Health & Nutrition, Immunity, Matcha, Matcha Powder, Mindfulness, News

Does it really taste like chocolate? ABSOLUTELY! But not only that, you’ll also benefit from the super nutrients in the matcha and the cocoa.  Yes, cocoa powder is also incredibly healthy for you when it’s in its basic powder form, absent of all the sugars and sweeteners you find in chocolate bars. Now, let’s delve into why cocoa powder is so great and why we have added it into our matcha (it’s not just for the taste!).  If you’re not caught up on incredible benefits of pure matcha, check out this post

Cocoa

I’m sure you don’t need a lesson on what cocoa tastes like given that it’s the essential ingredient in chocolate, but let’s start with a little more about how it’s made.  Cocoa trees produce large cocoa pods which contain around 20 to 30 seeds sitting in a sweet white pulp – these are the cocoa beans.  It takes a whole year’s crop from one tree to make half a kilo of cocoa.  When harvested, the ripe pods are cut open and the beans are taken out, fermented, dried, cleaned and roasted.  They’re then cracked, the nibs are grounded, and dried again, and then grounded into the powder.  Phew!  I’m exhausted just writing about it.

Now for the benefits!

Reduction of potential blood and heart problems

Cocoa powder contains flavanol which increases the level of nitric oxide present within the blood.  This is beneficial as nitric oxide allows for easier transport of blood as it dilates your arteries and relaxes blood vessels. This can result in a host of benefits including a reduction in bad cholesterol (LDL) and inflammation.

Brain function

Polyphenols found within cocoa powder can protect neurons within the brain against injury that may be instigated by neurotoxins, and can suppress neuroinflammation, seeing a promotion in memory and general cognitive functionality.

Weight control

Although not completely proven, it has been suggested cocoa powder is satiating as it reduces appetite and inflammation.  Further, it has also been advocated that it increases fat oxidation, which increases the rate of fat burning within the body.

Asthma and breathing difficulties

Theobromine and Theophylline are present within cocoa powder and both can relax the body’s airways, widening them by dilation of the lungs and, as a result, allowing you to breathe more easily.

Now, this doesn’t mean you should eat a ton of chocolate! As it contains significantly high amounts of sugars and fats, that would be a pretty bad idea. Rather, try adding cocoa powder to your diet and try out our Cocoa Matcha to get some serious health benefits at the same time.

Also, check out our Tumeric Cocoa Matcha for a delicious combination of sweet and spice with the added advantage of also having Tumeric in your diet.  Please see my blog on Tumeric to see how remarkable it is!

Serving Suggestions

Sprinkle it onto your breakfast cereal:  Cocoa Matcha turns your granola or morning porridge into a delicious, rich chocolatey feast. It provides you with a morning full of energy and will keep you satisfied until lunchtime.

At Twist Teas, we’ve gone one step further and added it to our homemade granola mix which gives us a great start to our day.

Hot cocoa.  Instead of a high calorie hot beverage, why not have a low calorie, equally delicious treat! Just make the matcha by putting a tea spoon full into a cup, adding a small amount of slightly cooled boiling water, milk or milk substitute (approx. 80 degrees centigrade) and stir into a smooth paste. Then add the rest of the liquid stirring vigorously.   And there’s your fusion cocoa goodness to warm you up on a cold winter’s day.

With fruit and yoghurt.  Another delicious way to enjoy our cocoa matcha is to combine it with some yoghurt, exactly as you would when making a drink.  Then simply add some fruit.  Now you can have healthy chocolate-dipped fruit for breakfast.  The Twist Teas taste team made this delicious chocolate dip with coconut yoghurt – our healthy version of a chocolate fountain!

Health & Nutrition, Immunity, Matcha, Matcha Powder, Mindfulness, News

If the idea of Beetroot & Acai Matcha gives you pause for thought, rest assured that at Twist Teas we do things a little bit differently and a whole lot better.  And this blend is no exception:  it’s absolutely delicious and boasts serious amounts of nutrients!  For extra information on Matcha take a look  to find out more about how magnificent it really is.  Now, onto the standout perks of adding Beetroot & Acai to your diet.

Beetroot

Beetroot is often considered somewhat of a super food, here’s why:

High nutrient profile

Beetroot contains pretty much all the nutrients required in your diet including Folate, Potassium, Iron and Manganese.  So if you are looking for a natural source of multivitamins, you’ll find one here!

Nitrate concentration

The high nitrate concentration found in Beetroot paves the way for an improvement in blood flow.  This is because it’s a vasodilator, making your blood flow more easily.  It affects the muscles in the walls of your arteries and veins, preventing them from tightening and the walls from narrowing. Although Nitrate concentration is temporarily high after consumption (up to 6 hours), this can boost mental and cognitive brain function, helping to remove ‘brain fog’ and can reduce blood pressure, endorsing better mental clarity and concentration.

Acai

Acai berries are native to South American rainforests and have grown in popularity in recent years.  Whilst relatively expensive, this  ‘jack of all trades’ is a worthwhile investment because of its numerous health benefits:

Immune system

Studies show that a Polyphenolic compound found in the acai berries prevent cells from malfunctioning which may in turn reduce the possibility of tumour growth.  The berries also contain Anthocyanin, which is reputed to reduce blood pressure and inflammation, which have an adverse effect on the immune system.

Heart and brain health

Anthocyanin has also been shown to strengthen memory by improving blood flow efficiency to the brain and reduce neuroinflammation.

So, when combining Beetroot, Acai and Matcha ,you have… well not just super, but super, super and you guessed it, super food, so you are certainly getting bang for your buck!’

A warm brew: I wasn’t lying when I said it was delicious! On its own as a brew, it’s jam packed full of flavour! Simply turn the powder into a paste and then slowly add the rest of the hot water, milk or milk substitute stirring vigorously as you go.  And there you have it:  your triple super brew!

Mixed with porridge:  You might want to alleviate that annoying brain fog in the morning, or just fancy a change.   If so, add around half a teaspoon of the powder and mix it in.  This tastes really delicious.  Enjoy!

Make a super smoothie: Now I know I’ve said super many times, I promise, just once more. Just add around a half a teaspoon to whatever smoothie you’re making:  I like a mixed berry one, and make it even more… SUPER than it already is!

Add to salad mayonnaise, yoghurt or vinaigrette salad dressing:  This is a great way to add health benefits to your salads. At Twist Teas we enjoy it on beetroot and goats cheese salad and especially love Leon’s Original Vegan Mayonnaise with a Matcha twist!

Health & Nutrition, Immunity, Matcha, Matcha Powder, Mindfulness, News

If you haven’t already heard about Matcha you will do soon!  It’s the new super tea creating waves in the health and fitness industry:  it has skyrocketed in popularity due to its unique nutrient profile, with consumers drinking shots, lattes, and tea, all made from Premium Grade Matcha with the promise of health benefits, ranging from enhancing weight loss to decreasing the risk of heart disease.  And to top all that, Twist Teas’ Pure Matcha Great Taste Award winning blend tastes delicious too!

What is it?

Matcha green tea powder is a refreshing alternative to traditional tea, a bright green elixir that’s packed with antioxidants that enhances your mood, health and energy level.

You’re probably already familiar with green tea.  Matcha comes from the same plant as green tea, but it’s made from the entire leaf, it packs in a more concentrated number of antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds.  Farmers grow matcha by covering their tea plants for between twenty and thirty days before harvest to avoid direct sunlight.  This increases chlorophyll production, boosts the amino acid content, and gives the plant a darker green hue.  Once the tea leaves are harvested, the stems and veins are removed, and the leaves are ground up into a fine powder known as matcha.  Due to its multistage process, it is much pricier than your regular teas, and for good reason!

What are its benefits?

The increased levels of Chlorophyll in matcha can reduce inflammation within the body, which can be great for aches and pains, and things such as acne and swelling.  Peculiarly, it’s also a natural deodorant, so for people like me who like to get a sweat on, it stops my partner, and mum, keeping their distance from me when I’m back from the gym!

• weight loss as it has the potential to increase fat burn during exercise,
• heart health development as it can reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol allowing easier transport of blood flow, and
• improved brain function due to the high levels of L-theanine present in the leaves.

Best of all, the tea is simple to prepare, so you can incorporate it effortlessly into your diet and give your day a burst of extra flavour.  

Serving Suggestions

• As a tea, you would use one tsp of the Pure Matcha powder, add a slight amount of water to it mixing it in creating a paste. Once the paste is made add the rest of your hot water and there you have it, your green super brew!

• Due to the way it boosts brain function, having a quick shot of it before a workout would be an excellent way to boost your concentration! To do so, make a small paste like you would making the tea, then add around 100-200ml of cold water, mix it together and there you have it, a healthy pre workout drink without abundances of caffeine and other unwanted additives!

• Another quick way to get that Matcha boost is to simply sprinkle it onto some of your porridge or oats in the morning. That way you’re ready for the day ahead! I like to have our Twist Pure Matcha as it gives it a nice chocolatey taste which definitely satisfies my sweet tooth.