WTF is in My Smoothie Now? – All About Adaptogens

Let me guess… the alarm clock goes off… you hit snooze a couple times… and FINALLY you cave.

“Alright, alright… I’ll wake up now…”

And by “I’ll wake up now” you really mean “I’ll squint my eyes in front of my bright phone screen and scroll through Instagram until I decide what type of dairy-free milk I’ll be putting in my coffee this morning”

What’s on an Instagram feed first thing in the morning? Photos of smoothies, smoothie bowls, bulletproof coffee, matcha lattes, organic-gluten-free-vegan protein shakes.

How the hell does someone fit 16 ingredients in a cup of coffee? … and how the hell do you pronounce those last 12 of them?

and WTF are those things? Adaptogens. Those things are adaptogens. You’ve probably heard the term many times, but not nearly as many times as you’ve seen a blogger add 7 of them to their smoothie as though they’ve been doing it forever and just assume you know exactly what they are and where to buy them.

If you don’t know what those things are, it probably looks like I was making quite the party smoothie…. PS. Want to incorporate maca into your smoothie but don’t know what it might taste okay with? Check out my Fab4smoothie recipe!

WTF Are Adaptogens?

Simply put, adaptogens are herbs used to support the adrenal system – which is in charge of managing the body’s hormonal response to stress.

How Do Adaptogens Work?

Basically, when stress is ongoing (I mean, it’s 2017. Who isn’t constantly stressed?) the adrenal system is constantly active which throws your body off balance. What adaptogens do is work to bring the hormones of your adrenal system back into balance. They’re kind of like a way to help your body recover from the effects of being overly stressed.

Using adaptogens on a regular basis helps to prevent reaching that point of being over stressed.

Chronic tress is the most common symptom of adrenal fatigue. This can sometimes contribute to and even mask itself in low energy levels and wreak havoc on your digestive system. Yep. It might not always been what you’re eating that’d making your stomach upset like that…

Now, there are TONS of adaptogens out there… and I’ve already been pretty scientific-y… So I’m going to just share with you the benefits of the adaptogens you’ve probably at least seen in an insta-story…

Starting with the 2 I’ve been using over the last couple months….

Ashwaganda (those party pills you saw in the first picture)
Soothing
Can help anxiety (seriously amazing for this), fatigue, and insomnia from stress
Support immune system health
Support under active thyroid
Rich in Iron, therefore supportive during heavy periods
In men: supports fertility and vitality

NOTE: not ideal for people with an overactive thyroid

Maca (Seriously, check out the Fab4 Smoothie)
Immune system booster
Helps you to “feel alive”. Because it balances hormones and elevates those “feel good” endorphins
Helps to control estrogen levels in women with PCOS
Increases energy (without jitters!), memory, and mood
Is an aphrodisiac, nutritive tonic, and sperm count booster. Increases libido and hormonal health in both women and men (slip some in your man’s smoothie… he’ll never know!)

You can buy the one I use here

Ginseng|
Supports physical endurance
Supports immune system
Increases mental clarity

Reishi
Works as an into-inflamatory
Lowers blood pressure
Helps you sleep
Reduces anxiety and depression

Cordyceps
Support kidney health
Helps to treat infertility
Helps to treat dizziness and fatigue
Acts as a kidney and lung tonic
Main uses: As a kidney and liver protected and to boost athletic performance and immunity.

NOTE: Some of the adaptogens listed above have been recommended NOT to take if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant… and some don’t have enough evidence to prove if they can be harmful during pregnancy… so talk to your doctor.

For those who have no idea where to get this stuff… go to your local health food store. I’ve also linked my favourite maca powder and ashwaganda capsules below!

Who uses adaptogens? And which ones? I’d love to hear what you guys are using and how you use them! Leave all your stories and tips in the comments below <3

XOXO