I’m a huge fan of Matcha, and its potent health giving benefits. Today, I’m going to share with you my favourite mid morning drink – Turmeric and Matcha Green Tea Smoothie. I’m keeping it simple, just a few ingredients, but it’s still a powerhouse of goodness.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
I’m always on the lookout for quality, organic matcha tea. Good quality matcha tea should be herby, grassy, with no bitter aftertaste. And it should also be a vibrant green. If it looks like last summer’s khaki trousers, it belongs in the compost heap!
So always look out for a bright green colour!
Let’s face it, many of us need caffeine in our lives. I work from home, I have 4 homeschooling kids and I work out 5-6 days a week. I’ll be the first to admit that I can’t live without caffeine! But I no longer drink coffee, apart from the odd occasional drink out with friends, because it no longer agrees with me. And there are only so many cups of black tea I can drink in a day!
So matcha, to me, has been a life saver, you get the pick-me-up without the jitters. The wake-me-up with a whole lot of compelling fringe benefits!
What is Matcha?
It literally means “green tea” in Japanese. The strength of matcha lies in the fact that it is powdered green tea leaves, picked when young and full of nutrients.
When you brew a cup of green tea, you are only getting a fraction of the goodness the leaves have to offer, because you are only getting what leaches out into the liquid, and nothing else. Those leaves we throw away? They are still packed with nutrients. So matcha solves that problem by being in powdered form, the personification of the Japanese practice of waste not – Mottainai.
Benefits of Matcha Green Tea
1 cup of matcha tea has the same amount of antioxidants as 10 cups of green tea! Matcha Tea:
- is full of antioxidants, 6 times more than gojiberries, 25 times more than acai berries!
- is a super detoxifier
- boosts metabolism, and therefore, helps to burn calories
- calms and relaxes while it boosts your energy levels
- is full of vitamins and minerals
Turmeric and Matcha Green Tea Smoothie
Let’s talk about the recipe, shall we? Some months ago, I shared the Golden Milk Smoothie with you guys. I am just in love with the combination of milk, banana, mango, turmeric and ginger.
It makes an absolutely delicious base for various creative permutations that can include: spinach, kale, all sorts of berries, and various seeds.
So adding matcha to it was just a no brainer. The result is a delicious, herbal drink with a slight citrusy and spicy twist.
Why this Matcha Green Tea Smoothie is good for you
Briefly, I promise!
Matcha
Yeah, we covered that above, didn’t we? Powerful antioxidant, has a calming effect while energising, too.
Turmeric
You can read more about turmeric here. The curcumin in turmeric is responsible for much of its potency. Turmeric is believed to be anti inflammatory, is an anti depressant, and a powerful antioxidant, neutralising free radicals in our body.
Ginger
It is another powerful root that’s good for you. Gingerol is the main compound in ginger, and is responsible for much of its medicinal properties. It has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and, as many of us have probably heard, is good for digestion and prevents nausea.
Mango
With antioxidants like quercetin, isoquercitrin, astragalin and fisetin, is also a powerhouse of goodness. Haven’t we been told enough that any red and orange fruit and vegetable is super good?
Banana
The humble banana, where do I even start? Rich in potassium and low in sodium, it has been officially recognised by the FDA as being able to lower blood pressure. Bananas are extremely beneficial to all forms of minor digestive ailments. I have a banana a day, whether in a smoothie or, as is.
Black Pepper
Black pepper is good in its own right, with antibacterial properties. However, I use it here and elsewhere as a support to the tumeric. Pipperine, a black pepper alkaloid, increases the bioavailability of turmeric, by, apparently, as much as 2000%! What this means is that if you add a little black pepper everytime you consume turmeric, you’ll be increasing the absorption of the turmeric and all its goodness by your body!
Want to turn this Smoothie into a Pre or Post Workout Drink?
- Just add 1-2 servings of protein powder, as per your needs. Flavourless is best, you don’t want to mess with perfection.
- 1-2 tsp of Creatine, if you are a fan of it.
If you like the recipe, don’t forget to leave me a comment and that all important, 5-star rating! Thank you
And if you make the recipe, share it on any platform and tag me @azlinbloor.
Lin xx
Turmeric and Matcha Green Tea Smoothie
Equipment
- A blender
Ingredients
- 125 ml milk of your choice
- 1 tsp matcha
- ½ tsp ground turmeric OR 2.5cm (1in) fresh
- 2.5 cm fresh ginger grated (OR ½ tsp ground ginger)
- ½ ripe mango OR ¾ cup frozen
- 1 medium banana
- 1 tsp honey
- some freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place everything in a blender and blend to a smooth drink.125 ml milk of your choice, 1 tsp matcha, ½ tsp ground turmeric, 2.5 cm fresh ginger, ½ ripe mango, 1 medium banana, 1 tsp honey, some freshly ground black pepper
- To take it with you, place in a Blender Bottle or a juice bottle with a handful of ice cubes and shake it up before drinking.
I like the sound of this Tenzo Tea. I would love to try it. Sounds like exactly what I need.
It’s really great stuff!
Having turmeric in your diet can significantly reduce the risk of breast cancer 🙂 i do love the flavour Matcha 🙂 this will be heaven for me. thank you for sharing the recipe
A pleasure, thank you.
I wasn’t sure initially but once reading through and discovering the ingredients it sounds really yummy! Love that you have added all the health benefits to this too!
Thank you, Melanie, it really is!
Love this recipe, Lin. Can’t wait to try it out. You’re right, Tenzo do sell the most amazing quality matcha. You get what you pay for in life.
You sure do, but I love that Tenzo matcha is so affordable!
I really like how quick and easy this looks to make. I like green tea so definitely one I would try out.
Thank you, let me know if you do!
Wow, I drink green tea often, but I had no idea that matcha tea offers so much more of the benefits. I also would not have thought of including tumeric with a matcha tea drink or smoothie, I mostly have heard of using tumeric with yogurt or warm milk for the golden milk type drink. I will have to try this.
Thank you, Deborah, you should give it a try. It is extremely good for you, and delicious to boot!
Turmeric and Matcha are good on their own, putting them together in a lovely smoothie recipe makes it an even better drink for you! They are so packed with health benefits and can really do good to your body as well. I’d love to try this!
Thank you, Alison!
You’ve literally combined three of my favorite things together, ginger, matcha and turmeric, into a drink and I couldn’t be happier!
They sure are great together!
Thank Lin, I am a big fan of your smoothies. I make 2 of them regularly to take to the gym. Looks like this will be no 3! That blender bottle looks promising.
Well, that’s nice to hear. The Blender Bottle is reallt great, I’ve used it a few times already!
This is a superb post, Azlin. Just saw it on G+ and had to come take a look. I’m not familiar with Tenzo Tea, actually I don’t know much about matcha tea, so this was a very educational post. I’ll share it with my sister who’s in the US. I’m sure she’d like to get her hands on this matcha tea.
Thank you, Bryan, the smoothie is certainly delicious. And Tenzo Tea matcha is fab!