A few years ago, I experimented in the kitchen with different kinds of morning drinks, in search of a concoction that would be both sustaining and tasty. Through trial and error, I created a mocha/coconut/chai morning drink that’s not only nutritious, it’s downright delicious. In fact, just the thought of the drink gives me the impetus to get out of bed in the morning. You might enjoy it too.

With a few minor adjustments (removing the coconut milk and nut milk), this drink would be excellent on a ketogenic diet. And if you drink the coffee and include only pure fat, like the MCT oil and the butter, then it can still be considered part of intermittent fasting. In this case, the fast means no carbohydrates and protein—simply the beneficial fats.

Ingredients:

• One-half inch piece of ginger root, freshly grated
• One-half inch piece of turmeric root, freshly grated
• A tiny pinch of freshly ground black pepper to help the turmeric get absorbed
• 2 tablespoons of organic cacao powder, unsweetened. 
• One tablespoon of chicory root powder (called “Inulin”), or Monk’s Fruit (Lo Han), or a packet of Stevia. If you haven’t sworn off sugar, you could use a tablespoon of raw honey or pure maple syrup instead. 
• A pinch of cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom
• One tablespoon of organic coconut oil—or even better, one tablespoon of organic MCT oil (medium-chain triglyceride oil for brain health)
• One thick slice of organic butter from pasture-raised cows
• French-pressed organic coffee—if you’re a coffee drinker. Bulletproof coffee is certified “mold-free.”
• Two tablespoons of dried coconut flakes

 Instructions:

In a large soup bowl, put a tablespoon of the MCT oil, the coconut flakes, a thick slice of butter, the cacao powder, the freshly grated ginger and turmeric, and the natural sugar substitute. Add a pinch of the powdered chai spices.

Pour about 12 ounces of the boiling water into the bowl,  or oversized mug, and stir.

If you’re a coffee drinker, add 2 ounces of organic, French pressed coffee to the concoction in the bowl or oversized mug.

Pour all the contents of the bowl into the blender and blend on high speed for 60 seconds.

Pour the frothy concoction into the bowl and enjoy! While in Nepal, I learned to love holding a bowl with both hands, and sipping in reverence and gratitude, relishing each moment in silence.

Bon Appétit!

This chocolate/mocha/chai drink can sustain you for hours. if you would like to make the morning drink even more nutrient-dense, you could add homemade nut milk. (See instructions below for a quick and easy way to make the milks). The protein and beneficial fat found in nuts and seeds help to maintain stable blood sugar which, in turn, will diminish sugar cravings and mood swings for many hours.

Be sure to rotate the nuts you use to enjoy the health benefits that each kind of nut offers. Rotate among almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, and pecans. You can also make milk from seeds, like pumpkin seeds. Keep your nuts and seeds in the freezer to prevent oxidation of the fragile nut oils.

I discourage using store-bought nut milks. They cannot compare to homemade nut milks in regard to nutrition. The actual nut content is surprisingly small. And there are usually additives, including some form of sugar.

If making nut milk is too time-consuming, just throw in a few nuts in the blender with the rest of the concoction.

How to make very simple nut milks that require only five minutes of your time:

1) Soak 2 cups of nuts overnight

2) Next morning, rinse the nuts and put them into your blender. Add 4-5 cups of water, depending on the consistency you want, and blend thoroughly.

4) If you want the nut milks to taste more like milk shakes, you can add vanilla extract, along with1 tsp. GMO-free lecithin to thicken the mixture, and some stevia or other natural sweetener.

3) Pour into glass jars. The nut milks stay fresh for 4-5 days in the fridge. Shake the jar before use to disperse the fiber.

You can make more silky, professional tasting nut milks if you get a nut milk bag and strain out the fiber. I don’t bother to do that because it’s time consuming and I don’t want to waste the nutritious fiber.

If you use coconut milk in your morning drink, try to obtain it freshly made, rather than from a can. If that is not possible, then put one cup of organic coconut flakes into the blender with two cups of water and blend until smooth and you’ll have coconut milk.

The chai spices have manifold health benefits. The ginger has anti-inflammatory, anti-nausea, and anti-diarrheal properties. The cinnamon is an anti-oxidant and also helps to regulate blood sugar. Cardamom is an anti-oxidant, antispasmodic, antiseptic spice. Cloves have anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and analgesic properties.

I would love to hear what you think after you try out the drink.

Here’s to your good health!