Stress has become an inseparable part of our everyday lives and it can haunt us in many ways. There can be work-related Stress, stress due to financial strains or due to complications in relationships.
Each day life throws challenges in our path and we need to find a solution for every problem. So, stress cannot be avoided; it will crop up in some way or the other!
What happens when you don’t combat stress?
Stress, when not dealt with, can lead to serious repercussions. Chronic stress can affect your health adversely and lead to several health conditions such as depression, anxiety, heart ailments, digestive troubles, headaches, sleeping difficulties, weight gain, memory and concentration issues.
It can negatively affect your quality of life.
How to fight stress?
You need to find a way to get relief from daily stress. Most people seek refuge in alcohol and medicines while others turn towards overeating. These practices are not healthy and can only deteriorate your health further.
Now, you will ask what you should be doing to calm down your stress? Well, the answer to that would be drinking green tea! Yes, green tea can be a sure-shot way of getting rid of stress.
Green tea – a stress reliever
The stress-relieving properties of green tea are quite beneficial for those who live with constant stress. Green tea contains polyphenol and this compound is helpful in fighting stress and anxiety.
According to a study conducted by scientists in Japan, drinking green tea can bring down psychological stress by as much as 20 percent and that is a significant figure!
The study was carried out on 42,093 Japanese people out of whom 6.6 percent had stress. Those individuals were able to see an improvement in their psychological well-being.
L-theanine is another compound present in green tea which is an amino acid. It is soothing and helps in calming down an individual.
Researchers believe that it is due to these properties of L-theanine that green tea works well as a stress-buster. The compound stimulates the production of alpha waves in the brain and that happens only when a person is relaxed or in a meditative state.
With alpha wave production, you will live in the present and it can be called the brain’s resting state. The levels of brain chemicals like serotonin and dopamine also get altered with theanine and that affects an individual’s mood.
It is well known that green tea contains caffeine in it but it makes individuals feel calm after drinking the tea. This is because the effects of caffeine get overpowered by theanine.
Isn’t it amazing? The image below highlights the 6 major benefits of L-theanine.
To really enjoy the benefits of theanine in green tea, you must go in for better quality teas especially that of Japan.
The Matcha connection
As already said, you need to drink green tea that is of higher quality and what can be better than Japan’s matcha tea? Beyond doubt, matcha has a lot of L-theanine in it as it is grown differently from regular green tea.
You should also know that there is more theanine in matcha when compared to regular green tea and it is of higher quality. We all need a good stress buster in these frantic times and there can be nothing better than a cup of warm matcha. It can become your comfort beverage.
How to prepare a cup of matcha?
Matcha is prepared differently. You need to sift 1-2 teaspoon of matcha powder in a tea bowl and add hot water. You need to whisk it with the help of a traditional bamboo whisk till it turns out to be nice and frothy.
Voila! It is ready and can be consumed straight from the tea bowl.
Alternatively, it can be made in a cup.
- Simply heat filtered water.
- To a teaspoon of the matcha powder, add some drops of hot water and make a paste with the help of a spoon.
- Adding more hot water to the paste, keep stirring it. See if it suits your taste preferences.
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