I often take time to meditate on the migration of my meals and morsels but lately, I’ve been especially mindful. With the EstroZen Detox underway, I’m deep in thoughts of the science of food.
Not just my food, but hopefully yours too!

Which foods support your hormone balance and which thwart it?

It’s all a careful correspondence and I must confess that I love delving into the nitty gritty to customize a dietary protocol that delivers the best results possible, while also creating a blueprint you can carry easily into your everyday—well beyond our time together inside of a program or protocol.

Today I want to make testament to the tea leaf—the green tea leaf.
But before I do, don’t forget that registration for the EstroZen Detox closes tomorrow! It’s not too late to come play with me and green tea…

You’ve likely heard that green tea is good for your health. It’s not really “news”. What I’d like to look at with you is the WHYs and the HOWs of some of green tea’s goodness.
Take a look at these 3 great benefits of green tea:

  • green tea stimulates your metabolism
  • it contains antioxidants that make it a good cancer-fighting & immune-boosting beverage
  • and green tea simultaneously relaxes you and boosts your brainpower!

Let’s go ahead & bring our investigative eye to each of those points (and don’t forget to put the kettle on).

GREEN TEA & YOUR METABOLISM

Green tea has thermogenic properties, meaning it helps to produce some heat in your body to burn fat and keep you warm.
The antioxidants in green tea (noted below), have been found to extend the release of the neurochemical norepinephrine in the bloodstream and keep it circulating for longer than any other caffeine-containing source. More norepinephrine circulation (say that three times!), means more fat burning potential.
Bring it on!
(Bonus note: Got cold hands and feet or Raynaud’s syndrome? Try the Green Chai Latte below and add one teaspoon coconut oil to the mix for taking your thermogenesis to the max!)

GREEN TEA’S ANTIOXIDANT POWER

Green tea’s powers come from polyphenols that provide antioxidants to neutralize free radicals in your body.
Inside your body you’re constantly manufacturing unstable molecules. It’s these unstable molecules that can lead to internal inflammation and cancer growth. Those unstable molecules are called free radicals, and they cause harm to other cells in your body.
Antioxidants, like those in your green tea, cruise through your body, looking for those free radicals. The antioxidants can not only annul the free radicals, but may even lend some repair to the damage they’ve already caused.
Scavenge away!

GREEN TEA & YOUR BRAIN

One of my favorite forms of green tea is matcha green tea, which comes in a fine powder made from baby tea leaves. The young green tea leaves, which include those used for making matcha powder (as well as those in the Dragon’s Well tea), contain one of your most ZEN amino acids. It’s L-theanine.
The L-theanine creates a sense of relaxation and calm about 30 minutes after ingestion. It stimulates the same alpha waves you activate during meditation. These effects can help counter the jitters that many experience when consuming caffeine.
At the same time, those great antioxidants (which are called EGCG by the way), help protect brain cells, keeping them alive and alert and in less danger of cell death. Power up.
Drink up when stressed out!
The benefits of green tea go on. But let’s digest these nuggets and start experimenting with some green tea for health, happiness and hormonal harmony.
And don’t forget the EstroZen Detox is underway and there’s still time for you to join (not much time though, registration closes on Thursday, and we could all use a little ZEN right now!). The content for Week One awaits you upon registration and you can dive into the details of the detox as soon as you enroll.

Chai Matcha Latte

ginger chai latte
This recipe incorporates the beauty of green tea with a host of other cancer-fighting, immune-boosting, hormone-balancing spices. An elixir for the gods and goddesses indeed!
ingredients

  • 2 tsp matcha green tea powder
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk (I prefer Native Forest brand Full-Fat) or almond milk (unsweetened)
  • 6 whole cardamom pods
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 8 whole black peppercorns
  • one 2-inch cinnamon stick
  • 2 cups just-boiling water
  • 2 dashes ground cinnamon
  • 1 pinch allspice
  • 1 pinch sea salt
  • 8-10 drops liquid stevia (plain or vanilla) or 1 tsp raw honey

preparation
Place the whole herbs (cardamom, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon stick), in a jar or glass measuring cup. Pour just-boiling water over the herbs and let it steep for a minimum of five minutes and up to overnight. (I like the latter steeping time as it allows the flavor of the herbs to truly come through.)
Pour milk of your choice into a mini blender like a Nutribullet or into another glass jar or measuring cup where you can whisk the ingredients together. Add the matcha green tea powder, ground cinnamon, allspice and sea salt and blend or whisk until well combined.
Pour the steeped water through a strainer and into the matcha-milk slurry. Add stevia or raw honey. Blend or whisk again. Taste for desired sweetness.
If you’d like your latte hotter, pour ingredients into a small pot and gently heat before drinking to your health!

By:

Functional Nutrition Alliance provides the comprehensive online Functional Nutrition training in the Science & Art of the Functional Nutrition practice. Learn to address the roots of your clients’ suffering with client education, diet & lifestyle modifications.