Brain boosting beverage that’s better than coffee
Delicious brain boosting cacao
This coffee alternative is so much healthier for you. Why? Because coffee contains caffeine, in excess amounts caffeine can cause anxiety in the general population, or low doses in sensitive individuals.It’s acts like a drug stimulant that triggers the release of cortisol, your stress hormone that revs up the central nervous system. Also coffee beans are shown to contain mould microtoxins and if not organic, contain pesticides.
This delicious brain boosting cacao will tick all your boxes.
Cacao is a great coffee alternative because it contains theobromine which is similar in structure to caffeine, but differs by one extra methyl group which results in very different effects on your body. Caffeine crosses the blood brain barrier and acts directly on the central nervous system while theobromine does not do either.It can give you increased energy with less of the jittery side effects that coffee can give. It is also high in antioxidants.
Cacao Collective is ceremonial grade, organic and pre-shaven, making it super easy to use
True cinnamon- for blood glucose balance and improving insulin sensitivity
Lions Mane- shown to have anti-inflammatory effects and benefit cognition
Creatine - shown to improve cognition during times of stress and improved health outcomes related to traumatic brain injury and muscle weakness and loss.
Honey- anti-inflammatory properties
Serves 1
Ingredients
1-1.5 cup milk of choice eg. almond milk - I like Pure Harvest almond milk that has no emulsifiers, vegetable oils or gums.
1.5 tablespoon organic cacao (ideally pre-shaven) - use more for a richer consistency
1/2 tsp Lions Mane powder
5g-10g creatine powder
1/2 - 1 tsp organic honey
Pinch true cinnamon
1. In a small saucepan, turn heat to medium
2. Place milk, cacao, cinnamon, Lion's Mane into sauce pan and allow to heat up. Once hot, reduce heat to low for a gentle simmer.
3. Mix with a hand mixer or with a spoon
4. Add creatine to bottom of cup. Pour heated cacao drink into cup
5. Mix with spoon. Add optional honey for sweetness and extra cinnamon on top.
References
NEHLIG, A. (2003, September). Effects of coffee on the central nervous system. In Seminar on Coffee and Health 40th Anniversary meeting of the ICO Cartagena, Colombia, 15 september 2003 (p. 20).
Sedova, I. B., Kiseleva, M. G., & Chalyy, Z. A. (2022). Mycotoxins in coffee and chicory: from regulated to emergent. Health, (2), 64.
Paterson, R. R. M., Lima, N., & Taniwaki, M. H. (2014). Coffee, mycotoxins and climate change. Food Research International, 61, 1-15.
Merhi, A., Kordahi, R., & Hassan, H. F. (2022). A review on the pesticides in coffee: Usage, health effects, detection, and mitigation. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 1004570.
Zhang, M., Zhang, H., Jia, L., Zhang, Y., Qin, R., Xu, S., & Mei, Y. (2024). Health benefits and mechanisms of theobromine. Journal of Functional Foods, 115, 106126.
Opanuga, I., & Hossain, M. F. (2024). Exploring the Cognitive and Other Unique Health Benefits of Lion's Mane Mushroom: A Systematic Review. medicine, 2, 3.
Dolan, E., Gualano, B., & Rawson, E. S. (2019). Beyond muscle: the effects of creatine supplementation on brain creatine, cognitive processing, and traumatic brain injury. European journal of sport science, 19(1), 1-14.