Whenever my youngest son has a day home from school, he loves for me to whip up this superfood hot cocoa as I’m making coffee for my wife and myself. Not only does it provide powerhouse nutrition for his brain and growing body, but it also brings us together for a family ritual in the morning that helps us all connect.
Kids and adults alike have thrived utilizing medicinal mushrooms like reishi for thousands of years. One of its most remarkable benefits was highlighted in the journal Mediators of Inflammation, detailing reishi’s elite immune system supportive and anti-inflammatory properties. There are also numerous studies on reishi’s ability to help calm the nervous system and even improve sleep quality at night. For instance, a study published in the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior found that reishi has the potential to decrease sleep latency (meaning it helps you fall asleep faster) and was also found to improve the quality of deep sleep. Morning calm and focus, or evening relaxation and recovery—this is a great drink to support your mission.
Hot Cocoa
Serves 1- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tablespoon raw cacao or cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon collagen peptides
- 1/2 teaspoon reishi or other medicinal mushroom powder
- Pinch of ground cinnamon
- Pinch of ground cardamom
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar or raw honey
- A few drops of stevia, or to taste
Transfer to a blender along with the cacao, collagen peptides, reishi, cinnamon, cardamom, sugar, and stevia.
Blend until frothy. Pour into a mug and enjoy!
Adapted from “Eat Smarter Family Cookbook” by Shawn Stevenson. Copyright 2023 by Shawn Stevenson. Photographs by Eva Kolenko. Used with permission of Spark, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company, New York. All rights reserved.
