For years I suffered from the sexiest topics talked about in today's world- IBS and Acid Reflux. Yup. Don't worry, I'm not going to dig too deep into dictionary.com to explain all of its symptoms because I'll leave that up to you. But needless to say, endless trips to the bathroom, stomach bloat, and abdominal pain were a forte of mine. Now, believe me, there's no "one answer" to fixing anyone who has these issues. But after years of trial and error, I can blame it on one big factor- OUR FOOD.

You knew it was coming. The more processed foods and chemicals that are inserted into our body, the more it has to figure out what the heck it is and in turn has a harder time breaking it down- enter stomach bloat. With that being said, not all foods are the devil for people with digestive issues, and that's a whole different blog post. But I found there was one thing in particular that I was, like most people, having daily and always made my symptoms worse. Wanna guess? COFFEE.

Now, the main reason coffee tends to be harder for someone with IBS (or anyone for that matter) to digest is due to the caffeine levels. Higher caffeinated drinks tend to be one of the biggest triggers for anyone with digestive issues, but that's not the only reason. Coffee, especially store-bought, has higher acidity levels. The increased level of acid in the stomach mixed with bathroom trips can also lead to irritation in the intestines and create a whole other issue.

But in case your like me and felt like you could not give up your daily cups of coffee, I promise I've found a solution- MATCHA.

Matcha not only looks pretty on Instagram, but it's easily one of the most antioxidant filled drinks there are today. This vibrant green tea powder mixes with water or your favorite milk to create the same energy as coffee without all the side effects. Although on paper matcha has a little bit less caffeine than coffee, it's slowly released into your bloodstream over 6-8 hours. So just one cup will give you the same alertness without the "jitters and crash" effect.

Along with caffeine, matcha releases L-Theanine, which produces dopamine and serotonin- the same chemicals that improve your mood, memory, and helps increase concentration. Studies have also shown that when you mix matcha with fat, the benefits are even greater. That's where I bring in my favorite MORNING MATCHA. Drinking this in the mornings not only keeps me full but helps regulate my body before I perform for the day.

Morning Matcha

1 tsp Four Sigmatic’s Matcha with lions mane
1 tbsp Bulletproof’s Brain Octane Oil
1 tbsp Cacao Butter (easier to digest than regular butter to me)
1 tbsp Laird Superfood Creamer
2 scoops Vital Proteins Collagen
1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon

There are plenty of matcha mixes to choose from- I love Vital Proteins Matcha Collagen and Sun Potion's matcha too. You can also put anything you want in your matcha but this has been one of my favorite recipes I've made. So if you struggle with digestive issues and drink coffee daily, this may be just one way to improve your symptoms. Or even if you've done coffee for years and hit that mid-day crash continually, maybe switch it out a few days a week and see if that makes a difference. Keep the energy but improve your day.

Do you have any other matcha recipes or mixes you enjoy? Comment below!

Make sure to share this with someone that may be impacted by this switch, too!

XO Halle

Kicking your Coffee but Keeping your Energy

Morning Matcha