Ulysses Press The Matcha Miracle: Boost Energy, Focus and Health with Green Tea Powder

Interesting book even if I'd like to know more about history, tradition, tea gardens rather than tea benefits and I think that photos of recipes are very useful to understand what you're going to prepare

When I purchased this 2015 paperback last week, I did so with the understanding that the book contained 208 pages (as indicated in the Product Details). Wrong!! The paperback arrived today and I find it has only 99 pages and just 90 of those pages are actual content; the remaining pages are conversion charts, index, and author info. This is a big disappointment to me because I figured that a 208-page book containing about 50 recipes would surely have to contain significant sections on matcha's history and health benefits research to balance out the remaining pages. I was particularly looking forward to learning more about these topics. Oh, well... guess I'll keep looking for other books or online. I'll try not to be too critical below as I itemize the contents of the book so you know exactly what you are getting before you order it.Chapter 1: History of Matcha Tea (a mere four pages) -- The actual history section of this chapter consists of five short paragraphs. There is much more that can be said about the history of this long-used tea, but if you're not into the origins of its development and use, then this book is for you.Chapter 2: Matcha Green Tea Benefits (six-and-a-half pages) -- This section mentions some of matcha's health benefits (i.e., immune system support, healthy heart and blood glucose levels, balanced energy, weight loss, detoxification, and memory and concentration). However, considering the title of this book and the fact that it is authored by two doctors (one a "wellness practitioner" and the other a chiropractor), and a certified holistic nutrition consultant, I expected much more on this topic as I said above. However, if you just want the beneficial highlights without details on anything, you'll be satisfied.Chapter 3: Using Matcha (a little over three pages) -- This chapter comments briefly on how cooking temperature, cooking time, and other ingredients can affect the nutrients (e.g., antioxidants) contained in matcha.Chapter 4: Recipes (a little over two pages of intro. followed by 53 recipes) -- If what you really want are some recipes, then you'll be pleased with this remaining section of the book which offers four tea recipes, nine smoothie and adult beverage recipes, eight breakfast recipes, 16 lunch and snack recipes, and 16 dessert recipes. There is a balance of sweet and savory recipes and nothing too complicated. Some raw recipes are here as well. My only puzzlement is why the authors included "A Note About Ingredients" in which they mention the importance of choosing good ingredients (e.g., eggs, oils and fats, sweeteners, and salt) with an eye toward health, and yet... I found that a number of their recipes use sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, heavy cream, butter, chocolate or white chocolate chips, and evaporated milk. Some of these recipes could have been modified to use healthier ingredients (e.g., stevia, raw organic honey, 80% cacao chocolate). Others could have been omitted in favor of healthier recipes altogether. If/when I attempt any of these recipes, I will have to weigh the nutrient-rich benefits of the matcha against the drawbacks of undesirable ingredients, and make healthier substitutions wherever possible.At the back of the book are a few conversion charts for volume, weight, and temperature. There is also an index followed by background on the authors.In general, I would say this book is geared more toward cooking with matcha (i.e., recipes) than with the history and health benefits of matcha. It should have been titled something like "Matcha Recipes to Boost Energy, Focus, and Health" -- putting the emphasis on the recipes because that is mostly what you are getting in this book.

Matcha is so healthy for you and all I have been doing is drinking it as tea. Just some of the benefits are:Matcha’s ORAC rating is exponentially higher than other antioxidant-rich foods such as blueberries and spinach The USDA recommends 5000 ORAC units (a measurement of antioxidant potency) per day. One serving of matcha (2g) contains 2400 fiber-filled, sugar-free ORAC units. Antioxidants and specifically green tea catechins can play an important role in preventing disease and healing the body.Catechins in matcha help kill cancerous cells and stop their progressionThere are some great ideas in this book. And it is not just a recipe book, it includes the history of matcha, the science behind it's health benefits. The benefits outlined in this book have me motivated to get started using Matcha daily.

Having never tasted matcha before and knowing nothing, I picked up this book to help me understand more. Holy cow, I had no idea matcha was such a powerhouse. I learned from this book that matcha is…Packed with antioxidants including the powerful EGCgRich in fiber, chlorophyll and vitaminsIt boosts metabolism and burns caloriesDetoxifies effectively and naturallyEnhances mood and aids in concentration (I totally need this!)Calms the mind and relaxes the body (and this!)Provides vitamin C, selenium, chromium, zinc and magnesiumLowers bad cholesterol and helps maintain a healthy blood sugarWow!This book helped me understand the history of matcha, the benefits, and how to use it properly as a tea and in a variety of ways for breakfast, lunch and snack, and dessert.So far I've tried the superfood smoothie recipe on pg 28, the matcha chia pudding on pg 38, and the Breakfast Power Balls on pg 41. All three recipes have been easy to make, used ingredients I had on hand, and tasted unique, healthy, and delicious. I am excited to explore this book even more by trying out more recipes and incorporating matcha into my daily life. I plan to make the chocolate matcha shake tomorrow.

I was so happy to hear that Dr. Mariza Snyder had written this book - I had been hearing more about Matcha here and there and wanted to learn from a trusted source. I also didn't want anything that would take a long time to read and figure out. This book does the trick and more! I found the history fascinating and easy to read. The benefits outlined in this book have me motivated to get started using Matcha daily. The use information and recipes let me know how to make the most of this amazing superfood in easy and delicious ways for my whole family! My recommendation? Get this book now!