Immuno Latte

I love my morning coffee.  Really Love coffee. 

MAYBE the only thing I like better is a latte.  

Unfortunately, it's not good for me and my constitution.  There are lots of good substitutes, but really when it gets down to it you need something full bodied, warm and deeply satisfying.

In comes my reishi, chaga latte.  

Tree mushroom are an amazing medicine.  I'm going to keep my explanation short, as you could literally write a book on them (and there are plenty of books regarding the subject) I suggest looking in it further if this entices you.  What I will tell you are the basics.  They are immunomodulators.  What does this mean exactly?  They strengthen your immune system.  Over time it will build, however I feel the effects in the beginning myself.  Please don't get this confused with immune stimulators.  Herbs in the echinacea family, for example, are immune stimulants.  These are great if you feel a sickness coming on, however overstimulating your immune system is not healthy if it is not fighting against an oncoming cold or flu.  You will overtax and burn it out.  Also, good to note, these immunostimulators should not be taken if you have an autoimmune disorder. In this case your system is already overstimulated and attacking itself.  This is where immunomodulators come into play.  If your immune system is low it will bring it up, if it is high it will bring it down.  Reishi, "The Mushroom of Immortality" and Chaga, "King of Medicinal Mushrooms", are two of my very favorite mushrooms.  When I am consistently consuming them I feel stronger, healthier and tend to ward off sickness easier.  

Tree mushrooms are very woody and cannot be eaten as a ground mushroom.  They are best used in tea, soups and powders. When making a tea from a medicinal mushroom you need to decoct it. Which is cooking at a slow simmer for about 2 hours (other herbs that require decoction can generally be simmered for 45 minutes).  Strain the herb, and if you'd like, take the strained herb and tincture it to further pull out medicinal qualities, such as immunomodulating polysaccharides. For this recipe, all that you need is the tea.  I make a large pot of tea and use it for the family over the course of the next few days.  Mushrooms go a long way for the price and as far as bang for your buck, here it is.

In this recipe I've added Maca for its hormone balancing qualities, cacao for antioxidant and as a delivery system for the medicine (Cacao helps to deliver nutrients into your blood.  Take it with medicine verses low quality milk and refined sugar to optimize the medicinal benefits). Coconut oil and butter for the multitude of coconut oil as well as slowing the release of the latte into my system and making it into more of a meal (Don't be afraid of fats as we need these for proper brain function and believe it or not, in order to lose weight!) A sprinkling of cinnamon helps balance your blood sugar.

Try it out and let me know how you like it!  

Visit my Imagine Health Facebook Page  with any questions or comments!

 

And without further ado...

 

Reishi Chaga Latte

2C warm Chaga Reishi Mushroom Tea (Decoct (simmer) mushrooms 1- 2+ hrs and strain)

2 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp coconut butter

10 drops vanilla sweetleaf stevia

3 tbsp cacao nibs

1 good tbsp of your favorite honey

1 tsp-1tbsp maca

Twist of your best salt

Blend Well

Top with a dash of cinnamon and enjoy!

Raw and Spicy Noodles

A friend and I have decided to do a 90 day, 100%,  raw food cleanse.  

Most days it is a raw, organic cake walk.  

Some days, after I make the family a delicious, homemade meal

or we go to a party,

Not so easy.  

I've assembled this recipe for those moments.  

When I just need something filling, grounding and completely satisfying.

 

For those of you who have never experienced kelp noodles, they are a great alternative to a wheat or rice noodle.  They are raw, a sea vegetable, and fill the belly in a delicious sort of way.  

You can use them in soups, mac and cheese, stir-frys or with a marinara.  Use with raw sauces or cooked toppings, they are a wonderful and mineral rich substitute.  I have been enjoying the "Sea Tangle" brand.  

 

A side note about kelp noodle preparation:

I recommend rinsing them well, and then emptying the bag into a bowl and immersing them in hot water for at least 30 minutes. 

I also prefer, when possible, to put my dressing on them and let them marinate at room temperature for a while before eating, to soften them up further. If not, they can have a funny crunchy texture, which can be ok, too.

 

If you don't have access to kelp noodles, homemade zucchini noodles from a spiralizer or veggie peeler work great for this recipe too!

 

And on to the Raw and Spicy Noodles!

 

Noodles

1 lb Kelp Noodles

1 cup shredded carrot

1 cup chopped scallion

1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper

3 Tbsp chopped cilantro

3 Tbsp chopped Parsley

 

SAUCE

1/3 cup smooth, raw almond butter

1/4 cup soy sauce (Tamari, nama shoyu, coconut aminos, braggs liquid aminos)

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons sesame oil

2 dates, soaked 30 min

2 cloves garlic

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon chopped ginger

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

 

sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

 

After preparing kelp noodles, toss noodle ingredients into a large bowl.  

 

Blend sauce ingredients well.

 

Pour sauce onto noodles and mix well.  

Top with optional sesame seeds.

 

Let sit 1 hour at room temp to further soften noodles.

Enjoy warm or cold.

 

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Matcha Milkshakes

One of my favorite memories of my time in Patagonia, AZ, was when I would sit in the shade with my Cafe Sisters on a hot Arizona day, and sip on a tall glass of Matcha Milkshake.  It was always wonderful, and by midway through our drink we would all have smiles spreading  from ear to ear.  If you can get your hands on some of the scrumptious DoMatcha brand Matcha, I can't recommend it enough. 

For those of you new to the concept of Matcha, Matcha is a powdered green tea originating in China by Zen Buddhists, and brought to Japan in the year 1191 where it continued to be important within the Zen monasteries.  Matcha is prepared in a different manner than traditional green tea.  Weeks before the plant is harvested, the plant is placed under shade, removing it from direct sunlight and forcing the it to take up more nutrients and minerals from the soil, resulting in the formation of amino acids.  The finest buds are hand-picked, laid flat to dry and then ground into a fine powder.  When consuming Matcha, the powder is added directly to the drink, where all of the nutrients are taken into the body, verses steeping the leaves and discarding the leaf.  The resulting product leading to a blissful, peaceful, awakened state.  


Traditionally, Matcha is consumed in a ceremony, however, living in the west, and not being exposed to the sacredness of this tea, I learned to drink Matcha as a blissful, summertime drink.  All of my ladies have their own rendition of the drink, I will provide you with my favorite recipe, but please, the fun is in experimenting and finding the combination that most tickles YOUR taste buds.


And if my Cafe Sisters are reading this, I love you and can't wait for our next Matcha break!!!

Matcha Milkshake

Tools:

Blender

Ingredients:

2C Nutmilk

6 dates, pitted

1/2 tsp vanilla powder

3/4 tsp matcha powder (or substitute in cacao, lucuma, mesquite or other superfood powder of choice)

twist of himalayan pink salt

1 tray ice cubes

Blend nutmilk, dates, vanilla, matcha and salt until smooth.

Add ice and continue blending.

Pour into two pint glasses and share with someone you love.

 

Power Up With Minerals

Its been quite a bit since I've posted to my blog, as we've had a very full summer. We've been focusing on bringing more balance into ourselves, opening to the flow.

Among many other things, Steve and I have been experimenting with easy ways to bring minerals into our very busy lives. We know that a wide variety of minerals and nutrients are so important to our wellbeing. How do we encourage the family to get these vital nutrients into their beings? Especially seaweeds and greens. We've begun a class on what we have learned works for us. The fine folks at The Gathering of the Raw Foodies III and The ClearPoint Center were kind in letting us present our findings and we would like to share that information with all of you.

Following is the five part video series from the class we did at ClearPoint. Take from them what may benefit you and please leave what you do not vibe with. We plan on continuing to develop this class, so if you have any thing to add that may enlighten us please share!

In Bliss and Sunshine!

Gina