Introducing to you, Kiera Kennedy — a matcha-loving, mom of twins, who has a passion to help mamas manage daily stress using matcha and self-love! Read her post below to learn some amazing ways matcha changed her life!
From Caffeinated Crazy to Caffeinated Calm: How switching from coffee to matcha changed my life
2 Years… That’s how long it’s been since I quit coffee!!
For those thinking.. quit? Really??
Yes… QUIT!!! It tends to go quite overlooked, but there are actually addictive properties that come along with coffee consumption. For those like me, who have made this source of caffeine a daily ritual, our bodies come to adapt and require it for just basic daily tasks. The problem lies in when you miss a fix. The lack of “norm” sends your body into withdrawals, which can cause an additional array of issues.
🌿Migraines
🌿Stomach upset
🌿Brain Fog and Irritability
The Hallmark of a Physical addiction.
As a new mom of twins I was living in a constant cycle of exhaustion and at many times not feeling like I was even present in my own life.
For that I turned to what every other mom said I needed……COFFEE! And when I say Coffee, I’m not talking about the small 8oz cup in the morning to get you started, i’m referring to the feeling of always needing to have a cup ready… Sip, Brew, Repeat. A monotonous routine that seemed harmless…. It’s what every Coffee Commercial, social media post and Billboard said I needed as a new mom…. This Dark, deep mug of instant energy!
The truth was… for me, it was really quite the opposite. Coffee wasn’t making me a better mom or more awake, in fact it was making me WORSE!!
🌿Jitters
🌿Crashing
🌿Mind running 1000 miles a minute
My anxiety was worse than it had ever been and I was the one feeding it. Like most Americans I was averaging 3-4 cups a day!! Wow… it’s actually hard just remembering those past feelings, it’s something I vow to never go back to and saddens me to learn so many are suffering in the same way.
I began researching, talking to my Doctor and coming up with a reasonable plan of action for my own personal turmoil.
While digging around through the many articles on Coffee, as expected I found a large amount of info talking about it’s amazing benefits, and for some can actually do some good. What you don’t hear about often, is the portion of the population who are struggling from coffee consumption without realizing it.
Gluten Sensitive Friends.. Read on! Did you know the proteins in coffee can change during processing causing them to mimic those in gluten. When this happens the body begins to perceive these altered proteins as a threat, leading to similar inflammation and symptoms as gluten.
One of the troubling parts is the symptoms and reaction, Metal fog, Migraines and Fatigue which lead people to then reach for a second or third cup. This leads to a further cycle of feeling the need for more and more.
Next up let’s visit anxiety. Now, I am NOT saying Cutting out coffee is a cure for anxiety or a fix of any sort. What I do know is this… Coffee contains an aggressive form of caffeine, averaging between 60-100mg per cup.
What you need to realize here is we are all different, our bodies work differently and react to things in all sorts of different ways. For some, coffee barely gives them a buzz and they can enjoy a cup in the evening then head straight to bed (which let’s be honest, I’m quite jealous of).
For others, like me, just one cup can cause all kinds of frustrating and annoying symptoms. I spent 2 years believing what I was going through
🌿Irritability
🌿Chronic fatigue
🌿Waking multiple times throughout the night
were just from becoming a new mom, new life changes.
What I came to learn was that’s not the full truth. Yes I was tired and probably quite overwhelmed having 2 needy babies at home relying on me 24/7, but the reality was I found myself facing a new anxiety I had never experienced before.
I sought help from my doctor, who immediately began playing 21 questions. Asking about my day to day, diet, getting time away from the kids and then….. How much coffee do you drink? It was almost like she had known all along, she could see through and knew exactly where this was headed.
My response of 3-4 cups a day didn’t surprise her in the least, basically just a confirmation of what she had already assumed. I am overly grateful to her and how she chose to handle what was causing me so much mental pain. She started by laying out my options…. Because yes… there are SEVERAL options to choose from.
The one that caught me most off guard was the idea of cutting out coffee. Truthfully, I had never once stopped to think about it’s relation to all the anxious feelings I was having. She explained how the high level of caffeine hits you almost immediately, causing an immediate spike of energy that’s for merely an hour or so.
Followed by the crash… the rough, late morning, early afternoon… Give me MORE caffeine please Crash! It’s basically a cycle of ups and downs, your adrenals pumping then crashing over and over. When you are already experiencing symptoms of anxiety, this quick, intense caffeine basically triggers your brain into overdrive.
We could get more technical but basically maybe coffee isn’t really a one size fits all plan in the world of caffeine.
When I stopped drinking coffee, I chose to opt for a more stable, calmer form of caffeine. My goal was to feel better, have a clearer mind and the ability to just sit still and enjoy the smaller moments in life. Now lets lead into what has become my liquid gold.
Matcha!
I researched…. Then I researched some more and all that I was finding was how amazing this green powder was. For those of you new to matcha, basically it’s a green tea. It’s grown in Japan and uses a slightly different production method which gives it so many more amazing benefits than your average cup of green tea.
First of all… This leaf is hand picked, dried and ground into a fine powder, which, wait for it… you then consume the WHOLE leaf!!! It can be baked with, mixed in water, yogurt, oatmeal, lattes…. You name it. One of the most notable features and what drew me deep into the land of Matcha was the natural L-Theanine found within this plant.
Matcha does contain caffeine, which is exactly what I needed. But the caffeine is so much more stable and consistent. This slow release of energy, with the help of it’s calming L-Theanine properties provides 3-4 hours of calm, sustained energy.
Just like that I had found exactly what I needed. I began my journey with matcha, falling in love with a single amazing Mocha flavor to help get me past the insane desire I had for the taste of coffee and from there my new obsession grew.
I never knew there were so many flavors of matcha, so many ways to use it and just how amazing I would feel when drinking it… No crashing or Jitters, No highs or lows and even better, the caffeine was making me feel great, not the, I need to get everything done at once kind, but the, I just slept for 10 hours and am fresh and ready for the day type.
When it comes to matcha, my number one tip… Know what you are getting. Matcha has several grades and the quality and filler ingredients can vary immensely. Let’s be honest… YES some taste like grass, but that does not mean they all do.
What would you say to some Iced sweet lemonade matcha, Hot Sweet Chocolate Matcha to start your morning or maybe an afternoon cherry matcha spritzer?
If you are ready to dive in, learn more and see how this amazing tea has been changing the lives of so many others, join my CommuniTEA or follow me
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