if you've been around for a while
you know how much I love my lattes in the mornings
at work, while I'm traveling, as a night cap
it's a great way to wind down
it's a great form of self-care
it's a great way to comfort yourself because lattes are very comforting
there's also a lot of health benefits
it's super energizing
and it can help you get that focus you want to have a very productive day
if you drink specific types of lattes like matcha
and it is motivation for me to wake up in the mornings
as something to look forward to
also motivation for me to clean as you guys have seen before
so in this video, we'll go over the anatomy of lattes
so that you know exactly what goes into a superfood latte
and how easy it actually is to create your very own work of art
the ingredients and their benefits
and of course, how to's for all the aforementioned lattes
the normal versions as well as the on crack pastel versions
so let's first get started with the anatomy of lattes
to start you will pick your base
and this is what you absolutely need to make your lattes
a lot of things we talk about later, you won't need
but this is the core, the foundation
you need one of these ingredients for you to make your latte
so what will it be?
the second, pick your milk of choice
I've been loving whole milk and oat milk
and of course hot water for the teas
now we're getting into the optional zone
I prefer my matcha lattes unsweetened
as there's already sweetness from the milk
but for other lattes, I usually reach for a scoop of natural sweeteners
like black sugar which is a common sweetener in Asia
but there's not as much here in the West
it's actually a much healthier option compared to white and brown sugar
because it's unrefined and contains molasses, potassium, iron, calcium and other minerals
it's also great for the time of the month especially with ginger
I'll show you guys later in the video
there's also honey
I prefer manuka because of its antibacterial..
antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties
that's a lot of anti's..
but that's why it is an amazing little jar of sweetness
or raw honey as it's generally more nutritious than processed honey
I'll link an article down below explaining the difference
there's also coconut sugar which is another sugar alternative
it has a similar smoky malt-like taste to black sugar
which I love but don't reach for quite as often as the rest
because though it is less processed
and contains more nutrients than regular table sugar
it's still sugar at the end of the day
to me, anything is better than processed sugar
but sugar, limit sugar intake in general
and last, we have our trusty maple syrup
it contains nutrients, minerals, and antioxidants
similar to coconut sugar and everything mentioned above
it's still sugar, but live a little and enjoy in moderation
alright, so all of these are definitely optional
but life's short so why not have some fun
so this first Blue Majik or spirulina powder is what makes drinks turn bright blue
spirulina is a blue-green algae high in protein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants..
and is anti-inflammatory
it's one of the most nutrient dense foods on this planet
Blue Majik is an extract of spirulina's pigment
so it's not nearly as nutritious as spirulina
but it's still pretty darn good for you
collagen may be good for your skin, hair, nails, and joint
but I take it mostly for protein, as I don't consume enough on a daily basis
and did you know that there are two different types of cinnamon
I'm not as anal about my diet these days
but back when I was a little health Nazi..
I used to get this ceylon cinnamon
because it's better quality and safer compared to cassia cinnamon
and there's coconut oil and ghee for some healthy fats in your diet
if you don't consume enough fats in your daily diet
and last but not least, my favorite apricot kernel powder
it's so good for your lungs, helps with blood circulation
and aids in weight loss and it tastes so good
it's like Taiwan Asia's version of almond powder
it's really awesome
you can find almost all of these products at Thrive Market
if you're unfamiliar with Thrive, they're an online marketplace
on a mission to make healthy living easy and affordable for everyone
along with most products I mentioned..
you can find thousands of other organic foods and natural products for up to 30% below other retailers
like this rooibos tea is usually over $7 at Whole Foods
but it's here for $5.50, and I know $1.50 isn't a lot..
but guys, it adds up
you can search for products so easily
and filter the category of products by your values and dietary preferences
so if you've been meaning to hop on that superfood latte train and are new to Thrive...
they're offering 25% off your first order and a free 30-day trial
link is in my description box below if you're interested
now let's get to how we make these lattes starting with matcha
aside from its heart-eye inducing pastel green hue..
a scoop of this vibrant green powder is jam-packed with antioxidants and nutrients
matcha is also high in L-theanine, an amino acid found in green tea
because of how it's shade grown and harvested
it's a great source of calming energy without the jitters of drowsiness
it all depends on how the green tea leaves are grown, harvested, and processed
in short, the leaves of ceremonial grade matcha
are usually shade grown, hand picked, and hand ground into a fine powder
this makes matcha far more nutrient dense and concentrated than green tea
most of which are highly processed
now that we've covered the basics of matcha 101
let's get to what you came here for
starting with a base: matcha
while I have time, I'll sift the matcha powder about this much
through a tea strainer because matcha can clump easily
it really.. the portion depends on how much caffeine you want
or how much caffeine your body can take
I can't take too much
add warm water and whisk with the bamboo whisk
the chasen, hopefully I'm saying that right
or you can whisk with a whisk whisk
or put it in a milk frother or blend it in a high-speed blender
it's really up to you
if you do use the bamboo whisk, use your wrist not your elbows or arms
whoops, I think I used my arms in this
and you whisk in a W shape fiercely
this really helps add air to the matcha and makes it nice and frothy
OGs will drink and enjoy this right now: matcha at it's purest form
keep in mind everything here is completely optional
there's coconut and ghee oil to make it even more thick and frothy
collagen for that *bing bing* skin and protein
and apricot kernel for that amaretto flavor and health
so you whisk it all together with a whisk whisk
because I don't want to contaminate my precious chasen
~ chasen.. cha san.. cha-cha san ~
pour into warm milk or a glass of cold milk with ice cubes
so beautiful
enjoy, your welcome ~
this is my daily latte, daily drink
next up, rooibos tea
rooibos tea is made from the leaves of a South African shrub
it's caffeine-free and packed with so many antioxidants
I appreciate the warm and sweet woody scent of this tea
it's so comforting and this tea, for me, is the definition of hygge
and here's how I make it
I steep the tea bag in hot water for about 5-6 minutes
or however long the package states
you can enjoy it as is right now
or add your fancy powders and milk
I love it with collagen powder, apricot kernel powder, and milk
because I want to get extra fancy and give it a pastel hue..
I added beet powder
be careful not to add too much
or else it will actually taste like beet milk which doesn't taste the best
but isn't this so pretty?
I want to play around with more recipes to make a red velvet latte
maybe in another video with like a chocolate rooibos tea
I actually have that.. maybe I'll try
let me know if you guys want more videos
and here we have turmeric
turmeric has been used in India for thousands of years
as a spice and medicinal herb
curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric
and has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect and a lot of antioxidants
as with I think like all of these teas have a lot of antioxidants
so the importance of antioxidants is that it helps counteract free radicals in your body..
protecting cells and tissue from damage
according to a small study, curcumin is as effective as an antidepressant
this is pretty impressive
and because curcumin is poorly absorbed into the bloodstream
it is recommended to add a dash of black pepper
which helps the body enhance the absorption of curcumin by 2,000%
now we're moving to chai
chai is a fragrant spicy black tea from India
also known as masala chai
it's usually combined with ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, and other spices
it may help boost heart health, reduce blood sugar levels, aids digestion, and helps with weight loss
I personally found chai tea concentrates to be too sweet
so I prefer to make my own and this is how I make it
steep tea bag in hot water for however long it says you should steep it for
add cinnamon and usually after this step
I'll just add in the warm milk, sweetener of choice, and stir with a spoon or blend
but because I wanted to get super fancy
I wanted to make this blue because I needed something blue
I added some Blue Magik spirulina powder to get it to turn into this electric blue color
so that when I add milk, magic happens
and it turns into this beautiful pastel hue
Blue Majik is definitely excessive
it's pretty expensive, I think this bottle was $46*
but I feel that if spending a few extra dollars
can encourage you to get creative and experiment with your food like this.. why not?
you know, it's an investment in yourself
it's an investment in your future
your future self will thank you
so for the acai latte..
I literally just blended acai in warm coconut milk and added honey
this one was purely for that aesthetic so I'm not gonna get too much into it
but don't worry, I got a bonus for you guys
the ginger and black sugar tea
this drink has been saving me every single month during that time of the month
there are three ingredients: brown sugar, cane sugar, and ginger powder
I would much prefer the versions..
my mom used to get me this specific brand from Taiwan that only has black sugar and ginger
and I think this.. to them like.. the brown and the black is used interchangeably
because the name in Chinese on the package it says 黑糖 so that's black sugar
so for this, pour in hot water, stir, let it cool
because the water is semi-piping hot if it's.. if it just boiled
ginger generally aids with digestion
so during that time of the month.. you're already bloated
and the iron and the calcium in the black sugar
helps lessen the cramping and the bloating and the uncomfortableness
so this is beautiful
it is magical
so with all of that, this was a very different video
so please let me know you think
I haven't ventured out of my stress, reset, getting my life together type videos
but I think it's time and I think with this..
it's opening some new doors for me to see where I can go
and if you guys have any ideas or suggestions or things you want to see it
please let me know down below
and again remember Thrive is offering 25% off your first order
if you are interested in trying any of these products
thank you guys so much for joining
here is the biggest voice huugggg ~
I love you, every single one of you
and I'll see you in the next video
ok baiii ~