My Favourite Immune-Boosting Chaga Elixir

I speak often about my post-SIBO supplement, nutrition and stress management protocol in my social media posts. I attempted to be someone who didn't rely on nutraceuticals and herbs to support digestion, my nervous system and detoxification and to be honest, it didn't go very well.

This was due to several factors, some I'm sure I'm not aware of yet. Though I did know that I'm predisposed to poor gut health and that my genetics don't support proper methylation and detoxification.

For a period of time I envied people who seemed to be unaffected by food and stress and I assumed they live a carefree life with optimal health. This is a gross assumption and doesn't really play a role at all in my personal health situation. I've learned that comparison doesn't lead to anywhere of value.

I've also happily learned that I must eat a specific diet, take certain supplements and continually manage stress triggers in order to stay disease-free, happy and full of energy. This is ok with me as the alternative is just not an option.

Last week, Dr. Murphy dropped off a beautiful kit of herbal remedies for me that comprise my fall cleanse kit. She's super sweet and threw in a gorgeous jar of chaga java which also has
roasted chicory and dandelion root.

I have to be honest, I've never used chaga before in my life, but when she explained the incredible health boosting effects associated with the use of this mushroom, I dug right in to recipe researching and testing to find an incredible way to drink this magical mushroom (not that kind of magical mushroom, silly!).

I love plant based medicine, but am not a huge fan of the taste of mushrooms (of any kind), so trust me when I say that this recipe would win over even the biggest critics, kids included, and will definitely pass for a spicy hot chocolate.

This decadent, immune-boosting, rich and flavourful recipe is beautiful for this fall weather.

Let's chat a bit about why this mushroom is so cherished for health seekers!

Benefits of Chaga

• Contains Beta D Glucans, which help to balance the response of the immune system, meaning they help to boost the immune system when needed, and slow it down when
  overactive making it a BRM biological response modulator.
• Chaga provides support for the integrity of blood vessels which can be soothing in times of irritation such as pain, neuropathy and diabetes.
• In Eastern cultures chaga has long been used to support gastrointestinal health due to its immune supporting properties. A healthy functioning immune system can often fight off the pathogens that can lead to many gastrointestinal issues.
• One study showed that chaga mushrooms presented high antioxidant and antimicrobial activity.

This might lead you to wonder one thing...

Why should I give a damn about antioxidants and immune boosting foods?

Well, great question! As someone who may be suffering from
long-term gut illness, we can assume your immune system may need some support. Up to 90% of our immune cells reside in our gastrointestinal tissue. When there's inflammation, damage and
infection in the gut we often see food intolerances, autoimmune disease activate and other cascading health issues arise.

No bueno.

So, by repairing the gut, improving immune function and improving the diet (increasing antioxidants and superfood intake) and our stress responses, we can often see a massive improvement in health symptoms.

Let's look at some of the other reasons we can use support from superfoods, immune boosting herbs, mushrooms and nutraceuticals:

• We live in a toxic world. We're exposed to pesticides, chemicals and gases in our ground water and air. We require antioxidants to support our bodies defences.
• If you gut isn't functioning well it's possible that you aren't absorbing all of your nutrients from your food. Nutrients are necessary to support the immune system, detoxification
  pathways and aid in repair. Supplementation can help bridge the gap.
• Food quality is at its all-time lowest due to soil quality degradation, pollution and pesticide/chemical use in farming.
• Elixirs, superfoods, smoothies and plant based foods are not just food trends. In my opinion they're a survival plan.

Immune Boosting Chaga Elixir

This is an incredibly simple recipe to make and you can double or triple the recipe to have leftovers for easy prep each morning!

Ingredients

• 3 cups hot, brewed chaga tea / 3 cups hot water + 2 sachets instant chaga powder
• 1/4 cups Hemp seeds
• 1/4 cups cashews (preferably soaked 5 hours or overnight)
• 3 Tbsp Cacao powder
• 3 Tbsp Organic honey
• 1-1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/8-1/4 tsp Cayenne powder
• 1/4 tsp Vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend on high for a 60-90 seconds.
2. Pour into your favourite mug, and be sure to share the love!

From my immune-boosting kitchen to yours,
Cassandra Hope, RHN