

This adaptogen is a fantastic one to use for increasing mental and physical energy.
Cooking academy 4 perfect pairing how to#
How to Use It: Drink powered ashwagandha as a tea, add it to your smoothies or pair it with chocolate. It also makes a lovely beverage when mixed with plant-based milk, honey, ghee or coconut oil, cardamom and cinnamon. It can also support the thyroid and suppress tumor growth. How to Use It: We prefer drinking ginseng in tea or using it in soups.Īshwagandha, an Ayurvedic herb, is used to relieve stress, calm the mind, boost energy levels and reduce inflammation. It also helps to boost the immune system and has antioxidant properties.

Ginseng is a wonderful herb that can improve our mental and physical performance, reduce fatigue and relieve stress.

How to Use It: You can use chaga like reishi above. Powdered reishi can be incorporated into warm and cold drinks, ice cream, cereal + porridge, chocolate recipes, or used in raw desserts.Ĭhaga is the king of mushrooms and like reishi, it’s a powerful immune-booster that has anti-cancer and anti-oxidant properties. Strain and drink as a tea, use it as a base for soups, or chill the liquid to use in smoothies. How to Use It: If you can find whole reishi mushrooms, you can boil them to extract the beneficial properties. They contain immune-modulating compounds called beta-glucans that help boost the immune system or dial it down as needed, and they have anti-cancer, liver-protective and blood sugar-balancing properties. Known as the queen of the mushroom world, reishi mushrooms soothe and calm the nervous system. You can also sprinkle it on cereal, dairy-free yogurt, or chia pudding. How to Use It: Maca has a malt-like flavour and works well in smoothies, elixirs, muffins, granola and homemade chocolate. Maca can help relieve stress, boost energy levels, balance hormones and increase your sex drive. It thrives in a harsh climate, and maca’s resiliences helps us become hardy and strong, too. Maca root grows on the Andes mountains in Peru. Culinary adaptogens don’t always need to be used in a sweet context! Try them in savory recipes like soups and stews for a warm, stress-relieving meal.Īnd now, let’s talk specifics: these are some of our favourite adaptogens and how you can use them! Maca Treats + snacks. Take your baked goodies, granola bars or chia pudding to the next level with adaptogens.Amp up your nut milk game by blending adaptogens into the mix. Adaptogens, powders and superfoods can always find a home in your blended smoothies. Discover 20 amazing dairy-free elixir recipes to get you started. Elixirs. These sweet drinks with a function are the perfect vehicles for adaptogenic herbs.Steep the leaves in hot water and sip plain, or add dairy-free milk and your favourite natural sweetener. Steep the herbs in alcohol, which you can then take on its own or incorporate into beverages. Some of the ways you can make and use culinary adaptogens are: While you can purchase adaptogens in capsules, we like to incorporate them into the kitchen to reap the health benefits. They bring our bodies back into balance, supporting the adrenal glands (tiny glands that make our stress and sex hormones) and often improving the central nervous system, mood, energy and cognition. What are Adaptogens?Īdaptogens are plants that help our bodies adapt to mental, physical and emotional stress. The world can be a stressful place: work, family, relationships, health, education, politics and finances are just some of the common troubles that can keep us up at night. In times of need, consider turning to the kitchen – not to emotionally eat your way through a pint of dairy-free ice cream or a batch of grain-free cookies, but to draw on the pool of amazing herbs that we can use as culinary adaptogens.
