Supercharged “coffee” – A creamy, dreamy, and nutrient-packed drink to start your day

Letting go of a morning coffee is one of the hardest things for some people. The ritual, that perk up and the brightening effect, and not to mention, that great smell.

This challenge with coffee is that all the benefits it promises (the get-up-and-go enlivening effect) is also what it can strip away long term as it’s is a sneaky substance that actually drains our adrenal glands and robs the body of vital nutrients and energy long-term.
Sorry!

BUT, there are some things that you can do and consume that will actually build your body’s energy up while offering some real nourishment and health-building components without the dreaded drain.

I like to call this a supercharged morning drink and you can include decaf, alternative coffee substitute or no coffee at all in this recipe when weaning off or wanting to decrease caffeine.

The key components are whole food adaptogens (components that help your body deal with and adapt to physical and emotional stress and sustain healthy energy), healthy fats, proteins and natural immune-boosting sweeteners so that you feel and look vibrant AND enjoy a tasty and nourishing morning ritual.

Ingredients

1/2 cup coffee /coffee alternative of choice (optional)
1 cup nut mylk of choice (walnut, cashew, oat, soy, hazelnut, almond, hemp etc.)
1 tbsp adaptogen blend (see links below for options) OR
1/4 tsp of any of the following powders: reishi, lion’s mane, cordyceps, ashwaganda, turkey tail, chaga,
1/8 tsp spice blend cinnamon, cardamon and cacao good options)
1/4 tsp turmeric (optional) with Pinch black pepper
1 date
1 Tsp Healthy fat/oil* (ghee, MCT oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, etc.)
Raw honey to taste
Options: 1 tsp tahini or cashew butter for extra creamy and richness

Directions:

Warm milk on the stove with the date and brew your coffee if you’re adding this in.

Once warmed, place all ingredients in a blender. If you’re adding in whole nuts, you’ll want to make sure you have a powerful blender or that you blend it long enough to break it all down.

Blend until creamy and smooth (and most likely nice and frothy too).

Sip, savour and enjoy.

This is essentially a drink that acts like a meal.

Because of the higher (healthy) fat content and the mix of protein and adaptogens, this should give you a more sustained and energized boost that doesn’t drain your adrenals or send you into energy overdraft and bring on the jitters.

You can play around with ratios to suit your taste. I shift mine up day to day depending on how I’m feeling and which mylks I have on hand. Also how strong or how sweet I want things.

This has some beautiful life-enhancing properties to build your energy, focus and immunity along with healthy detoxification properties (depending what you use).

This can also make a great afternoon snack/energy booster (minus any of the caffeine components).

Here are some links to some of my favourite adaptogens and drink blends. There are loads of good companies out there but these are a few that I know and trust.

*https://ca.fullscript.com/protocols/angelawarburton-super-charged-non-coffee
*https://mudwtr.com/
*https://organika.com/products/adaptogen-mylk-latte

The medicine in your cup:

Reishi – Full of mood boosting and calming properties, reishi has been shown to be helpful with easing anxiety and depression, improve sleep quality as well as help promote focus and healing.

Lion’s mane – an antioxidant packed mushroom that also boosts and strengthens the immune system and helps with memory focus and mood. It also helps nerve regrowth and increases the myelin sheath which insulates the nerve fibres.

Cordyceps– helps the body use oxygen more efficiently and helps blood flow which makes it an energy powerhouse which can help muscle recovery and athletic performance (no matter what your athletic level!).

Ashwaganda – another adaptogenic herb taken from Ayurvedic medicine which helps regulate mood, support memory, calm and relax ( a nervine tonic and sedative), as well as being helpful for sleep. For individuals who have had long standing stress and anxiety, ashwaganda may be a helpful addition to your diet. It may also help support testosterone production in males and improve libido in females due to its building and calming properties. .

Turkey tail – another immune booster and antioxidant-rich mushroom that helps in cancer prevention and survival rates in certain types of cancer. It’s even approved in Japan as an anticancer prescription and used to boost the immune system in people going through chemotherapy. And just for day to day use, it gives your body key building blocks to get and stay healthy!

Chaga – helpful for healthy aging by reducing oxidative stress which affects our skin aging, decreasing inflammation and lower LDL cholesterol and thought to slow or prevent cancer growth.

Maca – a root vegetable related to radishes and turnips from South America, can be helpful in boosting energy levels, or building Qi energy in Chinese medicine. It also helps to build Yin energy which can make it good for women suffering from yin deficient hot flashes or “tired and wired” type of anxiety. Because of its QI building side, it can also be helpful in gaining muscle and increasing strength when combined with an exercise program including improving exercise performance. Maca has also been shown to be helpful for libido and reproductive health due to the Yin and Qi building properties.

Collagen – the fibre-like structured protein that is the most abundant protein in the body and used to make connective tissue. It is a major component of bone, skin, muscles, tendons, and cartilage health and helps to make tissues strong and resilient. We make less and less collagen as we age and drops rapidly to excessive exposure to sun, too much alcohol, smoking or decreased sleep or exercise.
Some of the benefits of taking collagen include: Revitalizes, firms, and smoothes skin, strengthens hair and nails, helps maintain healthy joints, supports weight management, reduces intestinal permeability for better gut health

Cardamom – Is great at transforms what we term damp conditions (heavy headed, bloated or swollen joints. It’s also great at warming your digestive fire and good for moving your energy (you know that heavy cold bloated feeling)

Cinnamon – is super warming and so good to help you warm up. Cinnamon bark is great for blood circulation and for those achy chills, cinnamon is great for releasing that muscle ache!

Turmeric – Oh the love I have for turmeric! Not only is it great for circulation and breaking up accumulations in the body (think arthritis and cancer!) but it’s also a great detoxifier and wonderful for anyone with a damp congested blocked feeling.

Raw honey -Honey has a natural sugar content, but also offers high nutritional value, with over 300 components, including: amino acids, enyzymes, minerals, organic acids, phytonutrients, polyphenols, prebotics and vitamins. Used medicinally for over 2000 years, some of its benefits include being antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, antimicrobial, disinfectant, hypotensive, vasdilative and immunomodulating. All in that sweet and sticky little package!

Cacao – mmmmm. High in flavonoids (powerful antioxidants) , iron and magnesium, this powerhouse is more than the bliss inducing mood booster we know and love. Known to lower blood pressure and reduced diabetes by helping increase insulin sensitivity, and not to mention all the mood enhancing benefits which include serotonin to decreases stress and improves the mood, anandamide (a chemical that helps produces feelings of euphoria), and the mild stimulant theobromine that’s used to treat depression. Bring it on!

Note: If you’re using certain medications or are pregnant be sure to check with your health care professional before using. Certain mushrooms can cause upset stomach or allergies for some people so be sure listen to your body and do a bit of research for which mushroom will work best for your needs. Some side effects and benefits can be found here