ADAPTOGENIC CACAO ROSE SHAKE

While I often want my mornings to be slow, I usually wake up with energy. When I first rise out of bed, I make my way to the living room and do some simple stretching while taking in a few deep belly breaths. For many years I thought I needed to immediately start my day with a meditation practice, but over time I learned to honor my body and what it needs -  nourishment first in the morning. I am a student of Nutritional Therapy and learning the benefits of supporting the liver by eating within one hour of waking. Our livers do a lot of heavy lifting while we sleep, working hard to basically run our bodies in a process called glycogenolysis.

Many people are conditioned to believe the liver is just a detox organ, but truly it does so much more by supporting our bodies while we sleep and are fasting. Eating within the first sixty minutes of waking helps replenish the energy used by the body during the night by providing it with new fuel.

One thing I do before I eat is head to the kitchen and take my morning supplements that require an empty stomach. I’ll drink a big glass of spring water and start the kettle to make an herbal drink that is meant to mimic coffee. While I absolutely love coffee, coffee doesn't love me! Thankfully, cacao I can have, and so I look forward to this shake when I wake up.

I sip on my herbal coffee beverage while pulling the ingredients for the shake together. Frozen cauliflower and ice from the freezer, almond milk from the fridge, and coconut butter, dates, and vanilla powder from the pantry. Lastly, I grab my favorite adaptogenic herbs and elixirs from Sun Potion, which I store on the counter so they are in plain sight for ease of use and because they simply bring me joy looking at them.

I join all of the ingredients in the blender, adjusting the nut milk and adding ice as needed. I like a thick shake, and the frozen cauliflower is an excellent way to bulk up a shake without using banana or coconut. I like that it has a more neutral flavor. Sun Potion Anandamide is the foundation of this shake and I feel energized while also feeling a sense of calmness and contentment when drinking it. This is just one of the many benefits of cacao.

Anandamide is described as a bliss molecule said to produce feelings of euphoria and other mood enhancing effects. Sun Potion Anandamide has a mega health supportive blend of ingredients that I find to be a staple of my breakfast ritual.

I include Sun Potion’s Shatavari Transcendent Elixir for it’s high content of antioxidants and immune boosting properties. It is also said to be a powerful anti-inflammatory and regarded as a rejuvenation tonic, and according to Ayurveda, promotes health, longevity and youthfulness. The shake includes healthy fats from the coconut butter and protein from the collagen, plus carbohydrates from the dates ensuring a balance of macronutrients are included, which is another foundation of my studying of Nutritional Therapy.

Lastly, I top the shake with some rose petals adding just a little extra beauty, and chimayo pepper to give the shake a little kick. I love the flavor of cacao, rose and chili, and am grateful to begin the day with this active adaptogenic blend and elixir. Now I feel ready to meditate, work, go for long walks, and cook more health-supportive nourishing meals.

Adaptogenic Cacao Rose Shake

Sources

https://biologydictionary.net/gluconeogenesis/

https://www.greengoddesswellness.com/blogs/wellness/how-raw-cacao-helps-with-anxiety-mood