Looking for a morning brain boost? Start your day with this simple nootropic latte recipe.
The information shared here is for information and education purposes and is not intended to replace the guidance of a licensed healthcare professional. Please consult with your primary healthcare provider before making changes to your diet or lifestyle and/or if you are pregnant and/or nursing. This post contains affiliate links, in which I may earn a commission on sales made through those links.
As a first-time mom at 39 living with PCOS and Epstein-Barr virus, I deal with constant and dramatic shifts in my energy, mood, cognitive function, and libido, so my diet consists of foods and supplements that support gut, immune, and brain health as well as hormone balance.
I’m also actively working to rewrite my maternal health history of breast cancer, fibroids, and hysterectomies that has affected my matriline for several generations.
It’s a lot to deal with but I am grateful for plant medicine, modern technology, and my own resilience.
I take more supplements than I care to admit, but I like to believe that it’s better than taking off-label prescriptions or hormonal birth control that only mask symptoms instead of dealing with root causes.
I also want to be fully present in my body to what’s happening to and for me.
Lately, I’ve been working with adaptogens like ashwagandha, cordyceps, and lion’s mane for adrenal and mitochondrial support with great results. I take them in powder form so I often add them to smoothies coffee, and macadamia nut and hemp seed milk lattes.
I don’t drink coffee daily (only about once or twice a week) so I’ve been experimenting with “adaptogen” lattes that I may or may not add cocoa to. Sometimes I add my personal blend of roasted dandelion, burdock and chicory roots when I want to add deeper flavor and give my liver a little more support.
Cognitive function has become a new concern for me, as I find myself struggling with short-term memory recall that started happening after I gave birth three years ago. So I started looking into nootropics, compounds that enhance cognitive function and decided to give it a try.
Nootropics are found in foods such as dark chocolate, red wine, turmeric, spinach, green tea, eggs, and blueberries, and have been shown to improve concentration, memory, and mood.
And it just so happens that the health esteem company I’ve been a part of for years has developed their own supplement, so I’m giving it a try.
Usually, nootropic supplements come in capsule form so I was surprised to see it offered as a wellness shot. The ingredients in this particular blend are pretty potent and bitter, so I was again surprised to see the instruction to take it with plain water.
I’m not going to do that to myself and I don’t want you to do that to yourself, either.
The human brain is about 60% fat and we need to supply it with fat for proper function, so I like to consume them with ghee, coconut butter, or MCT oil. I also blend my own nut and seed milks so as to avoid the gums and sugar that commercial plant milks contain.
To make a nootropic latte, simply blend the nootropic supplement with milk and the fat of your choice. This nootropic supplement contains caffeine, so if you drink coffee, you may want to skip that first cup to see how your body responds. If you’re trying to kick your coffee habit, this may be a great way to wean yourself without going into caffeine withdrawal. Then you can slowly wean yourself off of this product.
I’ll leave sweeteners up to you. I’m slowly weaning myself off of table sugar and have been substituting erythritol and monkfruit, but I still use honey as a sweetener.
How do you take nootropics? What has been your experience with them?
Restorative Nootropic Morning Latte
1 serving of nootropic blend (Do not use this brand if nursing)
1 cup plant-based milk of your choice
1 tbs ghee, coconut butter, or MCT oil
ice, optional
sweetener of your choice to taste, optional
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend for 30 seconds.
Pour into your favorite cup, over ice if desired, and enjoy.
