The afternoon slump can hit both our bodies as well as our minds. We may find our posture slouching right along with our brain. The demands of a busy day can really hit us and as we glance at our “to do” list for the rest of the day, we wonder how we are going to make it through.
Sound familiar? Maybe I can help.
Let’s steady our energy levels right along with inching up our metabolism with a familiar ritual: afternoon tea. But, hold on! This tea is no ordinary afternoon tea. It has a bit of an island feel to switch it up from the many pumpkin flavoring foods we all tend to consume this time of year. So, take a break with me from the pumpkin spice and let’s head for the tropics, palm trees and all. Grab your flip-flops and pull out your blender, and, I promise, this will only take a few minutes from that busy day of yours.
INCREASE YOUR ENERGY AND METABOLISM
I wrote about a green tea called matcha here and the many health benefits, one of which is a nice, even energy boost. It is the main ingredient in this tea, but, I have thrown in a few other metabolism boosters as well:
- The EGCG found in green tea, and in much greater quantities in matcha, promotes fat-burning as well as many other health benefits.
- Cayenne contains capsaicin, a chemical compound that can inch up our metabolism.
- Hemp seeds are full of protein that provides energy and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) which are a great anti-inflammatory and help your metabolism too.
- Coconut oil is a fat that can help with your metabolism function and in many other ways too. In this recipe, it is a fat used to help absorb all the other nutrients in this tea.
TROPICAL ENERGY-BOOSTING MATCHA TEA
Pop in a paper umbrella, sit back and sip this tropical energy boost and transport yourself to your favorite beach next time you feel the afternoon wilt coming on. You can make this tea ahead at home, too, and chill it in your refrigerator at work to reach for when that slump may hit.
Gather
- 1 tablespoon matcha powder
- 1 teaspoon organic virgin coconut oil
- dash of vanilla extract
- 1 cup almond milk
- dash of cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
- 1 teaspoon or a bit more raw honey
- 3/4 cup frozen pineapple
Now do this
- Place all the ingredients in your blender.
- Swirl and blend.
- Watch your energy climb!
Go ahead and give us some tips on how you stay focused for your afternoons. Just post your energy boosting suggestions in the comments.
NEED MORE?
- Here are some other benefits of tea drinking in general.
- If you prefer something warm, here are two elixirs that taste great and nourish your body.
umbrella: photo credit: <a href=”https://www.flickr.com/photos/madamemeow/5466937178/”>Madame Meow</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/”>cc</a>
OKAY YUM! I WOULD PROBABLY DITCH THE PINEAPPLE and this would still taste amazingly delicious 🙂
Absolutely! Forget the pineapple and sprinkle in any fruit bit you like, or as you said, just leave it out! Thanks, Gigi!
You must gIve it a try if you can find it. I see it all over now and used in many recipes too! Some think it a bit grassy flavored but the pineapple and vanilla here cover that up! Thanks for stopping in, Cailee.
Wow!! I need some match in my life!! Gotta love a natural source of healthy energy to wake ya up in the afternoon! 🙂
I love using green tea for the afternoon slump! 10 years ago, when I worked in media sales, I'd turn to donuts and coffee, lots of coffee to get me through to 2 or 3 o'clock slump and as you can guess, it only would make things much worse for myself! I must just be a slow learner, Ha. I have finally turned to tea and am eager to give this recipe a spin for myself.
This is much better for your body than the donuts at least! Ha! We have all been there – especially in an office environment :)) And, matcha, gives such a steady boost – not in a jolting way at all. It is my brain that needs the boost more than anything some days!