Most college students rely on one thing during finals week: coffee.
Though it’s delicious and great at keeping us awake during the late nights, it’s not all that healthy for you if you drink it every day or multiple times a day.
According to the Live Science Journal, there are in fact some positives about coffee. Yes, the taste is one, but some other positives include reducing the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes, and may help protect against some kind of cancers including skin cancer, a unique type of breast cancer and an aggressive prostate cancer. Drinking the bean also can help lessen the pain of exercise, and “can help ward of strokes and depression in women.”
Though these positives are awesome, there are more negatives that most coffee-drinkers aren’t aware of. Things such as increasing your LDL, aka your bad cholesterol and making it harder for women to get pregnant. Along with that, drinking coffee according to Mayoclinic causes problems with temporary insomnia, nervousness, anxiety, restlessness, irritability, stomach issues, rapid heartbeat and muscle tremors.
According to Live Science Journal, coffee is addicting and can even “cause life-interfereing withdrawals” such as headaches and migraines, fatigue, depression, trouble concentrating and more.
Before you freak out and start self-diagnosing yourself (and don’t deny it–we all self-diagnose!) make a choice and decide on cutting out coffee from your life gradually. It will be especially hard during finals season, but have no fear–there is something that is a way better alternative to coffee that is equally as tasty, has mega awesome health benefits and it is still loaded with caffeine.
Matcha powder is green tea in powder form, and is made from the richest and healthiest parts of the green tea leaves according to the website Natural Living Ideas. All you do is mix it with ice and water, and you have a drink that’s filled with health!
Matcha has been around for decades, but has recently sparked a trend in America and can be seen more and more around college campuses. Places like Publix and Walmart sell it by the case, and health stores like GNC, Earth Fare and Whole Foods sell it by the jar. But, if you aren’t in the mood to buy it in bulk and make it yourself, Starbucks makes it–and sells it for only 76 cents at most locations!
If the Starbucks price hasn’t sold you on Matcha tea powder yet, then read on!
According to the Natural Living Ideas website some of the benefits of Matcha include it being high in antioxidants, which are “magical nutrients and enzymes that are responsible for fighting against the negative effects of UV radiation, giving us younger-looking skin, and preventing a number of life-threatening maladies.” So, even though coffee might prevent a lot of diseases as well, it makes your skin more prone to wrinkles and to aging you–whereas Matcha literally does the opposite and keeps your skin healthy!
Not only that, but it burns calories and speeds up your metabolism when you drink it! As noted before, according to Live Science Journal, coffee adds to your “fat cholesterol” but Matcha takes it away and keeps your LDL low! So it keeps your body feeling good and looking good and literally improves your cholesterol.
Matcha also is better than coffee because it keeps you calm according to Natural Living Ideas, and coffee makes you restless, anxious, nervous and irritable. Why does anyone want to drink something that’s going to make them feel like that?
Other benefits Matcha has that coffee does not, is that it fortifies the immune system and detoxifies your body, and it is NOT addicting, so if you start drinking Matcha then you are completely out of the zone for having withdrawals.
Finally, when it comes to finals, definitely make the switch to Matcha. According to Natural Living Ideas, it increases your energy levels, your endurance, and boosts your concentration and your memory. Why wouldn’t you drink this!?
To sum up, Matcha powder is delicious, healthy, cheap, calming, calorie burning and the most important for us college students: caffeinated.
So, when you’re hitting the library this week and needing to stay awake all night studying, think of all of these awesome benefits and choose to get Matcha instead of coffee.
It’s by far the best drink to sip on while you study, and will keep you feeling healthy, strong and smart this entire week!
If you want to learn more about Matcha powder and it’s benefits and other recipes to mix the powder with, check out these websites!
Good luck on finals, Collegiettes, and Matcha on!