Green tea powder is all the rage nowadays and is a staple in the Hollywood A-lister diet. From Jennifer Aniston, to Lady Gaga, Christina who hits up places like the MatchaBar Emporium, and British Royals Posh and Becks, celebs have been cutting the coffee and adding green tea to their diet to stay fit and healthy. But did you know that it’s nothing new? It’s been around for an eon, since 618 AD when the Chinese Tang dynasty developed unique methods of making tea powder that were later introduced to the Japanese, along with Zen Buddhism, in 1191.

These days, green tea is known for its excellent and enduring health benefits that the antioxidants and amino acids within it provide. To really reap the benefit you must must must obtain the right quality. All green tea is not created equal. The difference my dear friends is determined by virtue of its growth, harvest and preparation.
Did you know that for its last several weeks prior to harvest the green tea bushes must be covered, put in the shade, so that no sunlight penetrates? It slows the growth, increases the amount of chlorophyll, making the leaves a much darker green color and stimulates the growth of antioxidants like catechins which are flavonoids, and amino acids, notably L-theanine.
To this day, the Japanese are known to coddle their green tea, picking it by hand, drying it flat, de-veining, de-stemming, and then it is stoneground into powder. In order to obtain high quality, consider purchasing matcha green tea from a Japanese grocery store, or the equivalent online. It makes a big difference in terms of nutritional content. I kid-you-not!
Green Tea Smoothie for Weight Loss and Good Health

Matcha and green tea have been highly touted for their weight loss, fat burning, capabilities. I guarantee that one healthy serving of this juicy smoothie in the morning will fill you up and satiate you for hours. I know, because it worked for me. I consumed 1 each morning for 3-weeks, and I lost 5 pounds, combined with exercise and other nutritious dietary foods of course.
1 tsp green tea or matcha powder
1 tsp chia seeds
1 tsp vanilla protein powder
2-3 Tbsp of plain unpasteurized yogurt (preferably with natural probiotics)
3 – 4 ice cubes
¾ cup of soy milk or low fat milk
Blend the ingredients at a high speed, then enjoy! It is delicious, filling and low fat.
Get Your Green Tea Soba Noodles on, for Weight Loss

I already mentioned that green tea has tremendous fat burning capability. I’d also like to add a reminder to purchase green tea powder products from Japanese markets for the most authentic ingredients. That said, green tea soba noodles are no less than super-delicious, even without seasoning. But by adding the right albeit minimal seasonings, the most wondrous and delicate flavors come through, all packed-in with rich fat-burning antioxidants, flavonoids and protein. Made from buckwheat flour, salt, green tea and chlorella powder. The ingredients vary slightly depending on the brand of green tea soba noodles. The noodles can be served hot or cold but are particularly tasty when made with a light ginger-soy sauce with honey.
1 package of green tea soba noodles (boiled, as directed)
1/3 cup miso (or low-salt soy)
½ inch of fresh ginger, diced small
2 fresh garlic cloves, crushed
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup scallions, diced
While boiling soba noodles, mix all remaining ingredients together, except scallions. Drain water from soba noodles, mix sauce into pan with soba, add scallions and sear for 5 minutes on high. Eat hot or cool and eat cold on a summer’s evening.
Fresh Matcha Mint Iced Tea
Fresh local ingredients offer something that canned and processed foods rarely can, and that’s nutrients. How about a fresh iced tea with fresh ingredients? Sounds enticing.
2 tsp matcha green tea powder
2 cups of filtered water
1 fresh lime, the juice squeezed, but for several slices remaining
½ cup fresh mint (preferably from the garden)
2- cups crushed ice (from filtered water)
Honey (optional, to taste)
Use a cocktail shaker combining water and matcha, shaking until no lumps remain.
Add the juice of lime, mint, honey and ice into the shaker, shake additionally.
Pour into glasses garnishing each glass with a lime slice and fresh untainted mint.
Green Yogurt for Breakfast
Move over Hulk! I’m hungry for an ultra-green breakfast. Starting the day with improved cognitive function, enhanced alertness and lower mental and physical stress derived from the L-theanine amino acid found in matcha green tea, is nothing less than a boon any morning. But there’s more to this recipe. The yogurt with live probiotics has calcium, full of protein particularly the Greek version, is also great for GI health, and blood oranges are packed with vitamin C:
1 tsp Matcha powder
1 blood orange, peeled, sliced
6 – 8 oz. fresh yogurt
Honey to taste
Chopped walnuts, small handful
Mix yogurt with matcha and honey, whisking until dissolved completely. Pour into serving bowl, top with blood orange slices and crushed walnuts.
Kiwi-Mango Smoothie

This one is so delicious and after I had it once I couldn’t back down from drinking several each week, no kidding. I bet you couldn’t stop either. It’s not just the sweet, sweet taste of mango or the powerful kiwi boost of sour.
2 tbsp green tea
2 ½ cups of mango
½ tsp lime rind
½ cup baby spinach (packed)
3 kiwi’s peeled
2 cups of ice cubes
¾ cup of yogurt
¼ cup honey
2 tbsp water
Blend together the mango, ½ a cup of the yogurt, 2 tbsp of the honey, lime rind and water until smooth. Put the content into 4 different glasses and set in the freezer. After cleaning the blender or extracting machine add remaining ingredients. Add on top of existing 4 glasses and garnish with kiwi slices and drink at once.
Coconut Latte
This is a simple recipe yet it bears all the health and weight loss benefit that matcha has in few calories.
½ to 1 tsp cooking grade matcha
¼ cup coconut milk, warmed
¼ cup hot water
Honey, sweetened to taste
Add hot water and coconut milk to matcha, whisking until frothy, for about ½ minute. For a richer latte use a richer coconut milk with higher fat content.
A Hot Cup of Tea

Consumption of 4 or 5 cups of powdered green tea has metabolism boosting qualities that a person can gain during exercise and while at rest. It increases thermogenesis which is the rate of burning calories, pushing it up from 10 percent to 35 or 40 percent. Not too shabby! It stimulates fat oxidation well beyond what the nominal caffeine content can facilitate. In fact, the catechins are the more significant component encouraging thermogenesis and fat burning. Catechins are more prevalent in green powdered tea than in any other food.
More weight loss, particularly adipose tissue, was experienced by the green tea drinkers who combined 4 to 5 cups of green tea with cardiovascular exercise compared with those who exercised but did not drink green tea.
Has green tea helped you on your weight loss journey? Let us know in the comment section below.