On top of this, I'd end up crashing once the coffee wore off so I'd need to drink more, which isn't a great cycle to get into. I've tried going cold turkey before, but that doesn't really work great while cutting down still left me shattered. This is why I started looking into matcha green tea to see if a glass in the morning could substitute the majority of the coffee I would drink in a day. After finding Purechimp matcha - which a friend recommended - I gave up my payday bottle of gin (not a regular thing, but something I'd planned on buying this month) in order to buy a couple of jars.
I ordered a Super Duos set, which is two 50g jars that are available in three different flavours (I stuck with original) and only costs £19.95 - for comparison, Teapigs charges £20 for 30g. I also ordered an electric whisk from Amazon to make sure the matcha blends properly.
Since getting my matcha in the post - it took two days - I've had a small glass of it mixed with orange juice every morning to start my day. Some days I also have a coffee - it is Pumpkin Spice Latte season, after all - but I totally play it my ear. I've been getting on really well with it and am definitely going to keep up with my morning matcha shots. Here's what I've noticed so far:
Matcha and milk is awful - even if you add honey
Matcha with milk - cold milk at least - just tastes like grass and isn't very appetising, especially if you have a few lumps of un-whisked matcha powder floating around. I'm glad I did taste it like this though, as it made me realise that I need to team it with something a bit stronger so was able to grab some orange juice on the way home, which is infinitely better.
I wake up much quicker
However, I've found that I feel a lot more awake and alert in the mornings after a couple of weeks of having a morning matcha shot. Within around half an hour of drinking it, I'm wide awake and ready to face the day. In fact, I tend to be a lot more alert throughout the entire morning and only really start to lag around mid-afternoon.
Not only does this mean I don't feel like I need to drink coffee, I'm replacing it with water, which is a much healthier option.
My skin has been clearer
Most of my facial products are the same, in fact, I'm actually using fewer items as I haven't used my Brazened Honey Face Mask in ages (this has just reminded me that I need a new pot). Despite this, my skin is mostly balanced, clear, bright and healthy, which does wonders for my confidence and mood. Even if matcha didn't wake me up, it would be worth drinking it every day just for this benefit.
I'm less bloated
In fact, match is meant to speed up your metabolism which can help support weight loss, so I'm interested to see if this is the case too. At the moment, though, I'm just happy to have a lot fewer days where I feel massively uncomfortable.
It's become a habit
There hasn't been a day that I've forgotten to make my matcha - there were days when I was so tired I forgot to make coffee - and it really has made a difference.
I'm going to start experimenting with different ways of drinking it and maybe having another cup in the afternoon to help stop my energy levels from dropping too much. Now I just need to get the husband to give it a go!