Cacao Ginger Immunity Elixir Recipe

A warming, grounding elixir is my favorite way to start the day. As a sufferer of chronic migraines, I cannot consume caffeine, so I substitute a cup of plant-based goodness for my morning ritual. It certainly doesn’t hurt that it has a whole host of health benefits to boot!

The beautiful thing with making elixirs is that they can be as dynamic as your mornings. Based on what you feel your body needs, what you have at hand, and what you are craving, feel free to experiment!

In today’s recipe, I included some of my go-to elixir ingredients:

Raw cacao— packed with polyphenols (great for reducing inflammation and brain function), theobromine (makes you feel happy), antioxidants, magnesium, and more, raw cacao is one of my favorite ingredients. It’s delicious and serves so many health needs! Be sure to buy raw cacao (not cocoa), and look for organic and fair trade where possible.

Reishi and chaga— these functional mushrooms don’t quite taste like the ones you cook with, but have transformative immunity boosting abilities (along with a laundry list of other benefits!).

Ashwagandha— the first herb I fell in love with! Ashwagandha is a mainstay in Ayurveda, and as an adaptogen, has the ability to help your body regulate your stress response. It also has anti-inflammatory and immunity boosting benefits, amongst many others.

Ginger— as medicinal as it is delicious! Ginger is anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant that disables free radicals in your body. It is also anti-bacterial and anti-viral so it will help you kick any oncoming illness to the curb.

You can sweeten your elixirs as desired— I often opt for unsweetened, but when I go for sweetener, I use either silan, a date syrup (use a whole date for Whole30), raw honey, or maple syrup, all of which have their own health boosting benefits.

When I travel, I often mix all my powders in one Stasher bag, or bring my herbal coffee in a stasher bag, so that I can just scoop and mix with hot water.

If adaptogens seems overwhelming, just pick one to start with! Consistency is key, so starting with one herb you can put in your morning coffee or elixir can go a long way. Feel free to try powder or tincture form— whatever feels easiest to you! Or consider an herbal blend, such as Adaptogenic from Anima Mundi, or my go-to herbal coffee, Rasa, both of which feature a spectrum of health supporting herbs that you can easily use in your daily routine without having tons of different bottles and powders to keep track of.

With all that said, here’s my recipe. Feel free to make it your own and show it off— I want to see what you are making!

Cacao Ginger Adaptogen Elixir

• 1/2 can coconut milk (or nut milk of choice)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp raw cacao powder
• 1 tsp MCT oil or coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp ashwaganda powder (or one dropperful of tincture)
• 1/2 tsp chaga powder (or one dropperful of tincture)
• 1/2 tsp reishi powder (or one dropperful of tincture)
• 1/2 tsp ginger powder, or small knob fresh ginger, peeled
• 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract (or pinch of vanilla bean powder)
• Dash of pink salt
• Sweetener to taste (optional) — honey, maple syrup, silan date syrup (for Whole30, use a whole date)

Heat coconut milk and water in a small pan. Add to blender with rest of ingredients, blend, and enjoy!

This post was written by Sara Weinreb. She is the host of the Medium Well podcast, founder of The M List, contributor at Forbes, and shares it all on IG @saraweinreb.