All posts filed under: Beverages

Holistic Hot Chocolate

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This is my go-to. I have made this hundreds of times, especially during my grief journey. It is calming, composing, warming and like a kiss on the forehead after a hard day. It’s truely lovely. Chocolatey, rich, slightly spicy, stimulating and nurturing, you won’t reach for a different hot chocolate ever again. This contains cacao, turmeric, cayenne, cinnamon, a small kiss of cardamom, black pepper, warming fresh ginger, a teeny bit of salt and a pinch of nutmeg.  It will really reduce that tension headache, lift you out of your numbness and give you an inner hug. Let me tell you about how this is fantastic for you – The active compound in turmeric, curcumin, has a huge range of medicinal benefits including being an anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-oxidant. As well as this, curcumin is being looked into for alleviating the symptoms of mood disorders. Scientists say that curcumin may provide benefits for mental health disorders by regulating dopamine and serotonin production in the brain (for those of you who don’t know, those are …

Fig, Turmeric and Banana Smoothie

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Turmeric?! In a smoothie?! I hear your doubtful cries, but I shall sit here smugly smirking and enjoying the deliciously creamy banana and fig combination and the multitude of anti-anxiety and depression benefits that turmeric has to offer. I literally sound as if I’m on a TV Channel selling watches. Oh well. As you may have read in my recent Butternut Stew Recipe, I’ve been experimenting with Ayurvedic spicing and it’s benefits for mental health. Ayurveda is a 5000 year old holistic system of natural healing originating from India. It stems from two words: ‘Aya‘ meaning ‘Life’ and ‘Veda‘ meaning ‘Study’ or ‘Knowledge of’.  The knowledge of life! It reminds us that health is a vital balance and integration of mind, body, spirit and environment (which is right up my street!). Turmeric is fast becoming recognized for it’s uses in treating depressive disorders. The active compound in turmeric, curcumin, has a huge range of medicinal benefits including being an anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-oxidant. As well as this, curcumin is being looked into for alleviating the …

Iced Anti Caffeine-Comedown

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You know that tension headache you get 2 hours after a particularly strong coffee…? That weakness of the arms and legs, slight nausea and irritability after drinking caffeinated drinks all day? Knotted stomach, increased heart rate and anxiety? That, my friend, is a caffeine comedown. And it sucks. I have to be careful about my caffeine intake as I know it sets my anxiety off badly. When I worked in Lush during Christmas, when the shop would get so overcrowded and loud, the cup of coffee in the morning was the difference in having an anxiety attack at work or not having an anxiety attack at work. If my heart rate was already increased and my brain whizzing away, I wasn’t doing myself any favours. If you suffer from anxiety, I would recommend limiting your caffeine intake to up to 2 cups of tea or coffee a day. Any more than 100-150mg could put you on edge and increase your anxiety. More affects of caffeine overdose include insomnia, muscle tremors, heart palpitations, restlessness and headaches. Whilst …

Carob and Coffee Hangover Cure

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Say hello to your new favorite grogginess-banisher. This is a bit of a spin-off of my Kick-Up-The-Arse Coffee. I say that because this kicks you right back into the realms of feeling human once again. The coffee gives you the much needed zing, the banana and stone fruit clears the head of brain fog, the ice cubes wake you up and the carob, cinnamon and nutmeg provide a sweet, nutty and decadent kiss. Carob is used as a chocolate substitute for people who are allergic to chocolate and dairy. I love it not only for it’s taste, but it’s gallic acid – beneficial as an antioxidant, antiviral and antibacterial. It’s good for your insides. If you research the benefits of coffee, you’ll find that it’s becoming increasingly popular due to it’s numerous proven benefits. It pairs perfectly with the carob, nutmeg and cinnamon in this smoothie and gives it a smooth, nutty, caramel-y flavor. The caffeine increases your energy, cognitive function, reaction times and gives you a sense of euphoria. I mentioned in a previous post how I …

Kick-up-the-Arse Coffee

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This coffee gives you exactly what it says it will do:  a kick up the arse. A good one, to get it in gear – not a mean one. And it’s not just your average caffeinated arse-kick either, nope. This is an alcoholic, spiced caffeinated arse-kick. We’re looking at a double shot of coffee, a teaspoonful of nutmeg, half a teaspoon of cinnamon and a single shot of rum. A lot of the time, when you’re under, everything requires that extra bit of gentle-ness. I  try to live by this. I respond so much better to people when they speak slowly and calmly, and I find they respond to me better when I am calm, gentle and loving. However, sometimes, you really do need someone to tell you to blooming well get on with it. Some of the most beneficial things people have said to me were comments that booted me out of my cloud that initially made me feel almost resentful, but in hindsight, I feel nothing but gratitude. This coffee is here to do …