Chit Chat & Matcha With @CleanEatzDiary

Here at Matcha Konomi, we truly believe that matcha goes best with a healthy lifestyle. That said, we love to spotlight people who live and breath a healthy life. This mom shows you how to balance it all: Career, marriage, kids, and health! Read her story, try her favorite matcha recipe, and share your comments below. For more about Ana, visit her Instagram page

1. Who is @cleaneatzdiary?
My name is Ana Zaga and I’m a lover of all things health and wellness. I'm a mom and I love to give my tips and tricks for a healthy lifestyle. I'm originally from Brazil, but was raised in Miami. I graduated with a Fashion Merchandising Bachelors Degree, but I have always been a foodie at heart. My goal is to give people the tools they need in order to build healthy habits and to ultimately live a balanced lifestyle.

2. Have you always been so health conscious?
No, growing up I ate pretty much everything. It wasn't until I turned 17 that I decided to change my lifestyle.

3. What inspired you to be so passionate about health and wellness?
I started to feel sick every time I ate processed foods. I hated the way it made me feel. I was always tired and I noticed I wasn't able to tolerate the foods I would normally eat anymore. I knew I needed to make a change.

4. Is it challenging being a mom and maintaining such a healthy lifestyle?
Yes, it can be challenging at times, but I make sure I have at least one hour during the day for myself. I either go to the gym or I'll meal prep for the week when my son is sleeping. Its all about preparation.

5. What advice could you give other moms, and young people leading a busy life, who find it hard to stay on track with their health goals?
It's all about preparation. If you prepare ahead of time then there is no excuse. Meal prep is key for staying healthy

6. How do you come up with all your delicious recipes? Have you always considered yourself a great cook? Any advise for people who find these pictures and recipes intimidating?
I taught myself how to cook by watching youtube videos because I had no clue on how to cook anything. I used to watch chefs prepare dishes and say "wow, I wish I could cook like that" and you'd be surprised on what you can come up with. I read a lot of books so I get inspired and try to make my own healthy version of those recipes.

7. How did you learn about matcha?
I was in Japan on my honeymoon, and we went to this cafe where they had all kinds of cookies and cakes with matcha in them, and i loved it.

8. What do you love most about matcha?
I love that it gives me energy because I hate drinking coffee.

9. As a health enthusiast, who would you most recommend matcha to?
To everyone. It has so many benefits and it gives you energy, boosts your metabolism, and it packed full of antioxidants!

Ana's Favorite Matcha Recipe: Dairy free matcha popsicles

Ingredients:

• 2 cups vanilla, unsweetened non-dairy milk
• 1 ripe avocado (peeled, pitted and chopped)
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons matcha powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder or 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract

Instructions:
In a blender, puree all ingredients until smooth. You may have to scrap down the sides or tap the bottom of the blender to get out any air bubbles. Try to avoid adding more liquid if you can as this will water down the recipe. But if you must you can add a couple splashes of non-dairy milk to get the blender going.

Pour (spoon) the mixture into your popsicle molds to freeze. This recipe makes 8, 2.5 ounce pops. Tap the molds on the counter top a handful of times once they are full, to try to get rid of all the air bubbles. Insert ice-pop sticks. Freeze until pops are solid and totally frozen (4-6 hours or preferably overnight). Pops will stay good for up to 2 weeks in your freezer.
Just before serving, briefly run molds under hot water to release pops.

For more delicious Recipes Check out Our Recipe Blog Here

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