3 Delicious Herbal Holiday Drink Recipes To Keep Your Spirits Bright 

Ashwagandha is an amazing adaptogenic herb that calms and strengthens the nervous system to keep us balanced and grounded. In Ayurveda, it’s traditionally infused into milk to cool down internal heat (known as pitta) and to enhance its nourishing effects. 

Ashwagandha’s Medicinal Health Benefits: 

• Reduces the impacts of stress on the body 
• Reduces anxiety
• Supports healthy immune response
• Strengthens an exhausted nervous system that can manifest with ‘hyper’ signs such as emotional instability, agitation or insomnia 
• Brings down inflammation in muscles & strengthens muscles tone to promote quicker recovery (great for training at the gym or athletes)
• Supports thyroid health 
• Contains Iron, so can help anemia (along with other supplementation)
• Supports male infertility- Its rejuvenating effect helps to increase sperm motility and sperm count
• Supports the female reproductive system by tonifying the uterus and reducing the effects of stress (which can throw hormones out of balance). 
• Safe and beneficial for children and the elderly 

"Zen in a Mug" Ashwagandha Chai Recipe

Ingredients:

3 chai tea bags 

1 cup boiling water

1 can coconut milk (15oz) (or 500ml any kind of milk you fancy- almond, cashew, oat, organic cow’s milk- I personally LOVE coconut milk because it’s so smooth and creamy) 

½ tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp maple syrup (or sweeten to taste)

2 tsp ashwagandha powder 

Directions: 

1. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over the 3 chai tea bags. Let it steep 3- 5 minutes with a lid on to keep those fragrant essential oils in. We’re making a “chai concentrate” here.
2. Heat milk on stovetop until it starts to lightly steam and whisk in ashwagandha powder so it dissolves into the milk. 
3. Add maple syrup and vanilla into the milk and stir all together. 
4. Option 1- Pour chai tea into 2 mugs equally, then pour milk mixture on top of the chai to top up the mugs! Option 2- You can also pour the chai and milk mixtures into a blender and give a good whip before pouring into the mugs. 
5. Wrap your hands around the warm mug and curl up on the couch to enjoy! 

Note: Chai has caffeine in it. If you want a caffeine-free version, you can use rooibos tea with a dash of cinnamon, powdered ginger, clove and nutmeg to give it a little chai kick) Serving size: 2 mugs full 

Magical Mocha with Medicinal Mushrooms

Say that 5 times fast! One of my favorite drinks to make as a delicious treat, it comes highly recommended by yours truly P.S. I’ll assure you from the get-go, this recipe does NOT contain magic mushrooms! 

For my coffee lovers out there (my hand is raised high here!!), this drink is a delicious spin that turns a regular cup of coffee into a heavenly, magical experience.

The medicinal mushrooms actually calm the jittery feelings of the caffeine in the coffee to mellow out the experience and add some stress-busting benefits. 

Medicinal mushrooms are power-house allies when it comes to keeping our immune systems strong- something we all need on a daily basis!

All of these mushrooms together create a beautiful synergy, but one of my favorite mushrooms is Reishi and here’s why...

Reishi’s Medicinal Health Benefits: 

• Strong immunomodulator to ward off pathogens & keep us healthy
• Protects the liver
• Protects cells from oxidative damage cause by free radical stress
• Calms anxiety, mood disturbances and insomnia 
• Adaptogenic to modulate and reduce the impacts of stress on the body 
• Reduces cholesterol and high blood pressure
• Acts on the parasympathetic nervous system to restore the “rest &  digest” state, so can be useful for nervous exhaustion, burnout or adrenal fatigue
• Reduces jittery effects of caffeine 

Magical Mocha With Medicinal Mushrooms Recipe

Ingredients: 

1 cup fresh-brewed coffee (can be decaf if you need to keep it mellow) 

½ cup milk (any kind of milk you fancy- almond, cashew, oat, coconut, organic cow’s milk) 

¼ tsp vanilla 

2 tsp maple syrup, honey or sugar

2 tsp cocoa powder 

1 tsp medicinal mushroom blend (I get my “5 Mushroom concentrated mushroom powder”  from Harmonic Arts and it has Reishi, Chaga, Turkey Tail, Lion’s Mane and Cordyceps. It actually tastes REALLY good in this drink, promise!) 

Directions: 

1. Make your cup of coffee. Mix it into a pot with the remaining ingredients. As it heats up, gently whisk until powders are dissolved. 
2. You can pop it in a blender to give it a little froth, or just pour directly into your mug! 
3. Make sure no one else is around or they’ll want some too! Better yet, double the recipe to share and enjoy with a loved one ;) Servings: One big mug

Golden Sunshine Turmeric Latte

If you’re looking for a little happiness pick-me-up, this one's for you, my friend. The bright, vibrant color of turmeric makes this drink feel like you’re drinking liquid sunshine. Perfect for a cold winter day to warm up them bones. And it sort of tastes like eggnog, which is right on cue for this time of year :) 

Turmeric’s Medicinal Health Benefits:

• Anti-inflammatory to support sore muscles and joints
• Promotes healthy digestion 
• Decreases harmful cholesterol 
• Promotes heart health 
• Protects the liver

Plus, in this recipe we have cinnamon which balances blood sugar and ginger to promote circulation, warm up the body and support digestion!

Golden Sunshine Turmeric Latte Recipe

Ingredients: 

1 can organic full-fat coconut milk (15oz) (you can sub this out for any other milk, but keep in mind the coconut milk makes this recipe creamy and dreamy!)

1 cup water or milk of choice (any kind of milk you fancy- almond, cashew, oat, organic cow’s milk) 

½ tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp powdered ginger

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Pinch ground cardamom 

Pinch ground clove

Pinch pepper (to enhance absorption of turmeric!)

2 tsp turmeric powder

2 tbsp honey (or sweeten to taste)

Directions: 

1. Mix all ingredients (except honey) into a pot on the stove. As it heats up, gently whisk. Bring to a gentle boil and immediately turn down to medium-low heat. Simmer on low for 5 minutes. 
2. Add honey just before serving and dissolve into the mixture. 
3. You can pop it in a blender to give it a little froth, or just pour directly into your mug! 
4. Cozy up with your cat or dog (make sure you’re in sweatpants!) and soak in that sweet sunshine in a mug! Servings: Makes 2 lattes

Now, what are you waiting for? Get these gems a brewin’! 

Wishing you and your family a joyful, restful and bright holiday season, 

Bree xo