Is Iced Matcha Part Of Your Morning Routine?

Is Iced Matcha Part Of Your Morning Routine?

The idea of a morning routine can seem nearly impossible if you’re used to running around trying to get everything (and everyone) out the door for the day. We’ve come up with a list of ideal morning activities that are actually doable, plus our recipe for an amazing iced matcha to start your day off right.

Start the night before: If you want to successfully wake up and accomplish anything in the morning, you’ll need to be rested. Try to head to bed at a time that will allow for eight hours of quality shut-eye each night.

Where to start?

There are a million good-for-you activities you could include in your morning routine. Since they all promise to up your overall wellbeing, it can be tempting to add them all in all at once. Our advice? Choose just one new habit to start. Also, within each category, you can go full out (like an hour-long workout class) or you can start small (a few stretches to get your blood flowing). We recommend starting small and then building into a lengthier routine as you become more comfortable with your new morning habits.

Our favorite morning habits

Hydrate: After a night away from fluids, most of us wake up dehydrated. In order to rehydrate and improve circulation, sipping on a big glass of filtered water is one of the best things you can do at the beginning of your morning routine.

Move your body: One of our favorite things to build into a morning routine is getting your body moving. Perhaps you do a 5-minute stretch routine at home or take your dog for a 15-minute stroll and eventually, maybe get a full workout in like a yoga class, spin class, or a run outside.

Calm your mind: We recommend putting your phone on airplane mode the night before and keeping it there through your morning routine. It’s important not to go into a stressed-out or reactive state right when you wake up. This can increase cortisol and cause health issues (especially if it’s a chronic thing). Instead, take anywhere from one minute to a full half-hour to focus on your breath. Deep breathing (yes, even just a minute) can have a huge impact on your nervous system and overall stress response.

Find gratitude: Research shows that putting daily attention on things you’re grateful for can have a positive impact on overall happiness. Take a few moments to think about something you are truly grateful for each day. You can take it a step further and create a longer journal entry each morning around your gratitude.

Get cold: Since many of us already shower in the morning, adding a burst of cold water can be something that’s easy to build into a morning routine without taking up any time. Take your shower, as usual, then towards the end turn the knob all the way cold and try to stay under the water for 30 seconds, eventually building up to a full two minutes. A few benefits of a cold shower include increased focus, improved alertness, stimulating circulation, and leveling out mood fluctuations.

Have a nutrient-dense breakfast: Most people don’t have time to cook an elaborate breakfast every morning, which is one reason we love smoothies. You can sneak in a few servings of vegetables, health-promoting supplements, and adequate protein and fat to take you through lunch.

Iced matcha for the win

You’ll notice a few special ingredients in this latte. Matcha is one of our favorite teas to choose while cleansing (and beyond) because of it can boost focus, won’t give you a caffeine crash like coffee, and it has exceptionally high antioxidant levels. We’ve also added collagen which is amazing for improving the elasticity of our skin and maintaining gut health. Inulin is a type of prebiotic fiber derived from artichoke root. It helps feed the good bacteria in our gut, which in turn produces important fatty acids that feed the cells lining our gut. You’ll see full-fat coconut milk in this recipe which will make it creamier and incredibly satiating.

Recipe (2 servings)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup canned coconut milk
1.5 cup almond or other nut milk
1 cup hot water
2 servings collagen powder
2-4 teaspoons inulin powder (if new to inulin, start with 2 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons matcha powder
2-4 teaspoons coconut palm sugar, depending on desired sweetness
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Step 1: Use a matcha whisk (as pictured) to blend your matcha and hot water together (simply place your matcha and water in a small bowl and draw a figure 8 gently until matcha is fully blended). Then, gently whisk inulin, coconut palm sugar, and collagen powder into hot water-matcha mixture.*

*If you don’t have a matcha whisk, or you are looking for a more efficient process, simply add your hot water, matcha, collagen, inulin, and coconut palm sugar to a blender. You can also add to a mug and use a hand blender. Blend on high until powders are fully dissolved and lump-free.

Step 2: Next, fully blend coconut milk, almond milk, and vanilla and pour over ice.

Step 3: Once your matcha mixture is slightly cooled, pour it over the milk mixture and stir with ice. You can also enjoy this beverage hot by warming the milks and blending them with the hot matcha mixture!

Recipe and photography by Kaitlyn Noble

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