Bulletproof Adaptogenic Coffee Elixir
The most commonly consumed psychoactive substance in the world. Consumed by 87% of adults in Canada alone. Each person drinks in average 3.2 cups per day. Funnily enough, Finland (my home country) is the worlds largest coffee consumer, where the average adult Finn consumes 27.5 lbs of coffee each year. The average American “only” consumes 11 lbs. Coffee is said to have been discovered by a group of shepherds in Ethiopia circa 800 A.D. and have been both praised and banned for its stimulating effects all over the world. This renowned beverage comes with great health benefits but can also cause a series of very negative effects in the body. The way coffee is farmed, roasted, and processed today has put its health benefitting qualities in a drastic decline, and what once may have been healthy can actually be quite far from it today. I happen to be a little bit of a coffee enthusiast and nerd, and have experienced both the bad and good sides of coffee, which i would like to elaborate a little bit on in this blog post.
While coffee is rich in antioxidants, can improve mood and energy temporarily, contains nutrients like bioflavin (B2), potassium, manganese, niacin (B3), magnesium, and pantothenic acid (B5), can increase memory and mental performance, and, according to most scientific research, can protect against cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease and some types of cancers, coffee also comes with a pretty wide arsenal of not so great qualities.
The coffee bean is cultivated and grown in over 70 countries across the globe and is the most heavily treated crop in the entire world. Many people will be surprised to know that there are more chemicals in their coffee than on the average pharmacy shelf, from pesticides and decaffeination chemicals to mold. The most detrimental of all toxins is a mold called mycotoxin.
A mycotoxin is a toxic secondary metabolite produced by organisms of the fungus kingdom and is capable of causing (in large quanitities) disease and death in both humans and other animals. Mycotoxins grow on a variety of different crops and foodstuffs including cereals, nuts, spices, dried fruits, apples and most commonly on coffee beans. The adverse health effects of mycotoxins range from acute poisoning to long-term effects such as immune deficiency and cancer. Several hundred different mycotoxins have been identified, but the most commonly observed mycotoxins that present a concern to human health include aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, patulin, fumonisins, zearalenone and nivalenol. When people say that they are sensitive to coffee, these toxins are what causes that sensitivity, not the caffeine itself unlike common belief.
This is the reason i had to quit coffee altogether a couple of years ago. At the time i didn’t know why i was getting so extremely sick from coffee (anxiety, panic attacks, acid reflux, nausea, dizziness, irritability, migraines) when i could drink tea and even energy drinks just fine. I knew it wasn’t the caffeine. Not too long ago though one of my work collegues introduced me to Bulletproof coffee. Bulletproof is a brand that sells certified organic and toxicfree coffee beans. They perform vigorous testing to make sure all their products don’t contain any chemical contaminants or molds (aka mycotoxins). I was sceptical at first, but tried it anyway. And sure enough, no side effects. I still only drink 1-2 cups of coffee per month as i have worked on other areas to regain the energy i was lacking and the reason i used to need coffee to get me going. Now it’s a straight up endulgement. And not just in the way of a regular ol’ cuppa coffee. This is how i make it, and it is honestly the most delicious coffee in this entire universe, i swear!
This is more of a coffee elixir than anything else. By adding the oils and butter it makes the coffee richer and more caloric, and helps distribute the caffeine over a more balanced period of time and without the crashing effects usually followed by coffee. Mesquite powder gives it a delicious creamy flavour, marine collagen helps maintain healthy connective tissues throughout the body (which the acidity of coffee often cuases to deteriorate over time), and MSM helps detoxify the liver and improves skin and hair health. Reishi and cordyceps are adoptogenic medicinal mushrooms that protect and strengthen your adrenal glands (which get very taxed and depleted from regular coffee consumption), help balance hormones, reduce cortisol levels, and strengthens the immune system. And last but not least, CBD oil (cannabidiol), a non-psychoactive compound found in the cannabis or marijuana plant. When connected to our cannabinoid receptors, located throughout the body, as part of the endocannabinoid system, CBD oil can help improve our immune system, reduce chroinc pains, reduce inflammation, increase mental clarity, reduce anxiety and depression, and provide neuroprotective properties.
So give this insanely delicious elixir a go, and also be aware of the dangers of drinking coffee in excess. It is a stimulant and psychoactive after all, that changes our biochemical structure in the body and brain. Not to be messed around with in my opinion.
