcha

3.5 oz of Elmhurst Milked Cashews

0.5 Teaspoons of Honey

2 Scoops of Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides

Sometimes I’ll add a little sprinkle of ginger or cinnamon if I want a little flavor boost, am feeling a little sluggish, or want the latte to taste a little bit like a chai tea.

I tried a number of methods to make my Matcha lattes at first. From using the cute little bamboo Matcha whisk and then a regular whisk to just throwing it all in a blender. The latter didn’t go over so well. There were little chunks of Matcha left at the bottom of my blender and the latte ended up kind of cold after I finally got everything incorporated. So…that method is out for me.

I’ve since settled on the following method:

1. Heat up water in the electric kettle.

2. Add Matcha and honey to wide mouthed tea cup or mug, (Add ginger or cinnamon if desired)

3. Pour hot water into the tea cup, filling about halfway full

4. Use Matcha whisk to fully incorporate Matcha and honey together.

5. Measure out 3.5 oz of Milked Cashews

6. Heat Milked Cashews in microwave for 45 seconds

This step is way more important than it seems. I forgot to warm up the milk once and my latte was undrinkable cold. Especially since it was a chilly -12 degree morning in Cleveland.

7. Add mixed Matcha and Milked Cashews to blender

8. Add in 2 scoops of Collage Peptides

9. Put lid on and blend for 45 seconds to a minute

10. Pour into mug or tea cup and enjoy!

It sounds like a lot of steps when I write it out, especially when compared to my coffee routine of put coffee and hot water into aeropress, wait, and filter into coffee cup (or other people’s routine of press button, get coffee on their coffee makers).

Generally speaking, I take the claims of “alternative medicines,” “Ayurvedic Medicine,” and buzzy Instagram trends with a grain of salt. I think they can sometimes walk that weird line of, “You don’t need real medications and doctors just do these wellness things!” Not really about diving full-force into that way of thinking.

That being said there are a lot of people I trust who swear by some things that alternative medicine, Ayurvedic Medicine and yes, even Instagram trends, have brought us one of them being Matcha and the other being collagen peptides.

First, let me address the collagen peptides thing. When I first started hearing about collagen being taken as a supplement, I was not convinced. I thought it was really weird and assumed that it was just another stupid supplement thing that Instagram influencers were shilling for spare change. Then I started reading more and got more and more curious.

I felt like I had a really hard time finding information about collagen peptides, especially when I wanted to compare it to protein powders. Whey Protien makes my stomach hurt A LOT, so I wanted to make sure that collagen peptides wouldn’t do the same. Thankfully, I was able to have that confirmed by a friend who has been taken collagen peptides for a while.

Two weeks in and zero stomach issues. And I’m getting more protein in for my muscles at the start of the day. Win-win.

The collagen is also helping my joints be less crackly and feel a lot better. As an added bonus, my skin is getting clearer and my hair is looking stronger and shinier. AND, I stay plenty full and focused until my morning snack of a banana and some peanut butter.

Now on to the Matcha.

Trust me when I say that switching my coffee for Matcha has made a huge difference in my mornings. I feel way more awake, alert and calm. I feel like the winter blues aren’t nearly as bad anymore and I think my immune system is getting a serious boost. There has been a massive plague going around the office and nearly everyone has gotten it by now except for me. Fingers crossed that continues.

Long story short: switching my coffee for Matcha with collagen peptides was a great choice that is making me feel so much better. If you’re curious, I highly recommend giving it a shot.