Reishi Cacao Adaptogen Latte
As living beings that are constantly adapting and changing, we can easily get overwhelmed by stressors and sometimes lose our ability to quickly recover. Adaptogens help our body adapt to stress and support our innate capacity to adjust to change and stress, including mental, emotional and physical.
Adaptogens don’t just work on one specific part of your body, but tone the whole body, bringing it back to balance, with the goal of supporting and nourishing the body rather than stimulating or suppressing.
Red reishi mushroom is an adaptogen that lifts mood and calms both body and mind. One common cause of anxiety is Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis (or HPA) dysfunction. The HPA system includes the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands so it’s associated with the brain as well as hormones like cortisol (aka the stress hormone). Among other things, the HPA axis regulates our stress response, digestion, moods and emotions, which is why if it’s off-balance, we can experience heightened symptoms of anxiety.
Reishi works on the HPA by improving the function of the adrenals, making this mushroom a top food choice for calming the mind, easing anxiety, and fostering greater resilience to stress over time.
Beyond the benefits of supporting our central nervous system and stress response, reishi contains antimicrobial anti-inflammatory properties, supports the immune system and promotes heart, liver, and kidney health.
This is a delicious adaptogenic latte that you can drink morning or evening to calm the body and mind. You can find reishi mushroom in powder form at Whole Foods, in your health food store and online here and here.
Ingredients
1-2 tablespoons cacao powder
1/2 teaspoon reishi mushroom powder
1/2 teaspoon maca powder
2 scoops collagen powder
1/2 tablespoon coconut butter (CAP Beauty Coconut Butter is my favorite)
1 medjool date or 1 tablespoon raw honey
1 tablespoon cacao nibs
1 tablespoon hemp seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Tiny pinch black pepper (you wont taste this)
Pinch sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup boiled water
1 cup hot oat or almond milk
Instructions
Place all ingredients in blender and mix until well combined.
Strain into your cup of choice. Can be served hot or chilled over ice.