Healing Herbal Hot Chocolate.

This superfood adaptogen hot chocolate will leave you feeling relaxed yet energised. It tastes so good you'll find it hard to decide if it's a health tonic or decadent treat.

Just mentioning the word winter, makes my mind automatically picture an open fire after a wet windy dog walk in the English countryside, with a cup of warm hot cocoa in my hands. Although sadly for me, hot chocolate has never agreed with me- my body always seem to reject the sweet milky drink. As a child this greatly upset me, as I loved the smell of warm chocolate, and being cold I was desperate for a warm drink to warm me up. Luckily, years later I stumbled across a way to make a beautiful hot chocolate that tastes so good it feels decadent and so clean it feels healthy to drink. Yes the two can exist harmoniously! This healthier, medicinal version of a hot chocolate has fast become a favourite winter beverage for my family - including my partner who has a huge sweet tooth, and continues to eat sugar.

Hot chocolate is a great antidote to the chilly and crisp weather, when your body is cold it's pacified by sweet, warm, oily, heating and grounding substances. This together with the adaptogens it serves as a soother - both for the body and the mind - as well as for the often harsh realities of winter.

If you’ve heard of adaptogens but still aren’t sure what they do, here’s a quick summary; adaptogens are herbal pharmaceuticals, usually found in herb, root, or mushroom form, they help your body get into balance by helping it produce what it’s lacking or help it curb anything it has in excess. They aid our bodies in reacting to or recovering from both short- and long-term physical or mental stress. Some also boost immunity and overall well-being.

"Research shows adaptogens can combat fatigue, enhance mental performance, ease depression and anxiety, and help you thrive rather than just muddle through".

The star of my hot chocolate is cacao. The cocoa bean is loaded with essential and trace minerals (especially magnesium) that can help balance mood swings. It's important not to get confused between hot chocolate mixes you can buy at the grocery store and cacao powder. The cacao powder is far healthier and it doesn't include artificial additives or sweeteners. Cacao is also high in flavanols, which have antioxidant, heart-protective and anti-cancer properties. It is also useful to know that Cacao contains iron that is readily absorbed by your body, unlike some other plant sources of the mineral, and the cacao bean contains more calcium than cow’s milk - which means vegetarians and vegans may especially benefit from it. To top it all off Cacao products also contain tryptophan, which is an amino acid your body uses to make serotonin, a brain chemical that helps you relax. All in all, it is an amazing adaptation to the traditional hot chocolate.

My hot chocolate also includes ashwagandha, maca powder, turmeric root - all added to help me with the numerous medical issues I was going through at the time I created the drink, but the healing properties of these herbs are so great and universal they also benefited my family too.

Maca is great for regulating hormones, mood and has a high mineral and vitamin content, most notably iron, magnesium and b complex. Bonus: it has a malty taste that compliments the cacao so nicely.

Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb often referred to as Indian ginseng. It is my current adaptogenic go-to because of it's ability to support adrenal health, the immune system and it helps our bodies adapt to stress. It is worth mentioning it is a heating herb, so best for winter use.

The drink is completed with turmeric, a wonderful ingredient I like to add to many drinks, smoothies and meals. For a single ingredient, fresh turmeric manages to pack a major health punch. Turmeric and its powerful ingredient, curcumin, have a range of health benefits - it has antioxidants that can prevent heart disease, eye conditions and Alzheimer's, as well as an anti-inflammatory properties that can help people with arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease (both reasons why I use it).

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Healing Herbal Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

1 + 1/2 cup of organic almond milk (I like to use Rude Health, but any brand will do).

1-2 tbsp raw organic cacao (amount depends on the strength you prefer - I like mine strong)

1 tsp ashwagandha

1 tsp of maca powder

1-2cm chunk of fresh turmeric root

1/4 tsp of vanilla powder

1/4 tsp of pink salt (optional)

3 buttons of organic coca butter (you can use 1 scoop of coconut oil instead)

1/2 tbsp of raw organic honey (for a vegan version use agave syrup or maple syrup instead).

Directions

1. Pour almond milk and water into saucepan, gently heat.

2. While milk is warming, mix dry ingredients in a jug or glass. Pour the warm liquid into a blender and add the dry ingredients, then mix in the honey (or equivalent) and blend briefly (I blend it for approx. 30seconds in a Nutribullet). If you don't have a blender add ingredients to a mug and mix with a fork to ensure the liquid and powder are thoroughly blended. Using a blender or electric whisk will give an extra frothiness. Taste and if needed sweeten to taste. Enjoy!