If you know me, you know how much I love coffee. I am also a super deep herb nerd and nutrition fan who's into using herbs and extracts to fulfill full-body wellness and maintain a youthful glow. So, I'm sharing with you one of my fave warm-drink recipes to keep you energized, quenched, beautiful, and well through the fall and winter. I call it my Adaptogenic Beauty Tonic.

Cordyceps and ashwagandha are herbs that basically increase energy and help you cope with daily stressors, keeping your adrenals in check. You know you're gonna need them as family events come ever closer. Also, for beauty boosts, I put in flaxseed milk, Sun Potion's vitamin E-rich Tocos, and some collagen. Check out the recipe below, it can be served warm or cold - it's up to you. If you want a cool beverage, you can make the flaxseed milk mixture ahead of time, freeze them into cubes, and put them in the cold brew that I tell you how to make below.

 

Ingredients:

8 oz unsweetened flaxseed milk

1 tsp Sun Potion Cordyceps

1 tsp Sun Potion Ashwagandha

1 tsp Sun Potion Tocos

1 scoop Vital Proteins Collagen peptides (equals to 10g of collagen)

Cold brew (1 lb La Colombe coffee beans, 1 gallon distilled water)

Local raw honey

 

Steps:

Make the cold brew overnight:

• Coarsely grind 1 lb of coffee beans into 1 gallon of distilled water.

• Leave overnight in the fridge. Make sure that the cold-water extraction happens for at least 12 hours.

Make the herbal beauty and energy tonic:

• In a sauce pan on medium-low heat, pour the flaxseed milk and gently heat.

• When the milk starts steaming, add the cordyceps, ashwagandha, Tocos, and collagen peptides. Stir until fully dissolved. (If you want to make it cold, stop here. Freeze the milk tonic in silicone ice cube trays and leave over night. Then, serve with your home-brewed cold brew.)

• Add in 8 ounces of cold brew that you made the night before into the sauce pan and gently heat the liquid mixture. By now, things are smelling super good.

• Serve into 2 mugs (or 1 large personal mug). Add honey as needed for sweetness.

 

There ya' go. It's all the energy you'll need to get you through your day. And if you drink this tonic everyday for at least 28 days, you'll see a difference in your skin. Have fun making it y'all! Comment below if you end up making this one.

Xoxo, Dr. B.

 

 

 

Sources:

Asha'ari, Zamzil Amin, et al. “Ingestion of Honey Improves the Symptoms of Allergic Rhinitis: Evidence from a Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia.” Annals of Saudi Medicine, vol. 33, no. 5, 2013, pp. 469–475., doi:10.5144/0256-4947.2013.469.

Asserin, Jerome, et al. “The Effect of Oral Collagen Peptide Supplementation on Skin Moisture and the Dermal Collagen Network: Evidence from Anex Vivomodel and Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trials.” Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, vol. 14, no. 4, Dec. 2015, pp. 291–301., doi:10.1111/jocd.12174.

Chen, Chung-Yu, et al. “Rhodiola Crenulata-AndCordyceps Sinensis-Based Supplement Boosts Aerobic Exercise Performance after Short-Term High Altitude Training.” High Altitude Medicine & Biology, vol. 15, no. 3, 2014, pp. 371–379., doi:10.1089/ham.2013.1114.

Goyal, Ankit, et al. “Flax and Flaxseed Oil: an Ancient Medicine & Modern Functional Food.” Journal of Food Science and Technology, vol. 51, no. 9, Oct. 2014, pp. 1633–1653., doi:10.1007/s13197-013-1247-9.

Fernandez-Garci­a, Elisabet. “Skin Protection against UV Light by Dietary Antioxidants.” Food & Function, vol. 5, no. 9, 2014, p. 1994., doi:10.1039/c4fo00280f.

Singh, N, et al. “An Overview on Ashwagandha: A Rasayana (Rejuvenator) of Ayurveda.” African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines, vol. 8, no. 5S, 2011, doi:10.4314/ajtcam.v8i5s.9.

 

DISCLAIMER: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. There are no financial ties to any supplement companies, pharmaceutical companies, or to any of the products mentioned in this post. This post is not meant to treat, cure, prevent, or diagnose conditions or diseases and is meant for educational purposes. As always, please consult your doctor before trying any new treatments or supplements.