* Photo by Juan Pablo Olmo

Do you ever need an instant jolt of energy or a steady, calm laser-focused mind?

Coffee can tend to cause a crash, give you the jitters, or just plain rile you up in a way that doesn’t actually help you get any work done. So here’s an alternative to coffee with a rarely-known infusion of superfoods that will literally rock your world (without knocking you off the horse!).

“Million Dollar Rockstar” Yerba Mate Tea

Easy to make, with few ingredients, this is the best instant jolt we’ve discovered that is entirely organic, infused with superfoods that nourish the body, and that tastes great (as long as you like herbal teas with a bitter flavor).

Plus you get the added anti-aging and de-calcification benefits of its ingredients! {More information on the ingredients below this recipe}

• Brew loose leaf yerba mate tea in your coffee maker (like regular coffee in a filter) or with a french press
• Pour the tea base into a mug that has 1/2 tbsp shilajit powder and 1/2 tbsp MSM powder. Stir constantly while pouring so the powder doesn’t clump.
• You can also elect to put the powders in the french press with the loose leaf tea so that it all steeps together. Just make sure to multiply the amount of powders by the number of servings/mugs your french press holds.
• Sweeten to taste with Stevia or Zero Wholesome Sweetener (you can use any organic, natural sweetener with zero sugar – we personally stay away from Agave, however)
• OR… Sweeten with raw honey like we do: YUM!
• Drink early in the morning, particularly if you’re sensitive to caffeine. This recipe has been known to keep people up at night if taken after 11am (even people not at all sensitive to coffee). If you do need a quick pick-me-up mid-day just drink half a mug or one mug, but don’t drink a whole batch!

For some, the bitter taste of this tea may take getting used to. If this is the case, start out with half the shilajit and MSM powder and build up over time. Also feel free to increase them over time.

A Word on Sweeteners: Be sure to stick to organic sweeteners with no artificial ingredients or chemicals (including in the processing of them… for example, stevia is a green plant herb – you have to wonder how they crystallize it into little white kernels!). Look at your local health food store in the natural sweetener and/or supplement sections. However it’s VERY important that you use sugar-free sweeteners that have NO ARTIFICIAL ingredients.

Otherwise your blood sugar will crash and you’ll defeat the entire purpose of this recipe. Most vegan and raw health experts also say to stay away from Agave Nectar because it’s been proven to spike your blood sugar as well. We personally use raw honey for the taste and the amazing benefits of raw honey. We’re willing to have that bit of sugar and we’ve never felt a crash as a result. For some reason the enzymes still present in raw honey, as well as it’s other properties, seem to stabilize the normal side effects of the amount of sugar present.)

What Are These Ingredients For & What Do They Do?

If you’re new to superfoods like Shilajit and MSM here’s a quick breakdown of what they are and why they’re used.

Shilajit: Eventually, through thousands of years of time-proven benefits, Shilajit has come to be the #1 tool in Ayurvedic medicine, the traditional herbal system of India. ‘Shilajit’ is Sanskrit for “rock-invincible” because it would seep out of the cracks and layers of rock in the Himalayas. It is also mentioned by Aristotle as a remedy with antiseptic and general stimulant properties. As an interesting side note, most scientists agree that the Greeks originally found Shilajit (called mumijo in Greek) when they noticed wounded animals frequenting the caves that held the substance.

Used for many purposes, Shilajit is said to be useful as a:

•  Anti-infammatory (arthritis, rheumatism)
• Pain Reliever
• Anti-Anxiety/Anti-Stress
• Anti-Aging (both mental and physical)

How Shilajit works and what it does:

{The below is pulled from David Wolfe’s Longevity Warehouse Website}

• Mineralize the body with the full spectrum of dietary minerals and trace minerals needed for human health. Contains 88+ dietary minerals and trace minerals along with fulvic and humic acid.
• Dissolve calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate crystals in the tissue and around the bones. When we eat acidic foods, breathe acidic air, endure excessive stress, and other environmental factors, the calcium can leach from our bones (to neutralize the acid) and get deposited in our tissue, around our skeletal structure, and even in our brains. It is speculated that the fulvic acid in Shilajit can dissolve these calcium crystals and eliminate them naturally.
• Receive fulvic acid, which is key in nutrient absorption, as well as being a strong detoxifier.

You can get Shilajit here.

MSM Powder: A bitter crystalline white powder, MSM is an essential building block for joints, cartilage, hair, skin and nails, and also supports energy production in the body.  Additionally, research now indicates that MSM may provide natural and effective support in alleviating inflammation throughout the body.

MSM has been shown to help people with:

• Osteoarthritis
• Interstitial cystitis
• Snoring

It also assists with anti-aging, detoxification, de-calcification and flexibility. This is because it operates primarily on joint health as well as benefiting complexion, hair, nails and vitality for an overall more youthful look, feel and mental capacity.

You can get MSM here.

Oh, and you can get Yerba Mate tea at any health food store (it’s quite popular!). However we recommend loose leaf tea for the best flavor and effect. You can also find this at the Longevity Warehouse Online Store or elsewhere such as Amazon.com. Enjoy!!

NOTE: All links to mentioned ingredients are to Longevity Warehouse. After working in the health field for 17 years, Angela feels (and Jaime agrees) that their products are the purest, most closely tested and monitored superfoods and superherbs available on the market. Our links to them are not affiliated and we make no money in recommending them. However, we do want you to know that we absolutely adore them also because Angela has worked with David Wolfe and the Longevity Team for over a decade.

We give you these recommendations to get you started on your own search and we welcome you to conduct your own research to find what feels best for you!