Chaga Latte

Hello all! I hope everyone enjoyed the first month of the new year and that February is off to a great start! Today’s blog post is a recipe for a chaga latte, my little obsession as of late.

I can’t get enough of this delicious drink so much so that I have it almost every morning. It leaves me feeling energized and balanced, the perfect way to start the day!

Chaga is a mushroom that grows predominately on birch trees in cooler climates. It can be found all over the world, but unlike some other superfoods, chaga is found locally in Canada.

The benefits of chaga are amazing. Chaga strengthens immune system functioning by increasing the growth of leukocytes ( our body’s fighter cells) and also contains anti-bacterial properties. Chaga is also a wonderful adaptogenic herb, which means that it helps the body “adapt” to life stressors and balances the stress response system in the body. This adaptogenic quality in chaga also helps to balance energy levels throughout the day. Lastly, chaga is full of antioxidants, which makes it great for skin and heart health!

Simply speaking, including chaga into your daily routine can make you feel darn good!

Now, I love my morning coffee but sometimes caffeine does not have the best effect on me. Adding mushrooms, as well as fat ( hello, coconut!) can balance blood sugar and counteract the negative effects of caffeine to leave you happily caffeinated, without the shakes, or burn-out later in the day. However, you do not have to use coffee in this recipe, if it is not your thing. Chaga has a deep, roasted taste and is actually great on it’s own!

Chaga Latte

Ingredients:
1 cup brewed coffee, decaf coffee, dandelion coffee or hot water
1 package FourSigmatic chaga or 1 tbsp chaga powder/ground chaga. * Instead, I sometimes use whole granules and add 1 tbsp directly into my bodum with my coffee and brew together!
1 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp raw honey
Splash of full fat coconut milk

Directions:
Add all ingredients together in a blender ( or use hand blender) and blend together. Just make sure the blender is heat resistant. Serve hot and enjoy!

For those that do not know about chaga, or other medicinal-like mushrooms, I urge you to check them out! The world of medicinal mushrooms does not stop at chaga. Other amazing mushrooms include cordyceps, lion’s mane and my other favourite, reishi! I really like creating a beverage or healing elixir with them, but you can also take them in supplement form. ProTip: If you purchase a supplement in capsules, you can always open the capsules out to add to a drink! To start, some great brands are Four Sigmatic, Harmonic Arts, Mikei and Host Defense.