Tea is one of the simplest drinks you can prepare, and it happens to be one of the healthiest as well. The great thing about it is that there are various types of tea to please everyone’s palate, and you can add more ingredients to further enhance the taste and the nutritional profile. But out of all the varieties sold in the market, green tea is probably the best.
This green tea recipe from My Longevity Kitchen is a great mid-afternoon snack that will lift your spirits. It can even be used as a pre-workout drink to maximize your performance at the gym.
Energy-Boosting Coconut Green Tea
Ingredients
- 1 serving of prepared hot, organic green tea
- 1 to 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- Grass-fed vanilla whey protein powder
- Generous dash of cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil, optional
Procedure
- Using a blender, blend together the hot tea and coconut oil.
- Carefully touch the mixture with your finger to test the temperature. If it’s too hot to touch, then it needs to cool a little longer before you add the whey protein powder (to avoid damaging the nutrients).
- Once it’s at a temperature you can comfortably touch, add the protein powder and cinnamon. Blend again. Enjoy!
Note: Different brands of whey protein powders have varying levels of nutritional content and sweetness. Try adding 2 tablespoons first and then adjust to your preferred taste.
Green Tea Is an Amazing Source of Powerful Antioxidants
Green tea contains a high concentration of polyphenols, which offer around 25 to 100 times better antioxidant activity compared to vitamins C and E. Many studies have been done regarding this super food, and findings suggest that it may help with:
- Cardiovascular health: Consuming green tea regularly can help lower harmful cholesterol levels (LDL) and raise good cholesterol levels (HDL).1
- Weight management: The catechins in green tea can help you lose weight by boosting your metabolism and promoting fat burning in your body.2
- Cancer: Results from various studies suggest that green tea may help lower your risk of pancreatic,3 breast,4 esophageal,5 colorectal,6 ovarian,7 skin8 and stomach9 cancers.
- Diabetes: Findings from a 2013 study indicate that green tea may have a positive effect against the symptoms of type 2 diabetes.10
- Brain function: Green tea may help improve cognitive performance as you age. In a 2010 study, researchers discovered that the polyphenols helped suppress brain beta amyloid plaque formation in mice.11
Coconut Oil Adds Healthy Fats to Make This Beverage ‘Energy-Boosting’
The medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) in coconut oil provide a clean, healthy source of energy because they don’t add to your weight. That’s because this type of fat is immediately absorbed and converted by your liver into fuel. And that’s not all — the MCFAs help improve the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. I use coconut oil as much as I can in my cooking due to the benefits mentioned above, as well as for the following reasons:
- Immune system boost: The various fatty acids and lipids in coconut oil can boost your immune system. They have been found to help combat harmful microbes such as yeast, viruses and bacteria.12
- Heart health: Similar to green tea, consuming coconut oil can help lower your bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and increase good (HDL) cholesterol levels.13
- Hunger reduction: Coconut oil’s MCFAs can help you feel full longer, helping reduce your overall calorie consumption. In one study, participants who ate MCFAs consumed 256 fewer calories on average compared to high-fat diet eaters.14
Whey Adds Important Proteins That Can Help With Muscle Repair
Whey is a high-quality protein isolated from cow’s milk. It is essentially a byproduct formed during cheese-making when enzymes are added in the milk to create curds. The liquid portion that’s left is the whey protein, which is then turned into a powder.15
The main benefit of whey is that it is quickly absorbed by your muscles within 10 to 15 minutes of consumption. It also contains leucine, an amino acid that helps speed up muscle repair, making it a popular supplement for fitness enthusiasts. If you exercise regularly, whey protein can benefit your routine.
However, make sure to consume whey and other protein-rich foods in moderation. Excess protein can negatively affect your mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a signaling pathway that can play a role in the development of cancer. Only purchase whey protein made from grass fed milk to ensure you are consuming a high-quality product.
Cinnamon Adds More Nutrients to Boost the Tea’s Nutritional Profile
Cinnamon is a spice derived from the inner bark of the cinnamomum tree, which is then left out to dry to produce the color, flavor and aroma for which it’s known. Studies have found that cinnamon contains different compounds that may provide health benefits, such as:
- Increasing antioxidant function: Cinnamon is rich in polyphenols, which can help eliminate free radicals throughout your body.16
- Regulating inflammation response: Consuming cinnamon can help promote proper inflammatory response, thanks to its various essential oils.17
- Controlling insulin sensitivity: According to a 2010 study in the Journal of Diabetes of Science and Technology, cinnamon has the potential to lower your risk of insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.18
About the Blog
Inspired by the ideas from the “Perfect Health Diet” and the Weston A. Price Foundation, Marisa Moon started her blog My Longevity Kitchen so she can share with other people her whole food and gluten-free recipes that maximize nutrition and minimize toxins. Her blog has been nominated for Paleo Magazine’s 2015 Best New Blog Award. All of her recipes are gluten free and compliant with a variety of ancestral diets and real food lifestyles.
Apart from managing her blog, Marisa also teaches nutritional lifestyle workshops and develops recipes for HI-VIBE, an organic superfood juicery, all in Chicago, Illinois.
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