tea Archives -

So here’s the thing. I’ve told y’all how I don’t like coffee ’cause I’m not a real grownup, which has lead me to create bulletproof tea and chocolate milk recipes.

And lately, with the craziness of adjusting to a hubby who travels a lot (which = really bad sleep for me), and having to show our house over and over with four kids underfoot (thankfully, we’ve all gotten pretty good at our “get the house show-ready” routine and I’m grateful for my boys’ help), I’ve been wishing I was a coffee drinker ’cause I’ve heard it can bring the dead back to life or something like that.

But I don’t like coffee. In fact, I hate the smell of it even, so using it to revive my dragging self in the mornings is a no-go.

I really do love a good bulletproof tea though. And after telling you about the energizing benefits of a special type of magnesium, which is the highest quality formula I’ve ever found, I decided to take my average bulletproof tea a step further.

Don’t get me wrong, making a drink bulletproof is anything but average, but you know how I like bumping up my nutrition any way I can, ’cause as a mom of four busy boys, I get little time to do a lot of fancy finagling for it. Not to mention I really like being sneaky with ingredients that my boys don’t suspect (like in this chili recipe), so when they steal a drink of my tea, which they inevitably do, I love that they get a hit of my secret ingredient.

The secret ingredient in my secret ingredient bulletproof tea latte

Before I reveal the secret, let’s talk about the usual bulletproof ingredients.

Collagen- You can get collagen into your tea or coffee in a number of ways.

Use a scoop of hydrolyzed collagen. This is probably the easiest way, because hydrolyzed collagen dissolves in any type of liquid, hot or cold. It is, however, slightly more processed than regular gelatin, which is more of a whole food. It still offers protein + the gut-healing, hormone-supporting benefits of amino acids. Get grassfed hydrolyzed collagen here.
Use a scoop of gelatin. An awesome option for hot drinks like this bulletproof tea, gelatin requires heat and lots of stirring to dissolve well. Though it’s less refined than hydrolzed collagen, gelatin can be difficult to dissolve well, but it’s an excellent source of nutrition, including protein and amino acids. Get grassfed gelatin here.
Add a scoop of my DIY hormone-support supplement. Containing hydrolyzed collagen, as well as good fat in dehydrated coconut milk, and the extra nutrition of powdered greens, I often use this supplement in a bulletproof chai tea latte for ultimate nourishment in a mug. Grab the recipe for the DIY supplement here.

Fat- There are also a couple options for getting fat into your cuppa, so just pick what works for you (or use both):

MCT oil: I’ve always been cautious about using MCT oil, because it isn’t a whole food, rather the separated, liquid fat from coconut oil. MCT (short for medium chain triglycerides) contains fats that are easy for our bodies to quickly use, sending them directly to nourish the liver. After I bought Mr. Incredible some MCT oil for Christmas, I was convinced of the health benefits. He became energized, more clear-headed, and dropped a bunch of weight quickly. Our family uses Perfect MCT Oil, which you can get here.
Grassfed butter: I always have this on hand in my kitchen, so it’s an obvious choice. Grassfed butter is a good source of heart and brain-healthy saturated fat and omega 3 fats, as well as vitamin K. Plus, it adds a frothy creaminess to bulletproof tea.

Cream- Like butter, real cream is a good source of good fats and vitamin K. Make sure it’s grassfed, and, preferably, raw (though I use the best quality organic, grassfed cream I can get when I can’t get raw).

The not-so-secret secret ingredient

As I’ve already mentioned, the special ingredient is a special type of magnesium, which is formulated by the same folks who gave us Smidge, so you can bet it’s the best quality available, free of fillers and artificial ingredients.

I’ve been using this awesome type of magnesium that contains not one, not two, but three types of superior magnesium, along with the important cofactor boron for better absorbability. It’s called Wake Up Maggie and it does just that- wakes you up.

Wake Up Maggie is better than coffee for imparting clear-headed, clean energy in the mornings. The unique combination of magnesium malate, taurinate and orotate is designed to pep you up and keep you alert for the day ahead.

One scoop of Wake Up Maggie provides 200mg of highly-absorbable magnesium as:

• Magnesium malate
• Magnesium taurinate
• Magnesium orotate
• PLUS 1.5mg of Boron

The days that I drink this bulletproof tea latte, I feel awake and energized, but more than that, I feel strangely euphoric. Happy and joyful. I know it sounds a little kooky, but I really believe it’s the brain-supporting nutrients in the magnesium and MCT oil.

Magnesium: the master mineral?

Magnesium really is one of the most needed minerals, as it’s used in nearly every function of our bodies, yet, it’s one of the most common deficiencies.

Magnesium deficiency may contribute to:

muscles cramps and spasms
headaches
poor sleep
anxiety and irritability
nausea
abnormal heart rhythms

We all suffer from the above conditions from time to time, but after suffering from all of them for years, I began researching magnesium supplementation. You may not be surprised to know there are a TON out there. Wake Up Maggie is the first that I can actually feel a difference with, soon after taking.

Get Wake Up Maggie here.

How to make a {Secret Ingredient} Bulletproof Tea or Latte or Coffee

You can add these ingredients to whatever you fancy in the mornings. For me, it’s chai tea, and I don’t get too complicated about it. I use either this organic chai tea or this organic Tulsi Chai Massala, which is made with an adaptogenic herb (tulsi = holy basil) and has slightly less caffeine.

Print Recipe

Bulletproof Tea Latte

Servings: cup

Ingredients

1 cup hot tea or coffee
2 tbsp real raw grassfed cream
1 scoop grassfed collagen
1 scoop Wake Up Maggie
Up to 1 tbsp. MCT oil
Up to 1 tbsp. grassfed butter
Up to 1 tbsp. raw honey optional

Instructions

Combine ingredients in a mug and stir well, OR use a stick blender to create a nice froth OR add to a blender to blend before returning to your mug to enjoy.

Nutrition doesn’t have to be tricky.

We don’t always have a ton of time to devote to preparing food or getting supplements down, but starting your day with a bulletproof tea, latte, or coffee can be an easy way to quickly get some goodness down your gullet.

Do you make bulletproof tea or other drink? What are your favorite ingredients to add?
Be sure to share using one of our links or pin the image below.

Herbs are my number one choice for various ailments in my house. Whether a kid has a runny nose or ear ache, we are working to address underlying conditions that cause behavioral disorders, or I’m fighting chronic infections like Lyme, I rely on herbs in tea or tincture form, and with great success, I might add.

I started using nettle (Urtica dioica) for sinus and allergy issues like congestion or runny nose, but I later learned how many wonderful medicinal benefits nettle actually offers! I like to drink a cup of it every day, or, when I’m really on my game, a strongly-brewed quart-sized infusion, which I’ll tell you how to prepare at the end of this post.

Read on to find out why you should be drinking nettle tea too!

Kidneys

Nettle loosens and dissolves accumulation of minerals in the kidneys so that they can be safely eliminated. I personally had a kidney stone about two or three months ago and used nettle tea to help it pass quickly and with relatively little pain.

Fertility

Nettle increases fertility in both men and women. It helps to adjust and balance hormones and adrenals.

Pregnancy

Because of nettle’s high content of vitamins and minerals, it is especially nourishing to momma and baby. The high iron content helps to build good, strong blood volume, and the other vitamins and minerals are easily assimilated when you drink nettle as an infusion (tea).

I’m not a huge fan of taking supplements because so many of them are synthetic or difficult for your body to even use. I love that nettle tea is such a rich source of needed vitamins and minerals during my pregnancy!

Nettle is an Excellent Source of:

Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Vitamin K
Calcium
Potassium
Phosphorus
Iron
Sulphur

Before, During and After Birth

The vitamins and minerals provided by nettle tea also supports the following benefits:

Easing leg cramps (the high mineral content helps the muscles to relax.)
Preventing after-birth hemorrhage (the high vitamin K content increases available hemoglobin.)
Reducing hemorrhoids (nettle tightens and strengthens blood vessels.)
Increasing breastmilk supply (nettle is a galactagogue.)
Prevents hypertension (nettle lowers blood pressure.)

How to Prepare Nettle Tea

Because herbs are most easily assimilated through water preparations, my favorite way to use herbs is in tea form (vs essential oils or other medicinal preparations). I find that herbal teas work quickly and efficiently.

I keep a large bag of dried nettle leaves on hand and scoop a little out each time I want to brew a cup. I use a tea ball to steep one tsp of dried nettle leaves in one cup of boiling water, cover and let steep for 10-15 minutes, then remove the cover and drink when cool enough. Nettle tea is not terribly strong-tasting, though it does have a distinctively “green”, mineral-y taste. I don’t mind it at all. I try to drink a cup at bedtime as I’m unwinding and look at it as another wonderful thing I can do for my body.

Alternately, you can easily find high-quality nettle tea bags already prepped, such as these from Traditional Medicinals (one of my favorite tea brands), or these from Alvita (my other favorite).

To make a strong infusion with nettle, place 3-4 tea bags or 2 tablespoons of loose leaf nettle in a quart-sized jar at bedtime. Bring a quart of water to a boil, then pour over the tea and secure a lid. Let sit overnight, then filter and drink throughout the next day. By increasing the amount of tea and steeping time, you increase the benefits of drinking the tea.

There is not an easier way to get all of the vitamin and mineral content of nettle tea in such an easily-assimilated form! While the benefits to pregnant women can’t be overemphasized, nettle tea is good for men and women of all ages to drink daily. My littles even even enjoy drinking it!

{Secret Ingredient} Bulletproof Tea or Latte Genuine Recipe