Matcha Tea: What It Is & Why You Should Drink It

Drinking matcha tea is an easy way to add extraordinary health benefits to your diet. 10x more nutrient dense than traditional green tea, matchas potency supersedes regular tea by a long shot. Matcha is a stone ground, powdered green tea grown and produced in Japan . The tea leaves are grown in the shade, which increases its chlorophyll and L-Theanine content. Then, the leaves are carefully stone ground to produce a fine powder.

 The powder is not strained, so you’re consuming the entire leaf with each cup you drink.  In fact, you would need to drink 10 cups of green tea to match the potency of 1 cup of matcha.

Some of the health benefits of drinking matcha tea include improved mental alertness and clarity, stronger immune defense, and enhanced detoxification. Polyphenol and catechin-rich matcha promotes focus, relaxation, and has been found to help prevent a wide array of chronic diseases.

Benefits

Promotes Wakefulness, Enhances Mood & Mental Alertness

Matcha tea is unique because the process of shading and harvesting increases the content of L-Theanine, an amino acid that helps balance the caffeine. L-Theanine creates alpha brain waves, which are electrical frequencies between 8-13 hertz that are characterized by mental clarity, calm concentration and relaxed wakefulness. It’s similar to the feeling of slipping into a daydream, or awaking from a meditative state. Like all green tea, Matcha contains caffeine- sans jitters, crash and irritability. The caffeine binds to the teas catechins, flavonoid antioxidants found only in green tea. It releases slowly as the catechins metabolize: providing steady energy for 3-4 hours.

Fights Cancer & Disease

EGCg (epigallocatechin gallate) is a powerful antioxidant found in green tea.  Antioxidants fight infections, disease and prevent aging. Research has determined that ECGg helps specifically fight cancer. Catechins like EGC counteract the effects of free radicals, stop the progression of cancer cells and play an important role in maintaining a strong immune system. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) of matcha is 1573 units/per gram… this is 20x greater than blueberries (a well known antioxidant powerhouse). Matcha alone contains 137x more EGCg than regular green tea.

Aids Weight Loss

Matcha tea boosts metabolism and burns calories. EGCg has been shown to increase the rate of burning stored fat as energy, as well as decreasing the formation of new fat cells. Research has found catechins, particularly EGCg to enhance the body’s rate of calorie burning each day.  The antioxidant’s thermogenic properties increase the body’s metabolic rate, which is the number of calories you burn at rest daily. Thermogenisis may even result in more calories burned during exercise! Matcha tea may help reduce body fat as well. Chlorophyll, the green pigment found in green plants, increases the number of lipolytic enzymes that break down fatty acids in the liver.

Detoxifies the Body

Chlorophyll is a well known, effective blood purifier that helps to remove chemicals and heavy metals from the body.  Matcha has substantially higher chlorophyll content than other green teas. During production, the tea leaves are shaded from sunlight a few weeks before harvest.  This results in an increased production of chlorophyll in the plant, which is stored solar energy. The adhesive cellulose of chlorophylls cell wall sticks to the atoms of heavy metals and carries them out as waste. Chlorophyll also carries oxygen throughout the body, which helps cleanse your blood.

Low Self-Esteem: The Silent Killer

Fact: Stress has a detrimental impact on our body, mind state and overall well-being An over abundance of stress reeks havoc on our immune, endocrine, gastrointestinal and basically ALL physiological/biological systems. Our nervous systems are not wired to maintain inordinate "fight-or-flight" responses. Habitual, excessive and untreated stress can severely damage our bodies, minds and overall health.

Stress is indeed a "silent killer", but there may be something worse: low self-esteem. 

That may sound silly to some. Someone with low self-esteem may be depicted as quiet, passive or unconfident. The other side of the coin are the perfectionists, with flawless or even outrageous appearances. Low self-esteem may appear to be a personality, behavioral or emotional issue from the outside... 

Would you believe it if I told you that low self-esteem was worse for you than a chronic disease? 

Low self-esteem is not only detrimental to your happiness and wellbeing, it's cancer to your life. 

Self-esteem is the deep seated belief we hold about ourselves. We regard these beliefs as "the truth", as "fact" and act in accordance to those ideas. The "self" develops an internal belief of "who it is" from life experiences, particularly early childhood/adolescence when one is capable of self-awareness. Self-concepts are shaped by a combination of factors: social comparison, what we're told, things that happened to us, situations we experienced, etc. Negative or traumatic experiences, unstable upbringing, abandonment, abuse and conditioning often lead to the formation of low self-worth. 

It's normal to lack confidence sometimes, but those with genuine low self-esteem tend to share similar characteristics:

Is extremely critical of themselves and sometimes others 

Downplays or ignores their positive qualities 

Judges themselves to be inferior to their peers

Exaggerated concern with what others think/how they're perceived

Has negative, critical and self-sabotaging self talk

Assumes that luck plays a large role in their achievements and doesn’t give themselves credit 

Blames themselves when things go wrong 

Doesn’t believe a person who compliments them, can't accept compliments 

The constant comparisons, criticism, judgment, feelings of hopelessness, self-doubt, guilt, worthlessness, shame, disgust and pity are the core beliefs of those with low self-esteem. Such negative and self-critical thoughts will only attract such experiences into our lives. 

These habitual, deep seated thoughts/feelings/opinions are what prevent someone from living life to the fullest. Pessimism, judgment and lack of confidence are at the core of self-sabotage ...a "game" those with low self-esteem know all too well. 

Such ideals and feelings may induce anxiety, stress, depression, eating disorders, self harming or other mental disorders. 

Some people may choose to check out mentally or escape with drugs and alcohol. 

Some become compliant servants to their thoughts and neglect their wants/needs, ignore their health and prevent themselves from setting/pursuing goals. 

Many of us living in complacency aren't even aware that we are creating such a life. 

That right there is what makes low self-esteem so dangerous. It silently and pervasively spews it's venom in all areas of our lives, hindering vitality and well-being. 

Low self-esteem is a toxin than kills drive, dreams, ambition, confidence and authentic happiness. 

At the end of the day these "truths" are really just thoughts, more like habits. In order to change them, we must acknowledge our thoughts and accept them for what they are: opinions, negative self-talk, ideas. These passing thoughts are not who we are, they are not real. 

I've struggled with low self-esteem my whole life. For the first 19 years, I was a slave to my thoughts and negative self-view. I not only mindlessly lived out my self-fulfilling prophecies, I spent years escaping and numbing my thoughts with toxic relationships, drugs, alcohol and self destruction. I held a "woah is me" mentality and couldn't understand why life was so unfair.  

Essentially, my life experiences made me a "poster child" for an adult with low self-esteem. Yes, I was dealt a bad hand, but that doesn't make me less of a person or forced to live a mundane life, bound to my circumstances. Bad things happened to me, but my life doesn't have to be a reflection of them. 

Once I discovered meditation and mindfulness, I realized what I needed to do all along: listen to my thoughts. To stop running from what I didn't want to feel/hear, because acknowledging them was the first step to changing them.

We believe what we want to believe. 

Each time we engage in a self-monologue we have the CHOICE to believe what were "told". 

The mind is an extraordinarily powerful tool.  

I have ups and downs: spurts of positivity and drive, followed by bouts of cynicism and insecurity.  For the most part, I think this is just human nature. 

Eventually, I realize I'm doing a disservice to myself by becoming bored, (self) critical and neglecting my goals/wants/needs.... And it becomes time to replace the negative chatter with positive affirmations. 

So, right now I replace "I hate my job, I feel like a loser working somewhere unrelated to what I want to do/in a position where I'm overqualified" with "You are fortunate enough to have a steady job that gives you the freedom to work on your own business/school. It's stress-free and temporary while you develop and strengthen yourself/your business/client base". 

Replace "Everyone judges me and thinks I'm lazy & stupid" to "Who gives a shit what anyone thinks. I'm going to make the best out of what I have. Today I'll be the best version of me" 

Replace "I am drifting through life, I'm worthless and not good enough" with "I need to cut myself some slack, because I have overcome an incredible amount of adversity. I've pieced my life back together after hitting rock bottom. I am capable and will achieve my goals." 

Instead of being defensive, I will be humble and open minded. 

Instead of accentuating the negative, I will look at the positive. 

Instead of fearing critique and judgment, I will stop critiquing and judging myself. 

Unlike real diseases and cancers, these "silent killers" really have no power over us IF we choose to listen.... 

How to Clean Fruits & Veggies Thoroughly (And Naturally)

Don't spend money on expensive produce cleaners! When you're hungry, cleaning your fruits or veggies may seem like a burden. Unless you want to consume parasites, toxic residue, pesticides, or even bugs (yes, little buggies crawling around in between those grapes), you should probably wash your produce.

I used to just rinse my fruit under the faucet and think they were clean.

...Nope (see photo above)

If there's a residue, they're not clean. Cleaning produce is really easy and inexpensive.

All you need:

1/3 cup distilled white vinegar (or Apple Cider Vinegar)
1 cup spring water (preferably)
A bowl
Your produce

Directions:

Combine aprox 1:3 ratio of vinegar to water in bowl.  You could eye ball if you'd like.

Place produce in bowl and allow to sit, time depends on what you're cleaning! Berries, no more than 5-10 minutes.  Grapes need to be cleaned for longer, about 20 minutes.

Remove produce from bowl and rinse thoroughly with water. Lay out to dry.



So, does it really work?  Well the pictures speak for themselves: Just look at the nasty residue left over in the bowl from the grapes



What are Qualia?

Qualia, in short, are an individual’s subjective experience of something. Sometimes referred to as the “phenomenal properties” of experience, qualia are the ways things appear to each of us.  It is the subjective aspect of “mind”; what it’s like to have an experience (what we are aware of when see, hear, touch, taste or smell).

I may not be explaining this to the best of my ability, so for example: QUALIA would be the way you feel when you look at a red rose, compared to the way you feel looking at a pink rose; the way you feel when you hurt your leg vs. the way you feel when you hurt your toe; the way you react to jumping into a pool of cold water vs. warm water.

My threshold for pain varies from yours, along with the way I see the roses & react to different temperatures. Each experience is entirely subjective.  The qualia of these experiences are what set them apart, what gives each of them their “feel”.

Originally believed to be of philosophical orientation, qualia have gained momentum in an array of scientific fields. With that, it has also gained a great deal of surrounding controversy. Like Consciousness itself, it is believed by some to be qualitative. Yet, for qualia to be accepted with legitimacy by the scientific community, “subjective” and “phenomenal” experience must be technically defined.  The idea of quale itself is such an important philosophical topic, as it’s a true example of the metaphysical chasm between mind and body. 

Many believe there is no such thing as quale at all (Dennett, D.C., 1988; 2005).  Molecular biologist & chemist, A.G. Cairns, writes about the nature of consciousness in Evolving the Mind.  I really found this to be a “difficult” book, as I hold a more open & philosophical orientation towards life in general. I also don’t necessarily agree with many of his theories, for example, that consciousness is physical and ever evolving …which he also believes to be the case with qualia (feelings of pain or hunger are adaptive).  Many other cognitive scientists believe there must be a physic-chemical cause of qualia. 

But, could it be that some things simply cannot be understood and explained by the human mind?  Are humans even THAT evolved?  Personally, Im not much of a believer in anthropocentrism.  Human beings are one of TRILLIONS of conscious beings scattered throughout our vast universe.  I believe in panpsychism, or non-duality; that consciousness is a universal component (in varying degrees) of ALL things. 

Physician and scholar, good ol' Deepak Chopra, believes that all qualia emerge from the same fundamental, base-line field of consciousness.  He argues that consciousness is a field of perception each of us are born with. Birth begins one person’s quale, while death ends it.  Qualia are not by any means evolutionary, but specific to each individual. Our subjective realities make up a large “box” of qualia.

I’m fascinated by qualia and all things related to consciousness and perception.  These are the things I think about when people ask if I’m “bored” or “day dreaming” lately.......  Hopefully I can touch upon this topic in future posts, once o research and truly delve into the nature of qualia a bit more....

Why I'm Ok Being Called Self-Centered

I’ve realized a lot in the past few days. Mainly, that I have a tendency to be incredibly self-centered.

To cut myself a little slack, this isn’t an integral aspect of my personality. It’s more like …a bad habit. Yet, I’ve grown to ponder… “is being self-absorbed ALL bad”?

My last post on Loving Your Enemies is a pretty good example. You see, “Love your enemies” is part of my philosophical orientation.  For the most part, I hold a utopian view of the world. I’m an idealist.

I had zero intention of being preachy, but I realized that I was portraying my opinions as “fact”.  The example of how I utilize the “Love your enemy” ideology in my own life said a lot more then I intended to say. The underlying feelings of bitterness, anger, resentment and hurt were being projected loud and clear.  While I blab about others egocentrism, my underlying (unconscious) tone is just as apparent: “Blame”, “victimization”, “woah is me”, etc. etc.

Yes, these people did shitty things and hurt my feelings. No, they didn’t live up to my moral standards. But, I was writing from a one-dimensional perception. I was too preoccupied with my own (negative) emotions to see this.  Emotion clouds judgment, it hinders any chance of having an objective view. I played a role in the demise of the relationships mentioned.  Although my actions weren't malicious or intentional, I’m equally at fault.

Aside from the post, I was told that I was self-centered. 

Straight up, word for word.  At first it offended me, because “how could IIIIII be self-centered? I’m a kind, thoughtful, empathetic person.. I’m too busy bettering myself to be self-centered”.

Then, it hit me. If my main focus is on personal development, how could I NOT be self-centered?

We’re all preoccupied with ourselves to some extent. The degree depends on our temperament, personality, life experience, etc. etc. While self-reflection is a positive (in my book), one can’t possibly understand themselves with complete objection. Outside resources (friends, family, therapists, personality tests, etc.) help us see our persona, our characteristics out of conscious awareness…. and how the effect others.

I fit a Melancholic Temperament to the T. I have an inherent tendency to become self-centered from time to time.  Not in a selfish, narcissistic way, but in a “im-ruled-by-my-emotions-and-get-lost-in-deep-analytical-self-reflective thought” kind of way.

I’m glad my self-centeredness was brought to my attention.  Now that I’m aware of how I affect others at times, I can step back and change it. 

Aside from the heightened self-awareness that “insult” provided me, I also realized being self-centered isn’t that bad.  It often has a negative connotation, but it CAN be viewed as a positive attribute. 

There’s a huge difference between “selfish” and “self-centered". Centering is what you base your life on. The focus of some peoples lives may be “work”, or “their spouse”, “their children”. My life has centered on someone, or something else many times. Throughout those periods, I felt little control over my circumstances; my happiness laid in the hands of other things. This resulted only in instability and dependence.

The more we work on ourselves, the more apt we are to gain independence. Being independent and strengthening character helps us grow, and help others grow as well.   

Selfish people are always self-centered, but those who are self-centered aren’t always selfish. 

When the focus is on bettering yourself, you’re able to care for yourself; in turn, care for others. The desire to help and care for the well-being of others is what, I think, separates the two terms.  A selfish person is concerned with him/herself.  Their desires take priority, regardless of who they may hurt. The selfish person cares primarily about himself, the self-centered person thinks primarily about himself.

The end things, do I think self-absorption is a positive characteristic?  Yes and no.  

It's okay to focus on yourself, to build your self-esteem and heighten well-being & self-awareness. It's okay to not put the needs of others before your own & become a door matt.   

It's not okay to think the world revolves around your thoughts and emotions. It's not okay to neglect others feelings and revolve every conversation around yourself.

The key is balance. What are your thoughts on self-centeredness?

Love Your Enemies

The most profound lessons I’ve learned have been disguised as difficult people.

How do I know this? Essentially, we are all reflections of one another. Another person’s actions have more to do with our reaction, than the action itself. When we have an issue with someone, it’s worthy to ask what it reflects within us that we dislike in the other person so much…

At large, human beings are ego-centric.  It’s easier to deem another person’s actions as “negative”, rather than examine our reaction.  Why does this make me feel this way? What is going on in their life to make them act this way? What does it say about me to put up with this type of behavior?

You see, if we all got along and everything was “hunky doory”, there would be no room for self-exploration, understanding & mastery.  We'd all just be cruising through life carefree.. with no desire to ponder outside the box. 

Personally, I find that challenging times, or even challenging people, are what help elevate our minds and souls. If we look at the law of duality, there is always a silver lining in any situation. Difficulties are not without advantages. Troublesome relationships are not without lessons.

I think it says a lot about someone, if they choose to hold on to grudges and anger. So, LOVE YOUR ENEMIES.  As difficult as it may be, it’s best to put yourself in their shoes. Here’s a prime example of how I have utilized this in my own life:

Over the past year, I have felt betrayed by several of my “friends”.  I went through quite a tumultuous relationship and was at the lowest point of my life.  My “partner” hurt me deeply, despite playing the victim and passing the blame of the demise of the relationship on me entirely.  This person took advantage of me in every single way possible. And I let him. It took me a while to remove myself from him emotionally and move on with my life.  Yet, the relationship still left scars that I'll never be able to get rid of. 

I’m not one to insist “FRIENDS SHOULDN’T BE FRIENDS WITH YOUR EX!” that’s just immaturity. But, the extent to which my ex hurt me is the grounds that I felt betrayal.  “Friends” would have the decency to not want anything to do with someone that deeply hurt their “friend”.  Yet, they continued to hang around him, go to the bar he worked at and, simultaneously, prove to me that they did not value ME or our friendships.

Over and over all I heard was, “It’s nothing personal” …. “we didn’t go to see him”... "that's where everyone goes".  For a while, I took it personally.  I was hurt, I was angry and I felt betrayed.

But then, I put myself in their shoes and it made me realize, It wasn’t anything personal.  It was a reflection of their egocentrism and selfishness. They didn't value me as a friend, nor care about my reaction or feelings. Do I want people like that in my life? Absolutely not.  I consider myself of a different tribe….

What does harboring anger towards others really do? What does it say about me? At the end of the day, this brings me to my original point; LOVE YOUR ENEMIES.  Because at the end of the day, they need it most....

Relationships Are Mirrors

Relationships, whether it be with our partners, parents, coworkers or friends, are mirrors to our unconscious thoughts, characteristics and needs. As a matter of fact, e v e r y o n e  is a mirror image of The Self.

They reflect back to us the characteristics we possess within ourselves. They emphasize who and what we are at this very moment. 

Cognitive psychology tells us that no one views reality in the exact way.   Our worlds are based on our perception.

Sometimes we see the good in others. We lift each other up in our partnerships. We feel good together and bring out the best in each other.  Other times, the parts within ourselves that we don't own, or accept, are projected negatively on to our partners. Or theirs on to us. 

E v e r y t h i n g  within us comes into play in close relationships. 

This includes past traumas, pain, childhood issues of abandonment, entitlement, dependency, anger towards our parents, etc etc. Childhood attachment styles come into play full force...mostly out of our conscious awareness.

Back to the mirroring. 

Our reflections may manifest as toxic, unfulfilling relationship patterns or even as undesirable traits we see in others. Sometimes these traits "displease" us to the point where we push people away.

I've began questioning WHY certain things bother me. Why I put up with such undesirable situations in my close relationships. 

I have noticed that I continually attract significant others that value the superficial. They place value on my appearance more than they value me as a person. I can't read minds, but I feel the "love" has been shallow and conditional in my past 2 relationships. By nature I'm an emotional person, but I become easily enraged by being neglected, ignored, lied to or by any sort of "competition". Most of the time these things are quite trivial and amplified in my mind, but I choose to put up with people who continually make me feel this way. 

This is just one example of mirroring, but I've started to realize that I truly attract what I think about myself. I attract uncommital partners that judge me for my shortcomings. 

Why? 

Because deep down, I truly don't believe I'm worthy of being in a loving, committed relationship. I am constantly judging myself. I may like the superficial aspects of myself, but do I really value who I am and recognize my worth? . 

I hold on to such insubstantial relationships and non-commital partners, because I think they're what I deserve. 

My own behavior is often reflected back towards me in the way I interact with others, especially in more intimate relationships. 

According to Attachment Theory, I fall somewhere inbetween having an "anxious-ambivalent" and "disorganized" attachment style. Aka I'm a mess haha. I'm easily hurt, seek validation and yearn for deep connection, yet the more intimate my relationships become, the more I push those people away. These behaviors are l e a r n e d  in the early stages of life. 

Luckily, attachment styles are not permanent. If there's a will to change, therapy and a lot of mental work, the way we attach can be transmuted into a more secure style. 

I think that becoming aware of your flaws or dysfunctional mental schemas is the first step towards changing them. 

Acknowledge, Accept, Change, Grow. 

I think self-exploration and transmutation are beautiful things.

I'm the furthest thing from perfect, but I own my shortcomings. I want to be the best version of myself and the more I work towards this, the more (useless) relationships are "removed" from my life. 

It's one thing to own your flaws, it's another to actively try to change them. 

So, to anyone who has helped me recognize the ugly (anger, jealousy, vindictiveness and insecurity) within me: I THANK you. 

Although you probably hurt me in order for me to feel those things, you have helped me learn to look in the mirror and start changing, loving and valuing myself.

We attract what we are, not what we want

I truly grasped what it meant to be "selective" with whom I enter relationships with: whether that be friends or romantic interests. 

Time, expectation and even emotion are not good indicators of who is worthy of being part of your life.  Having strong feelings for someone should not dictate whether you enter a relationship with them. 

"Settling" has nothing to do with appearance, status or wealth (or lack there of), but everything to do with CHARACTER and compatibility.  

Some people can only love you to the best of their ability, and that's okay, but it's not okay to settle for that type of love if you know you have much more to offer in comparison. 

Having a partner will not cure loneliness. 

The loneliest times of my life were spent in unfulfilling relationships, with selfish people. Having the tiltle of "boyfriend/girlfriend/best friend" does not signify security, dependability or even loyalty. Some people just don't mesh and stick together for the wrong reasons. 

I have no desire to ever do that again.

I would much rather be alone than in the company of someone who is incapable of connecting with me on the emotional, mental and spiritual level that I desire. Who is incapable of taking accountability for their own  actions... Who passes judgment and blame on everyone who has ever wronged them. Oh, and most importantly, who doesn't VALUE me and everything I have to offer. 

As I continue to better myself, I no longer wish to attract the things I "want". I want to attract what I am. And what I am becoming is something great. 

New Beginnings

I've noticed my posts have taken a very personal and reflective spin the past few months. They're a far cry from my original diet, wellness and fitness tips- which was originally meant to be the core subject matter. That was the inspiration for even starting a blog. My focus in life was primarily MY health and well being- mind, body, soul.  Along the way I lost focus, as unexpected circumstances captured my attention.

Life. 

Isn't it funny? How sometimes the most cliche sayings can capture what you want to say better than any deep sentiment...

Energy flows where attention goes 

Of course I'm still passionate about health and wellness, but I'm also passionate about my relationships and those I love.

Although the official "New Year" month is nearly over, I've stuck to my resolution of putting MY primary needs -health, mind, body, spirit, wellbeing- first.

Any day can be the day you make a "new years resolution", because EVERYDAY is a new year, a new day, a new beginning. Say goodbye to the past and start living for you, today :)