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Mushroom Superfood Iced Chocolate

Nobody will know there’s mushrooms or superfoods in this mushroom superfood iced chocolate… it’s that good!

mushroom superfood iced chocolate

I defy anyone who drinks this deliciously creamy iced chocolate to be able to identify anything mushroom-like in here. I say that, not because mushrooms taste bad, but because in my experience, it’s sometimes hard to get people to excitedly chow down on something they are not familiar with — especially if it’s really good for them. And I don’t know too many people who would get excited if they thought they were about to drink mushroom superfood iced chocolate.

Now that the weather is warming up, it’s time to stock your fridge with some great cold foods and drinks. All summer long, I love to keep a huge pitcher of fresh gazpacho on the top shelf of my fridge. I also usually have a pitcher of herb infused water in there. And, now I also will make sure I have a few jars of some kind of superfood chocolatey drink ready to go.

Just as an aside, if you were to look in my fridge right now, you’d see tons of oranges (from a recipe experiment that I really miscalculated, tons of fresh herbs, and tons of cauliflower. As I’m typing this post, I’m already trying to figure out what to make with these ingredients… and I’m seeing some type of a creamsicle kind of creamy drink to sit aside my other pitchers and jars… hopefully this will be successful and I’ll post about it soon… wish me luck.

Let me tell you up-front, that everyone I gave a glass of this mushroom superfood iced chocolate to, loved it. And came back for seconds. It’s so chocolatey and so creamy, and so perfectly sweetened and decadent tasting… it’s really amazing!

Can you tell that I’m a bit proud of this recipe?

I got the inspiration for this recipe from Solla Eiriksdottir, an amazing Icelandic vegetarian chef. I was so inspired by her use of mushrooms in a drink like this that I just had to come up with one too.

When you make this recipe, make a lot of it and store it in mason jars in your fridge. Whenever you want a great afternoon pick-me-up, just pour some over ice, sit in a comfy chair, close your eyes, and just sit in appreciation of the healing powers and deliciousness of what you have created.

For another cold chocolate treat, try my recipe for Chocolate Banana Dairy-Free Fudgesicles.

mushroom superfood iced chocolate

mushroom superfood iced chocolate

Raw cacao is a superfood. It is packed with magnesium, iron, zinc and other minerals. Not only is it packed with health benefits, but it actually has properties that help the body absorb nutrients better and it’s filled with antioxidants. Cacao can actually be translated as “food of the gods”… Raw cacao can help lower blood pressure, promote healthy heart function, improve digestion, and may even help increase the libido.

In Eastern medicine, we use coconut to strengthen the body, reduce swelling, and stop bleeding. Coconut kills viruses, bacteria, and parasites. It’s good for all types of infections and viruses in the body, including the flu, bronchitis, tapeworms, urinary tract infections, and herpes. And perhaps most importantly, it helps you keep your mind sharp and it makes it easier for you to focus. This recipe used both coconut cream and coconut sugar.

In Asian medicinenuts are known to be good for your brain, heart, skin and reproductive system. Almonds are particularly nutritious. They are a good source of protein and they give you energy. And, they are gluten-free. Almonds will help relieve a cough and asthma and are also good for constipation. Even if you are not on a dairy-free diet, almond milk is the way to go. This recipe uses almond milk.

Chaga mushrooms are a longevity superfood. I use a chaga mushroom extract powder that makes it easy to add this immune-system-boosting mushroom my drinks and recipes. There’s a lot of research being done on the power of chaga right now and it’s possible ability to help fight cancer. It’s also good for your intestinal system and it can help calm your nerves. (See the recipe below for where to buy this amazing ingredient.)

Lucuma powder is made from a South American tropical fruit. It’s sweet and contains a good amount of calcium, magnesium and potassium. It also has a great anti-inflammatory effect and can improve the condition of your skin. If you don’t have access to lucuma, you can use additional coconut sugar or add any sweetener that makes you happy.

mushroom superfood iced chocolate

Mushroom Superfood Iced Chocolate
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Recipe type: beverage, iced beverage, drink
Cuisine: superfoods, vegan, vegetarian, paleo
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
This is the most incredible tasting iced chocolate drink... it will heal you, but all you taste is creamy, decadent, perfectly sweetened chocolate!
Ingredients
  • 1 packet chaga mushroom elixir
  • ½ cup unsweetened, plain almond milk
  • 2 Tbs raw cacao powder
  • 1 Tbs coconut cream
  • 2 tsp lucuma powder
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 Tbs coconut sugar
Instructions
  1. Pour one packet of the chaga elixir powder into 12 oz of hot water and stir to dissolve.
  2. Put that hot liquid in a blender with the rest of the ingredients and whiz it up until creamy.
  3. Pour over ice.
  4. Sip and enjoy!

 mushroom superfood iced chocolate

Bulletproof Coffee Sweetened With Dates

Bulletproof coffee sweetened with dates may be just the thing you need to start your day…

bulletproof coffee sweetened with dates

Full disclosure: I am not a coffee drinker. Well, I am not a caffeinated coffee drinker. When I was in college (a lifetime ago), I remember drinking 6 cups of coffee a day. But since I discovered that caffeine is something I don’t tolerate well (or, really, at all…), I stopped cold turkey. But I’ve always loved the taste and the smell of coffee so when I want a treat, I’ll grab a good cup of decaf.

A few years ago, when I first learned about Bulletproof Coffee from the amazingly knowledgeable Dave Asprey, all I wanted to do was try it. I started making it for Steve and for others who could actually tolerate caffeine and I found people were really reaping some great benefits.

I kept hearing about increases in energy, appetite suppression, amazing focus and clarity, and I was so envious!

So, I went on a mission to figure out if I would be able to gain some of those benefits if I made my bulletproof coffee with decaf. And, I recently found out that I can! Yay! I’ve been using Dave’s Brain Octane (see recipe below for where you can buy it) and grass-fed butter and organic decaf coffee beans. And, oh my… it’s really just awesome. It keeps me energized, focused, and feeling great until I’m ready to have a healthy lunch many hours later.

In my version of this coffee, I’ve added a few dates to the blender and let me just say, the flavor is amazing!

You probably already know that I am a smoothie fiend on most mornings, but variety is the spice of life…

I recommend jumping on the bulletproof coffee bandwagon!

For those days when you want a kickstart to your day without the coffee, try my recipe for Matcha Chia Pudding.

bulletproof coffee sweetened with dates

Here are a few great healing facts about this bulletproof coffee sweetened with dates recipe:

Coffee is a diuretic and is good for constipation. It’s also good for memory and focus.

Coconut oil is awesome. In Asian medicine, we use coconut to strengthen the body, reduce swelling, and stop bleeding. Coconut kills viruses, bacteria, and parasites. It’s good for all types of infections and viruses in the body, including the flu, bronchitis, tapeworms, urinary tract infections, and herpes. And perhaps most importantly, it helps you keep your mind sharp and it makes it easier for you to focus. Dave Asprey’s Brain Octane is pure, concentrated form of coconut oil. I have used regular organic coconut oil and I’ve used Brain Octane. I like both, but I’ve been giving Dave’s oil a try lately. According to Dave, Brain Octane helps your body burn fat more easily and is better for your brain. So, far, so good for me!

Grass-fed butter is good for you! Butter from grass-fed cows is higher in Omega-3s and vitamin K2, than butter from grain-fed cows. Grass-fed butter contains the fatty acid CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) — this has actually been shown to help with weight loss. I know many people are worried about cholesterol, but there is a lot of research now to show there is no link between cholesterol and heart disease. I’m a butter lover, in moderation, but I only eat grass-fed butter!

Dates are rich in potassium, dietary fiber and tannins. Fiber is good for your gut and tannins help the body fight inflammation and infection. Dates are also rich in vitamin A and iron. The most amazing thing about dates is that they can be used to replace sugar in almost anything. I stopped using sweetened protein powders in my smoothies and now I use unsweetened ones but I add a few dates.

bulletproof coffee sweetened with dates

Bulletproof Coffee (Sweetened With Dates)
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Recipe type: beverage, coffee
Cuisine: breakfast
Author:
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
I've officially jumped on the bulletproof coffee bandwagon! This is bulletproof coffee my way -- blended with dates. It's delicious and healing!
Ingredients
  • 2 cups freshly brewed coffee (regular or decaf)
  • 2-tsp to 2-Tbs (start small and increase) organic coconut oil or Brain Octane (here's where to get Brain Octane)
  • 2-tsp to 2-Tbs grass-fed butter or ghee (again, start small and increase)
  • 2 dates
Instructions
  1. Pour all ingredients into blender.
  2. Blend until frothy and smooth.
  3. Drink in the morning and enjoy!

bulletproof coffee sweetened with dates

Pineapple Turmeric Smoothie

There are so many healing ingredients in this pineapple turmeric smoothie… you can feel the energy as you drink it!

pineapple turmeric smoothie

It’s Memorial Day and it’s raining. To many people this would be an unhappy turn of events, but I have to say, for me… not so much. The last 3 days were gorgeous. They were filled with beach, BBQ and friends. So, a rainy gray day is not so bad because I get to do all of the things I would never do if it was nice outside.

Everyone has one of those to-do list to get through. For me, that list is overflowing with the not-so-fun tasks involved in packing up my house and moving to an apartment. Ugh… the packing. Ick… the cleaning… But, I get to procrastinate and instead of getting through these arduous tasks as quickly as I’d like, I end up in my kitchen. A lot. And this Pineapple Turmeric Smoothie is my ode-to-sunshine creation on this dreary day.

Yellow is a happy color. And, I guess even more importantly, I had a big container of pineapple in the fridge that was leftover from yesterday’s day at the beach. And the cherries that you see on top — well, those are from the beach too… I just love using the leftovers in the fridge in new and delicious ways! So, when you make this smoothie, feel free to top it with whatever’s in your fridge…

If you want to try another “happy” smoothie, try my Orange Banana Smoothie recipe.

pineapple turmeric smoothie

There are so many great ingredients in this smoothie:

Pineapple is great for your digestion and it can help stop diarrhea. It’s especially good in the summer because it fights against heatstroke.

Turmeric is actually a Chinese herb (Jiang Huang). It is great for reducing inflammation throughout the body. If you suffer from aches and pains in your joints, try turmeric. It can help relieve menstrual pain and some other abdominal pains but, if you are pregnant, ask your doctor before you eat too much turmeric.

Maca Root is one of the superfoods I take every day. It has many healthy benefits including increasing libido, helping menopausal symptoms, relieving menstrual cramps, regulating hormones, and increasing energy.

Camu Camu is a plant-based powder that has the ability to boost your immune system and balance your mood. It has a large amount of vitamin C, can reduce inflammation, and can help improve mental clarity.

Lucuma powder is made from a South American tropical fruit. It’s sweet and contains a good amount of calcium, magnesium and potassium. It also has a great anti-inflammatory effect and can improve the condition of your skin. If you don’t have access to lucuma, you can use coconut sugar or add any sweetener that makes you happy.

Black Pepper is a Chinese herb called Hu Jiao. It’s used to alleviate diarrhea, vomiting and some stomach pains. When you combine black pepper with turmeric, the turmeric is more easily absorbed by the body, so this is a great combination!

In Asian medicine, we use coconut to strengthen the body, reduce swelling, and stop bleeding. Coconut kills viruses, bacteria, and parasites. It’s good for all types of infections and viruses in the body, including the flu, bronchitis, tapeworms, urinary tract infections, and herpes.

pineapple turmeric smoothie

 

Pineapple Turmeric Smoothie
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Recipe type: Smoothies
Cuisine: fruit, breakfast, snack
Author:
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
This smoothie is delicious! It's both sweet and tart and it will heal what ails you!
Ingredients
  • 3 cups cubed fresh pineapple
  • 2 cups ice
  • 2 tsp maca root powder (optional) (I use this one)
  • 3 tsp lucuma powder (or substitute sweetener of your choice) (try this one)
  • 1 tsp camu camu powder (optional) (here's one)
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder (I like this one)
  • 10 grinds of black pepper
  • ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes (here's a good one)
  • ⅓ cup shelled pistachio nuts
  • ¼ cup almond milk
  • fresh cherries for garnish
Instructions
  1. Put all ingredients, except the cherries, into your blender.
  2. Whiz it up until it's really smooth.
  3. Pour into glasses.
  4. Sip away!

pineapple turmeric smoothie

Healing Grapefruit Margarita

Yup, this healing grapefruit margarita has ingredients to help with your hangover… but, hey, it’s still an awesome cocktail!

Healing Grapefruit Margarita

This is a first for me. This is the first time I have ever posted a cocktail recipe!

My goal with this cocktail creation was to come up with a drink recipe that would actually help “heal” a hangover. A little “hair-of-the-dog” with healing powers.

I absolutely love to go out to a bar or restaurant with a great cocktail menu. I love all of those retro drinks that are showing up now. And the descriptions of them always blow me away… they suck me right in and make me want to order many more than I need.

My problem has always been that alcohol gives me bad headaches.

I started to think about how to fix this issue. I mean, I help people with elimination diets all of the time. By eliminating certain foods for a month or so I can figure out what’s causing problems. Hmmmm….. if this works with food, why not with alcohol….

So, I’ve been experimenting with myself. I now know that wine (both red and white) are the worst offenders for me. I also learned that if I eat bread or sugar with my meal, that the effects of alcohol on my headaches are magnified. Also, I’m starting to think that clear alcohol is better for me (if there is such a thing as an alcohol that’s better…). This is too bad, because I love a good Manhattan! But, all is not lost, because I do love tequila.

And, yay for me… tequila seems to work just fine for me… in moderation.

By the way, if you love grapefruit as much as I do, buy an extra one and make these quick easy grapefruit wedges to munch on!

So, I created this cocktail with ingredients that will both reduce the effects of a hangover the night before, and “heal” your sorry state in the morning at brunch. Welcome to my Healing Grapefruit Margarita.  If you are looking for more ways to help your hangover, look at this blog post.

Healing Grapefruit MargaritaHealing Grapefruit Margarita

Here’s why this is good for your hangover:

Grapefruit helps detoxify the body — which is exactly what you need to do to get the excess alcohol out of your system. It is high in vitamin C and lycopene. Vitamin C will help keep away a cold and lycopene is one of the things that helps keep your body from producing tumors. Eating grapefruit really does cool your body off, so if you are feeling overheated, grab this fruit. It’s also good for the digestion, can lower cholesterol, and helps boost your immune system.

Strawberries help get rid of excess alcohol in your body and they are good for your heart and they even help reduce plaque in your mouth. They will make you feel better if you have an annoying dry cough or if you feel bloated from eating too much. So, if you’ve overindulged, strawberries are great for you.

Limes help to regenerate fluids, so they are great to combat any dehydration symptoms that sometimes can accompany alcohol consumption. They also contain a lot of vitamin C and they can actually help energize you.

In Asian medicine, we use coconut to strengthen the body, reduce swelling, and stop bleeding. Coconut kills viruses, bacteria, and parasites. It’s good for all types of infections and viruses in the body, including the flu, bronchitis, tapeworms, urinary tract infections, and herpes. This margarita has some coconut water to help with hydration and to give you all of the amazing benefits of coconut.

Healing Grapefruit Margarita

 

Healing Grapefruit Margarita (Or... A Little Hangover Help)
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Recipe type: beverages, cocktails
Author:
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 1
I know that a healing cocktail sounds like an oxymoron... but really, this cocktail will help prevent a hangover and will help your hangover the next day... Oh, and it is delicious!
Ingredients
  • 1 or 2 oz tequila (depends how much hair-of-the-dog you are looking for)
  • ½ a pink grapefruit, peeled and cut up
  • 3 strawberries (fresh or frozen)
  • juice of one lime
  • 2 Tbs coconut water (here's an organic one you can buy)
  • lime wedges for garnish
Instructions
  1. Put the grapefruit, strawberries, lime juice and coconut water in a blender. Whiz it up until combined well.
  2. Pour into a glass.
  3. Add ice cubes and tequila.
  4. Stir.
  5. Garnish with extra lime.

 

Healing Grapefruit Margarita

Persimmon Pomegranate Smoothies

When persimmon season hits you have to try these persimmon pomegranate smoothies — so sweet and so healthy!

Persimmon Smoothie-9957

Here it is the day after Thanksgiving. When I walked into my kitchen this morning and looked around, I saw all of the food that remained staring at me. I’m not talking about leftovers (although there are plenty of those…); I’m talking about the fresh ingredients that I bought with grandiose ideas of preparing so many more dishes than we needed. Or that I had time to make. Or that I was in the mood to make after a few glasses of wine…

So,  this morning, on my kitchen island calling out to me were the most beautiful, huge persimmons you have ever seen. Persimmons are amazing. They are in season now and here in New York they are everywhere. The farmers markets have them, the fruit vendors on the street are carrying them, and the supermarkets are well stocked. So, a few days before the big event I bought 4 huge persimmons. I was going to make a salad with arugula, kale, persimmons, cranberries, nuts, and cheese. Well, that never happened. So… what to do with these deliciously sweet and juicy persimmons????  Breakfast smoothies!!!

If you’ve never had a persimmon, this is the time to try them. I was a first-timer up until a few weeks ago and now I’m kind of obsessed with them. I can’t figure out what fruit they are similar to, but they are great. They are really, really sweet and smooth and beautifully orange. They actually kind of taste like they look.

Persimmons being sliced-9873

These persimmon pomegranate smoothies are as good for you as they are beautiful:

Persimmons are great for some coughs and sore throats. They can also relieve diarrhea, quench thirst, and lessen the effects of a hangover. The tops/stems of persimmons are a Chinese herb (Shi Di). This herb is used to stop hiccoughs and can be mixed with other herbs to stop vomiting.

Pomegranate seeds nourish the blood. In Chinese medicine, we know that many illnesses and conditions are caused by the body making poor quality blood. Pomegranate seeds are great at helping the body make good quality blood. They are also good to combat diarrhea, anemia and incontinence.

Bananas (I like to use frozen ones that I keep in the freezer all year round) make this smoothie particularly creamy and give it a great ice-cream-like texture. Bananas are good for your intestines (an old Asian remedy was to eat a banana every day to relieve hemorrhoids) and your lungs, and they even help relieve the effects of overindulging in alcohol.

Goji berries are a chinese herb (Gou Qi Zi). They are great for your blood. I prescribe them to some people with chronic pain in the legs and lower back. They are also good for men experiencing impotence and can be used to treat some eye problems. Women who are pregnant and people with intestinal issues should be careful not to eat too many gojis, but the amount in this smoothie should be fine for anyone.

Maca Root is one of the superfoods I take every day. It has many healthy benefits including increasing libido, helping menopausal symptoms, relieving menstrual cramps, regulating hormones, and increasing energy.

Bee pollen is considered one of the most nutritious substances you can put in your body. It is higher in protein than anything animal-based and it contains an amazing amount of amino acids. It’s good for your energy, your skin, your breathing and your allergies. Add a spoonful to whatever you can.

Persimmon Smoothie (top)-9961

Persimmon Pomegranate Goji Berry Smoothies
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Recipe type: Smoothie
Author:
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 2 servings
The bright orange taste and flavor of this smoothie is from persimmons, pomegranate seeds, goji berries, clementines, and bananas. It will brighten your day and keep you healthy!
Ingredients
  • 1 frozen banana
  • 2 large Hachiya persimmons
  • 2 Clementines
  • 2 Tbs goji berries
  • 2 Tbs pomegranate seeds
  • 1 Tbs bee pollen
  • 2 tsp maca root powder (here's a good one)
  • ⅔ cup coconut water (I like this kind)
  • 6 ice cubes
Instructions
  1. Put all ingredients in blender (my Vitamix made quick work of this) and blend until perfectly smooth. Enjoy!