Finding Focus & Balance With Matcha
By now, you probably know that coffee isn’t the best source of caffeine. If not, check out our blog on what happens to your body when you stop drinking coffee. But, wanting a better source of energy is not the only reason people cut out coffee in favor of matcha. Sure, there’s always the benefit of fewer headaches and anxiety triggers, but matcha has much more to offer than that. And, you’ll only get to experience it, if you give it a try.
Between crafting yummy vegan eats, pounding the pavement for Feminism, and helping people transition to a plant-based diet, founder of VegOut Magazine, Maggie Ortlieb decided to make the switch to matcha herself. And, what impressed her wasn’t matcha’s ability to keep her going throughout her busy day, but its ability to help her find balance amidst the chaos that is the daily life of a business owner. With coffee, Maggie found short-term energy, untimely crashes, and restless sleep. But, with matcha, Maggie found a seamlessly focused mind, her own path to balance, and a full night’s sleep. With coffee, Maggie was surviving. With matcha, Maggie is thriving. Just take a look for yourself.
From the Desk of Maggie Ortlieb:
One year ago, I did something crazy. At age 29, I gave up coffee. A java lover since freshman year of college, the habit was so ingrained in my schedule that I believed I needed my cup of joe to wake up in the morning and function throughout my day. Not wanting to completely cut caffeine, but looking to switch to something that didn’t come with the inevitable crash and anxiety of coffee, I turned to matcha. I had tried the drink in the past but never fully connected with it. Then, when I met the guys who lived in my previous apartment before I did, I discovered they ran a matcha business called Tenzo. They gave me some to try, and it was love at first sip. That’s when I made the switch.
How do I feel now that I’ve swapped coffee for matcha? My days are calmer, but I’m still focused and able to get everything done—I’m an entrepreneur, so getting stuff done is what I do. I also sleep better at night, which is important for functioning on my busy schedule.
My vegan lifestyle led me to explore other ways to improve my well-being in addition to consuming a diet of plants, including reducing alcohol intake, moving my body more, being in nature, and getting plenty of rest. Switching to matcha was a natural step in that health care journey.
So why would the founder of VegOut (a magazine dedicated to plant-based living)—a woman with an insane daily schedule—cut her intake of caffeine?
If you are an entrepreneur or are friends with an entrepreneur, you know we’re a different breed. We like to work, and we work constantly. There’s never enough time in a day to get everything done, and time is THE most important resource. My typical schedule goes something like this: wake up at 7 am, drink matcha, respond to emails, work out, drink more matcha (#yolo), work again, eat, send emails, run errands, sell ads, fit in yoga, work again, sleep. But just because we entrepreneurs LIKE to work constantly doesn’t mean we SHOULD work constantly.
Balance and downtime are important for well-being. I’m trying to incorporate more non-work activities that bring me joy—hiking, drawing, and FaceTiming with friends—into my schedule. Reducing my caffeine intake by switching to matcha allows me to be more present and to better achieve this balance.
Will I go back to coffee? I hope not, but I’m sometimes tempted (especially when I’ve neglected to get enough rest). It’s taken me 12 coffee-drinking years to realize I enjoy my days and want to stay present for them, and matcha helps me do that.
If you’re living vicariously through Maggie’s coffee to matcha journey, know that your own is just around the corner. And, just as Maggie found the fuel and the focus to run her business and maintain a social life, so can you. Thanks to matcha’s super-powerful catechin, Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG), caffeine enters your bloodstream at a controlled rate, as opposed to all at once as it does with coffee. This sustained source of energy gives you the power you crave and the focus you desire. All you need to get started is some matcha. For more from Maggie and to find out what’s new in the vegan world, check out the VegOut Instagram.
