By popular demand (on a recent Instagram story) I’m sharing my secret to supercharged mornings. A rich, lush and delicious hot chocolate that is supercharged with nourishing ingredients and amazing adaptogens.
I’ve put together a basic recipe for you to build upon, with a list of optional additions that you can select (perhaps with the advice of your naturopath or nutritionist!) to suit you and your needs. Obviously, I’m not a doctor (and I don’t even play one on TV.) So do your research and ask your preferred health professionals for advice specific to your body.
With all that being said, here’s the rundown on some of the ingredients and why I use them (skip to the recipe below if you’re not interested!):
- Ghee: Grassfeed organic ghee is my jam. I cook with it daily and love to use it in my hot chocolate for two reasons. First, it imparts a richness and sweetness which means I need less honey to sweeten the hot choc with. Second, it’s a very nourishing food with tons of fat-soluble vitamins, has been shown to be beneficial for gut health, reducing inflammation and increasing the absorption of nutrients in foods cooked in ghee. From an Ayurvedic perspective, ghee is excellent for soothing the nervous system, stokes the digestive fire and is especially useful for those who have primarily vata or pitta doshas.
- CollaGelatin Powder: I love Bulletproof CollaGelatin powder It imparts an amazing creaminess to the hot choc and has a host of benefits for joints, skin and tissue repair. I started taking this in pregnancy to support all the stretching that happens and I’ve never looked back. Note: only use this in warm drinks as it will be gelatinous in cold beverages.
- Cacao: Organic raw cacao powder is packed full of minerals like magnesium and give you a nice little boost without the jitters and shakes that come with coffee.
- Mesquite powder and maca powder impart more vitamins and minerals, (maca also help regulate hormones) and both add a nutty, sweet caramel flavour that enhances the cacao.
- Reishi: Reishi Mushrooms are magical. Amazing for immunity, adaptogenic, and soothing for the nervous system. I also feel like they make my brain tune into a higher dimension. Here’s a good overview by Ron Teeguarden, an expert in Traditional Chinese Medicine. If you’re in Aus, here’s a good brand.
- Astragalus: Another immune booster with anti-viral properties.
- Shatavari: AKA Withania.This is another Ayurvedic herb traditionally used for women to support reproductive health and lactation. But also amazing in times of stress!
- Living Libations Essential Oils: I dig a drop of Love Wine to get teh good vibes flowing, or a drop of Illume Hotberry if I’m feeling under the weather!
Oh – and because I know you’re going to ask, the mug was made by the amazing Sit Still Lauren. Enjoy! xx
SUPERCHARGED HOT CHOCOLATE RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 cups milk of your choice (I like fresh almond or coconut)
- 1 tablespoon ghee*
- 1-2 tablespoons raw cacao powder (to taste)
- 1/2 tablespoon raw honey (or to taste)
- 1 scoop of collagelatin powder
- 1 teaspoon mesquite powder
- 1 teaspoon maca powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon pinch of salt.
Optional Supercharged Extras:
- 1/2 teaspoon reishi mushroom powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chaga mushroom powder
- 1 teaspoon astragalas powder or asparagus/shatavari powder or macuna powder
- 1 drop of Living Libations Love Wine, Feeling Good Today or Immune Illume HotBerry essential oil
METHOD
Place milk in a saucepan and heat until hot but not boiling (this is critical as you don’t want to heat the honey – in Ayurveda heated honey becomes toxic in the body).
Place all other ingredients in a blender.
Pour the warm milk in and blend on high. You can also use a milk frother/stick blender like this! Just put all the ingredients except the honey and milk into your mug, pour the warm milk in while blending, then stir in the honey.
Notes: Use any combination of the Supercharged extras that suits you. Ask your naturopath or health professional for recommendations!
*Vegan friends, you can substitute coconut oil or cacao butter and skip the collagelatin powder.
P.S. Full disclosure: if you use the Amazon links in this post and make a purchase I get a little coin for my piggy bank. It’s a win-win because there is no added cost to you and it helps to support my work. 🙂
