As cooler weather begins to creep in, our energy levels begin to downshift. While it’s best to flow with this seasonal change, that doesn’t mean it’s wrong to support or augment your energy as humans have been doing for thousands of years…thanks to plants.
Cacao is a beautiful and powerful medicine that stimulates our hearts and offers a rich source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The following brew invites loads of other potent medicinals resulting in a spicy, hearty blend that’s immune supportive, anti-aging, adaptogenic, gut friendly, a cognitive boost, liver tonic and lastly, a great alternative to morning coffee for those looking to keep their cortisol levels low and their skin happy — or just avoiding those addictive jitters.
Note: this blend is low caffeine but not totally caffeine free as cacao has small amounts of caffeine on its own. Suggestions are also given for ways to incrementally increase the caffeine to your liking.
Key Players:
(Here are just some of the benefits of the main medicinal ingredients)
Cacao – Heart opener, antioxidant, mood & energy booster
Ginger – Warming, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, cellular repair
Cayenne – Circulatory stimulant, detoxifying, metabolism boost, heart health
Reishi – Known to support longevity, increase cognitive ability, anti-cancer, immune boosting
Ashwaghanda – Adaptogenic, manages blood sugar levels, anti-cancer
Turmeric – Powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, memory aid, immune boosting
Cloves – anti-viral, anti-microbial, oral + digestive cleanser
Dandelion Root – Liver support, blood sugar reduction, skin cleanser
Black Pepper – Alkalinizing, improves absorption of nutrients, circulatory stimulant, digestive aid
Ingredients:
Note – unless otherwise mentioned, always use ingredients in whole form instead of powders to avoid contaminants.
Ceylon cinnamon
Cloves
Anise (optional)
Cardamom
Reishi (can be powdered, fresh is best)
Black Tea
Turmeric root
Dandelion root (dry)
Cacao *powder
Ginger *powder (ginger oil’s healing properties are potentiated in dry/powder form)
Bee Pollen
Cayenne
Ashwaghanda
Maca
Chaga or Turkey Tail powder
Chai Masala
Black Pepper
Salt
Sugar or Honey
Milk of choice
Recipe:
To start, boil the hard herbs in 16oz water, starting with 4-8 cloves, a small stick of cinnamon, a scoop of Dandelion Root, one knob end’s worth of fresh Turmeric, Reishi pieces (skip this if you are using powdered) and 2-3 cardamom pods. Reishi’s active compounds are mostly water soluble, but some of them are only alcohol soluble. Thus, as this mixture comes to a boil, you can add a few drops of alcohol, such as a dropper’s worth of a chosen tincture, to aid in their extraction.
As these are heating up, put a tbsp of cocoa, a tsp ginger, a pinch of cayenne, 1/2 tsp pollen, dash of black pepper, dash of salt, tsp of maca / chaga / ashwaghanda / turkey tail and sweetener to taste in your mug. Add a tsp of chai masala to taste.
Add your black tea to the boiling herbs and turn the water off to let steep. (You can use this time to continue assembling the powders).
Strain the herbal tea into the mug. Mix with a frother or whisk until well combined. Add milk of choice and enjoy!
On Caffeine: Coffee can be swapped for Black Tea or added to increase caffeine. Or, Black Tea can be removed altogether.
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