Improve Mental Focus, Reduce Anxiety & Sleep Better
Matcha Latte - a delicious way to get a dose of L-theanine
Many of the clients I work with have taxed adrenals from stress, overworking, over-exercising and excessive consumption of caffeine. As we work to heal their adrenals, I typically recommend they eliminate coffee and stick with herbal tea or matcha. Matcha is essentially dried, young green tea leaves that have been ground into a powder and it packs a big nutritional punch.
One of the reasons I recommend matcha over coffee to clients with taxed adrenals is the L-theanine content. L-theanine is an amino acid that helps with anxiety, depression and mental focus. L-theanine has a synergistic effect with caffeine that improves your mental focus as well as reduces the stress and jitters that may normally accompany caffeine.
If you are not willing to give up your coffee habit and switch over to matcha, you can still receive these synergistic benefits by supplementing with L-theanine when you drink your morning coffee. I recommend 200 mg.
Not only can L-theanine help you better focus during the day, but it can also help you sleep more soundly at night. I usually take 200 mg if I wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble falling back asleep - it works like a charm. I heard Dr. Lekkos (a well-known functional medicine doctor in LA) on Kelly LeVeque’s podcast say he recommends 600 mg before bed to his patients who have trouble sleeping. I’d recommend starting with 100 to 200 mg though. I’m always looking for the lowest effective dose.
L-theanine is also a great supplement to have on hand right now if you’re experiencing increased anxiety (who isn’t?). It can be taken any time of day when you need stress relief and improved mental focus. This is not one of those supplements that you have to take for weeks to see any sort of benefit. You will feel more calm and clear-headed within 20 minutes.
L-theanine is generally very well tolerated. It can interact with medications used to treat high blood pressure or stimulant medications. Check with your healthcare practitioner before starting any new supplements.
