How to Take the Green Tea that Keeps the 70% Goodness other Teas Lose in Your Everyday Diet
By Adam Zahler

You've probably already heard that green tea provides you with a number of great health benefits. Unfortunately, it's not just as simple as that. You need to be consuming the right kind of green tea and you need to be consuming it on a regular basis.

• Do you know which kind of green tea retains 70% of the useful health properties while other green teas lose this before they are even packaged?
• Do you have the discipline to consume enough of this more beneficial green tea regularly daily?
• Have you considered the acquired taste - this type of green tea has a flavor and texture you will need to 'acquire'.

Chinese or Japanese Green Tea?

Green tea is a very important part of both Japanese and Chinese people's lives, not to mention their cultures. These cultures have known about the health benefits of green tea for a very long time. Now, you need to understand that the most beneficial tea that retains the most nutrients is Japanese powdered green tea. There are a couple of variations of Japanese powdered teas but the one you want to get hold of is called Sencha. Powdered green tea is basically ground tea leaves that is then mixed with hot water. The powder does not dissolve and when left to stand, a sediment will form at the bottom of your tea cup. The Japanese traditionally have cooked and eaten green tea leaves anyway and the powdered green tea ensures you get all the nutrients that you would otherwise miss out on. Chinese green tea mixes the leaves with hot water and is brewed, however, the leaves are not consumed but discarded. The Japanese way of grinding the leaves into a fine powder means you can easily swallow the powder while you drink. So, now you need to find a way to get around the acquired taste and 'chalky' texture.

Powdered Green Tea; An Acquired Taste and Texture

As the green tea powder is not dissolved in the hot water, you immediately notice the 'chalky' texture when you drink this tea. The flavor of Japanese green tea is also very different from Chinese green tea - you are in effect consuming the leaves and so there is a certain amount of bitterness. The taste a texture is not so well known in the western diet so even if you know the benefits of drinking powdered green tea every day you may very well be put off by this. So what can you do about it? Get creative! Discover ways to hide the taste and texture...

5 Ways to Eat / Drink Green Tea Powder

So here are five ways you can use to get around the taste and texture of powdered green tea if you can't drink it the traditional way:

1. Add it to your favorite protein shake - When you make your homemade protein shakes, just throw in a teaspoon of tea powder. The thickness of your shake, the fresh fruit and all those other flavors will hide both the green tea texture and taste.
   
   
2. Sprinkle it on your toast or bagel - Why not keep some tea in a shaker (one that can be sealed to keep the tea fresh) and then simply shake it onto your toast at breakfast, your cereal or anything else.
   
   
3. Mix it into your pasta - It's so easy just to mix a teaspoon into your pasta sauce and the flavor is completely hidden.
   
   
4. Mix it into your dessert - It's so easy to mix a teaspoon of the tea into your favorite ice cream, pudding or yogurt.
   
   
5. Make a green tea cake - Try the recipe described at http://chinesefood.about.com/od/dessertscake/r/greenteacakes.htm or use it in other baking you like to do.

You can come up with so many more ways of using Japanese tea powder and I'd love to hear your ideas.

Follow the East Asian Example - Try it in Anything

Did you know that in East Asia, particularly Japan, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, you can buy cakes that are baked with green tea powder in them? You'll find it mixed in with the cake's cream and sprinkled on top as well. A popular flavor of ice cream is green tea. Powdered green tea in Asia is no longer simply made into a drink so why not follow their example?! After all, the health benefits of green tea has been known in Asia long before the West ever knew.

Use green tea in your everyday diet creatively to reap the health benefits

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About The Author:
Adam Zahler is the owner and creator of Bodybuilding & Protein Supplements Recipes (this site), a free site with information on using whey protein supplements in bodybuilding recipes. Visitors to the site can find recipe ideas and also share their own recipes for making bodybuilding shakes, bars and other snacks.

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