I was in Calgary, Alberta this summer visiting an old friend, fellow health coach, and kombucha brewer  (more on that in a future post) who was about to awaken me to a whole new world of healing drinks.

The Power of the Elixir

She had a list of all she wanted to share with me. Everything and every place she had found in her new city that was health related.

Little did I know I was about to begin a crash course on elixirs – unique, healing blends that do everything from improving your energy, calming you, and increasing healthy life span, to helping you sleep after an impossibly stressful day.

My Introduction to the Light Cellar

We visited the “Light Cellar”, a small establishment on the west side of Calgary. From the street it looked like your typical new-age, hippy place.

Once inside, however, it morphed into an enchanting space with aromatic smells, an elixir bar, and endless rows of petite brown glass bottles filled with magical powders with names like: Shilajit, Macuna, Camu Camu, and Ashwagandha.

This beautiful little place was the home of thousands of nature’s healing potions, superfoods, natural sweeteners, medicinal mushrooms, nourishing fats, algae, seaweed, Chinese and Ayurvedic herbs, ancient grains, natural salts, fermented foods, proteins, and teas, and more..

Meeting Jordan

I was introduced to Jordan, a gentle, soft-spoken guy who was to be my teacher. From Jordan I would learn how to heal and strengthen the body with natural, medicinal herbs blended into exotic elixirs. We strolled through the aisles, he explaining things along the way…

  • You want cacao not cocoa – cacao is the purest, least processed and highest in nutrients.
  • Reishi mushrooms are nature’s miracle food that do everything from detoxing, to preventing cancerous growths, to extending healthy life span.
  • Shilajit is an ancient resin, sourced in the Himalayas and containing about 85 trace minerals, that facilitates the body’s electronic messaging and chemistry. It is also called “strength of stallions – destroyer of weakness” which piqued my interest since I’m a horse girl at heart. This one, among others, was coming home with me!
  • Camu Camu is a vitamin C-packed superfood. Sourced from shrubs in the Amazon, this super powder is bursting with health benefits and has been used for gum health, herpes, eye health, among other things.
  • Macuna is a potent herbal aphrodisiac – call it a natural Viagra, as it is touted as one of the best reproductive tonics for both men and women. It strengthens the intellect, supports digestive health, and serves as a balancing tonic to the nervous system. It is considered one of the top longevity herbs and has even been shown to have advantages over traditional treatments for Parkinson’s .

Any one or combination of these, blended into tea, coffee or nut milk creates an exotic blend – aka “Elixir”. I regularly use Camu Camu in my tea each morning and a combination of others in my coffee.

Although the Light Cellar had a menu of elixirs already formulated (“Restore”, “Peaceful Spirit”, “Activate”), Jordan and I decided that we would invent a new “rejuvenating” elixir that I could share with you, including all the herbs I selected.

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon cacao butter
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil or coconut cream
  • 1 tablespoon cacao powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ashwagandha
  • 1/8 teaspoon of Shilajit powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon Macuna powder
  • 1 tablespoon goji berries
  • pinch of Himalayan salt
  • 8 ounces black tea (or black coffee)

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients in blender.
  2. Blend until smooth and frothy.
  3. Pour into your favorite mug and enjoy!

 

   Healing Rejuvenating Elixirs - Reishi Mushroom Powder

  Healing Rejuvenating Elixirs - Immersion Blending of an elixir     

 Rejuvenating Force of Elixirs - Rejuvenation elixir with reishi, ashwagandha

 

It’s my guess you may not have all the ingredients in your pantry and, for now, Light Cellar does not ship to the US. They’re working on it and promise to let me know when they do. In the meantime, all the ingredients are readily available on-line if you want to stay true to the recipe.

If not, here’s my every-day version:

Ingredients:

  • 1 heaping tablespoon coconut cream (you can use coconut milk, available in all grocery stores. Let it sit. The cream will float to the top for you to skim off a dollop. It should be thick and creamy.) This is optional for me as I do not always include this in my drink.
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil or MCT oil
  • 1 teaspoon honey or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon ashwagandha
  • 1/4 teaspoon Reishi Mushroom Powder (optional but desirable)
  • 8 ounces black tea or coffee

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients in immersion blender and blend until frothy.

Explore and Create

The point here is not to stump you with list of ingredients that are impossible to get. My intent is to inspire you to explore and start to gently introduce natural, medicinal, superfoods into your diet. They provide the body with the “strength of stallions”, nutrients, vitamins, minerals – all critical components we need to heal, rejuvenate and live strong – nutrients our current food system sorely lacks.

Start with some of those included in this recipe and expand as you learn more.

Resources:

The Light Cellar 

Shilajit info

Reshi Powder

Other Mushroom Powders

Camu Camu

Send your questions, share your recipes, and let me know how you do. Love hearing from you!