INSTANT MATCHA FRAPPE' MIX
HEALTHIER THAN STARBUCKS FRAPPUCCINO
WITH CANE SUGAR (30 Cals. per Serving)
OR
ALL NATURAL SUGAR FREE XYLITOL
(22 Calories per Serving)

Today, scientific research in both Asia and the west is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long associated with drinking green tea. For example, in 1994 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent. University of Purdue researchers recently concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. There is also research indicating that drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol.
It has also shown fantastic results in contributing to weight loss and is included in many weight loss formulas.

Green Tea has long been valued in China for its miraculous medicinal properties for the maintenance of good health. It has been said in China "it is better to drink Green Tea than take medicine".

Green tea contains antioxidants properties, polyphenols, theanine, as well as a wide variety of vitamins and minerals.
Polyphenols - Polyphenols are a class of phytochemicals found in high concentrations in green tea, and have been associated with heart disease and cancer prevention. The slight astringent, bitter taste of green tea is attributed to polyphenols.

Tannins - A group of simple and complex phenol, polyphenol, and flavonoid compounds. Produced by plants, all of the tannins are relatively resistant to digestion or fermentation. All tannins act as astringents, shrinking tissues and contracting structural proteins in the skin and mucosa.

Catechins - Catechins are a category of polyphenols. In green tea, catechins are present in significant quantities, more specifically; epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG makes up about 10-50% of the total catechin content and appears to be the most powerful of the catechins ?with antioxidant activity about 25-100 times more potent than vitamins C and E. A cup of green tea may provide 10-40mg of polyphenols and has antioxidant activity greater than a serving of broccoli, spinach, carrots or strawberries.

Flavonoids - Flavonoids are plant pigments, and are the brightly colored chemical constituents found in most fresh fruits and vegetables. They may aid in protecting against infection. Deficiency can result in a tendency to bruise easily.

Theanine - An amino acid that produces tranquilizing effects in the brain, theanine is a unique amino acid found in the leaves sencha. Theanine is quite different from the polyphenol and catechin antioxidants for which green tea is typically consumed. Through the natural production of polyphenols, the tea plant converts theanine into catechins. This means that tea leaves harvested during one part of the growing season may be high in catechins (good for antioxidant benefits), while leaves harvested during another time of year may be higher in theanine (good for anti-stress and cortisol-controlling effects). Three to four cups of sencha are expected to contain 100-200 mg of theanine.

2 cups of green tea has approximately twice the antioxidants of red wine, 7 times that of orange juice, & 20 times that of apple juice.

Drinking green tea will provide your body with many health benefits:

• Rich in antioxidants - antioxidants are natural compounds that help protect the body from harmful free radicals, which are believed to be the cause of destruction & death in nearly all living things. Free radicals can attack, damage, & ultimately destroy organic material
• Increases your metabolism - helps to loose weight
• Protects against cancer
• Bolsters your immune defenses
• Less caffeine than coffee
• May reduce your risk of heart attack & stroke
• Helps protect your bones & prevents tooth decay
• Helps to keep you hydrated
• Calorie-free (without milk) and helps prevent Obesity

The young tea leaves are picked in early May and lightly steamed to prevent any fermentation. This allows the tea to retain its beautiful green color. Then the tea leaves are dried. Traditionally, at this point, the leaves would be stored in chatsubo/tea jars and allowed to season until November, at which time they can be stone-ground as needed. For consistency, the leaves from various varieties of tea plants are blended to produce the best flavor, color, and aroma. Before being stone-ground, the leaves are processed to obtain only the meat part of the leaf. The stems and veins are removed so that the tea will be very fine when ground. It takes one hour to grind somewhat less than 40g of matcha and in the end the final product is about 1/10th of the original harvest. Although clippers can be used to harvest the tea leaves, the leaves for koicha/thick tea are still picked by hand, one by one.

Matcha is the vibrant green powdered tea used in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. It is made from the leaves of shade grown tea trees. When the leaves are harvested they are steamed, dried and then further processed to remove the veins, stems and impurities. Only about 10% of the original harvest remains, and this is called the "tencha". The tencha is then ground to a fine powder often in a stone mill. It takes about one hour to produce an ounce of matcha, because grinding any faster would result in a burnt tasting tea. Today the highest grades of matcha usually remain in Japan for use in their tea ceremonies and the price can be as high as $100 an ounce. The majority of matcha available in the general market today is now ground by sophisticated machines, which make it affordable to the average tea drinker. Regardless of the grinding technique used, the production of matcha requires a great deal of hand labour, skill and time.

Matcha is becoming increasingly popular in the Japanese and international beverage and food market because of its versatility and health benefits. Matcha's flavour blends well in dairy-based recipes and its powder form makes it easy to work with. Matcha is being used in ice cream, cheese cakes, cream cheese spreads, white chocolate, latte beverages, hot chocolate etc. There is no limit to the recipes that matcha can be added to.

• Vitamin A: 16,000IU
• Vitamin B1: 0.6mg
• Vitamin B2: 1.35mg
• Vitamin C: 60mg
• Vitamin E: 35.9mg
• Proteins & Amino Acids: 30.7%
• Fiber: 10%
• Caffeine: 3.2%