Hello, hello my loves!
You have probably noticed that I have been all about the elixir life lately… you know, yummy drinks loaded with adaptogens, medicinal shrooms, herbs, matcha, stevia, you name it.
Why is this, you ask?
Because I have recently gone off of COFFEE & also have become obsessed with herbs to naturally heal my skin + fibroid issues. I wrote a bit about why I went off of coffee in this post if you’re interested (or if you have an inkling trying out the caffeine-free life may be good for you too!) and… I have been feeling epic benefits.
I stopped drinking coffee while J & I were in Bali, because after very intense stomach problems and massive indigestion on that trip (think… sobbing in bed with a migraine and stomach pains while at the prettiest hotel on the planet) I made a vow to myself to cut out ALL foods & bevs that I know don’t work with my system.
I did an allergy panel with my functional medicine doc (what up, Dr. Lekkos!) a few months ago and it showed that I have allergies to: coffee, eggs, ALL types of grains (even gluten-free, even rice, quinoa, etc.), mushrooms (not the medicinal kind), cranberries, many fruits, dairy, and a few other random things — as well as SO FREAKIN MANY environmental allergies + plant allergies.
So on that fateful day in Bali as I sobbed my eyes out… I 100% vowed that I would cut the coffee, eggs, and gluten-free grains out (well, all of it really but those were the ones I ate + drank the most of) and let me tell you my loves… I have STUCK to it!
What I was most worried about with cutting coffee out of my life was the ritual aspect. I love, love, love my morning beverage ritual… and for a few years, that bev of choice was coffee.
You guys know I love a good morning routine. I am all about the wake up slow, meditate, sip on a warm drink, flow through intuitive movement, digital detox kinda morning. It’s a staple in my wellness routine and truth be told, I was really terrified about what my morning routine would look like without coffee.
Not to mention, the CAFFEINE. Before even opening my eyes my body craved the caffeinated energy jolt from coffee, so beyond the allergy I wanted to prove to myself that I could live life without coffee & still be productive, on top of my work every day, creatively stimulated, etc.
And guess what?!
Now I have MORE energy. And the energy I have is sustained throughout the day, so I don’t have those horrible crashes around 3pm or 4pm like I used to. The energy is slow and steady… I have come to embrace the fact that the early morning is my time to DO ME… I really don’t feel like a normally functioning human until about 9:30/10:00am if I’m lucky. I still wake up around 7:30am, but I need all that time to myself before I can be “on.”
And I’m GOOD with that.
My job is flexible, so I know I am lucky in this department, but I definitely do best when I don’t start talking to people or diving into emails & calls until after alllll of that morning me time. I used to manipulate that by chugging coffee first thing in the A.M., but what I was really doing was manipulating my body’s natural rhythm and the way that I was born to be.
(Author & podcaster Gretchen Rubin has a ton of interesting info on the “type” of person you are in this book that I read recently… morning or night, etc. I am just a night person no matter how much I try to fight it! I am a mid to late morning person though, but my energy really flourishes later in the day as well.)
Without my caffeine crashes I feel so much more… relaxed. Sustained. Human, in many ways, actually.
And I actually don’t miss the ritual at all!!! Why, you ask? Because I have completely replaced my coffee addiction with an affinity for herbal & adaptogen filled morning elixirs.
I have also developed a massive affinity for DANDELION TEA, which you have definitely seen on my Instagram if you follow along there.
In this post I will be sharing a few of my fave morning elixir recipes, as well as my dandelion tea recipe! If you make them, tag me on Insta & hashtag #tbbmadmedoit so I can see!
P.S. I want to say that this post is not sponsored by any of these brands… I just love the sh*t out of them & use them every day & you need to know about them.
DANDELION TEA //
THE BENEFITS //
There are so many benefits of dandelion tea, BEYOND the fact that it legitimately tastes just like coffee in many ways. It might sound pretty unbelievable but I swear two tablespoons of dandelion root powder in hot water with coconut milk tastes BETTER than coffee to me with an extremely similar taste.
The health benefits range from liver detox, to muscle aches, to eczema (I’ll let you know how that one turns out…), to laxative/digestion help, and is even great for blood flow & circulation.
I fell in love with it mainly because of the taste, and then fell in LOVE with the detoxifying properties & the way it makes me feel. I have been more regular than I have in ages, even though I thought that going off of coffee would make me constipated for life because my system is so sensitive like that.
I truly drink this tea about 3-4 times a day and when I don’t, I get sad because that’s how much I love it. Ready for the recipe?! Let’s do it.
THE RECIPE //
( I make this in a huge mason jar by the way, that’s why there is so much liquid in there! )
8 oz. water (can be hot or cold, I like to drink all of my drinks cold because that’s my preference but if you like it hot… heat it up first!)
4-8 oz. coconut milk (depending on how milky you want it. You can also sub for any other nut milk)
2 tablespoons Dandy Blend (I’ve linked my favorite brand — it is a GAME CHANGER. You can play around with how strong you like the taste… I have a feeling some people will prefer 1 tablespoon but I like it strong!)
1 dropper full of Stevia (I love this English Toffee one by SweetLeaf)
1 packet Four Sigmatic Caffeine-Free Chaga (this is optional just to give it an extra medicinal mushroom kick, but def not needed. Use the code BLONDE at checkout for 15% off Four Sig products!)
A few shakes of Pumpkin Pie Spice (linked my fave)
BLEND thoroughly, & ENJOY!! Then add 1 handful ice, if you are having it iced!
CAN’T WAIT TO HEAR WHAT YOU GUYS THINK!
MEDICINAL SHROOM HERBAL ELIXIR //
( This is also JONATHAN’S DRINK, if you’ve seen me post about His & Hers morning elixirs on my Insta… he lives for this combo! Minus the herbs at the end! )
THE BENEFITS //
I have been drinking this bad boy whenever my brain needs an added pick-me-up. It’s generally a morning drink in my eyes, but the beauty of mushroom coffee is that it has such little caffeine (and you can also drink caffeine-free varieties) if you have it in the afternoon it won’t mess with you being able to wind down and fall asleep later on.
There are so many benefits of medicinal mushrooms… it’s almost completely nuts, actually. Mushrooms like Reishi, Chaga, Lion’s Mane, & Cordyceps all have game changing health properties that help with alertness, brain function, immunity, energy, and longevity to name a few.
What I love about the medicinal mushroom life is that you can pick & choose which adaptogens you like best in your body, and which help you out with your particular deficiencies the most.
( BTW, adaptogens are super-herbs that have been used in ancient cultures for centuries to bring the body back into homeostasis. Since all bodies are different, adaptogens will work differently in each person’s body. To use them, get to know them and how they work in your bod! )
SO I drink this one when I need that extra kick for immunity / brain function / all of it!
THE RECIPE //
4 oz. water (can be hot or cold, I like to drink all of my drinks cold because that’s my preference but if you like it hot… heat it up first!)
4-8 oz. coconut milk (depending on how milky you want it. You can also sub for any other nut milk)
1 packet Four Sigmatic Chaga (I like the un-caffeinated one)
1 packet Four Sigmatic Cordyceps
1 packet Four Sigmatic Lion’s Mane
1 dropper full of Stevia (I love this English Toffee one by SweetLeaf)
+ then I add these OPTIONAL ingredients: HerbPharm ashwagandha, HerbPharm rhodiola, & HerbPharm chickweed for all of my various skin issues, energy issues, & fibroid. You don’t need to go all out with these ingredients but if you’re looking to get into the HERB life, then you definitely should look into them!
BLEND thoroughly, & ENJOY!!
+ optional ice if you’re drinking it cold!
*and if you’re not into using packets, you can also order them in TINS on Four Sig‘s website!
MATCHA MAGICK //
THE BENEFITS //
Matcha has so many health benefits it’s almost insane. Once I realized how far the matcha benefits outweighed the benefits of coffee… I couldn’t believe how long I had been drinking coffee & ignoring the matcha life.
A few benefits of matcha are… it boosts metabolism and burns calories naturally, it’s packed with antioxidants including the powerful EGCg that you can’t find anywhere else, it detoxifies effectively and naturally, and it’s rich in fiber, chlorophyll and vitamins.
I also love the way it tastes and completely replaces the ritual of coffee for me, as well. 🙂 When I need that boost of caffeine, I go for matcha! It is a much more sustained source of caffeine so it doesn’t give me the jitters or get my heart rate way up the way that coffee does.
THE RECIPE //
4 oz. water (can be hot or cold, I like to drink all of my drinks cold because that’s my preference but if you like it hot… heat it up first!)
4-8 oz. coconut milk (depending on how milky you want it. You can also sub for any other nut milk)
1 scoop Vital Proteins Matcha Collagen (my favorite brand by far because not only am I getting the health benefits & taste of matcha, but also the gut-sealing + hair, skin & nails enhancing benefits of collagen!)
1 tablespoon melted coconut butter, cacao butter or ghee (this will make it “Bulletproof” & give you the fat burning benefits!)
BLEND thoroughly, & ENJOY!!
+ optional ice if you’re drinking it cold!
There we have it angels… all of my current go-to morning elixirs, herbal tonics, dandy tea, & matcha latte deliciousness! I hope you LOOOVEEEE it all.
Linking all of the shoppable links below so you can check them out yourself, including this Vital Proteins Matcha Collagen & Four Sigmatic shrooms which aren’t shoppable links so you can click on them above!
