Once upon a time, I used to wake up and enjoy a cup (or 3) of hot, delicious coffee. Like most adults, coffee was my nectar. Then I began to notice that stress and anxiety were becoming an issue. My stomach also didn’t seem to like it. I felt unnaturally amped up and jittery only to crash hard in the afternoon and feel sluggish and awful. Fast-forward another six months to when I was *still* drinking coffee despite feeling bad. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, which is an autoimmune thyroid disease and decided to take full control of my health. I went on a clean eating, gluten free diet and also cut out coffee. After the initial withdrawals (coffee is seriously addictive) I began to feel SO much better! I woke up feeling refreshed and had more sustained energy through the day. BUT, I *really* missed the ritual of cozying up with that warm cup of goodness in the morning!

Enter this drink, which we call mud tea. Coffee WHAT? Coffee has nothing on this. This drink is loaded with all sorts of goodness and tastes like none other! Keep reading and we’ll go over some benefits of each ingredient!

Now, as a disclaimer, I will let you know that I do not measure this out. These amounts are estimates and should be adjusted based on your taste. I actually prefer mine slightly thicker and more buttery than this recipe and so I use a wee bit more cacao and ghee than I called for here. Try it out, experiment with amounts and find your happy place.

You will need:

• 2 cups of hot water or brewed tea (such as chai)
• 1 TBSP CACAO
• 1/2 tsp MACA
• 1 tsp ghee or butter
• 1 tsp MAPLE SYRUP or HONEY
• 1 tsp gelatin (not the packets please! Try Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides)
• pinch of SEA SALT
• 2-3 drops of essential oils (see our favorite picks below!)
• creamer to taste (we like homemade COCONUT CREAMER!)

Add all ingredients to your favorite mug, give it a good stir and enjoy!

*MAKE AHEAD TIP: Make a ready-to-go Mud Tea mix with all of the dry ingredients! I used MAPLE SUGAR (dried maple syrup) for the sweetener in the mix so I only have to add my ghee and creamer to it. I also stuck a couple of vanilla beans in the jar with the mix to infuse a bit of vanilla flavor!

So which oil do you choose? Here’s a round-up of our favorites!

• Peppermint Vitality – Peppermint is invigorating, known for encouraging mental clarity. It also is very supportive of a healthy respiratory system.
• Thieves Vitality – Supportive of a healthy immune system. This is a great way to get your daily dose of Thieves!
• Orange Vitality – On it’s own or along with any of these other oils, orange tastes SO good! It is also full of limonene. Google it!
• Copaiba Vitality– Promotes overall wellness and includes the naturally occurring constituents beta-caryophyllene and alpha-humulene.

What’s so great about mud tea anyway?

• Cacao – Full of flavonoids and may lower your risk of serious disease. Also higher levels of antioxidants than black or green tea, and red wine. Also highly beneficial in promoting a healthy cardiovascular system. Not to mention that it contains magnesium, and other essential minerals such as calcium, sulfur, zinc, iron, copper, potassium, and manganese , as well as vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B9, C, and E. Pass the cacao?
• Maca – Wonderfully supportive of balanced hormones, which could prove helpful for fertility, menopausal symptoms and PMS. Also supports happy skin, overall mood and sexual function. Maca is rich in vitamin B, C, and E. It provides plenty of calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, phosphorous and amino acids. Because of all this, it gives a nice energy boost that can even improve athletic performance!
• Ghee – Ghee is essentially lactose free and casein free clarified butter, which means even those who are lactose intolerant can enjoy it’s deliciousness. It’s FULL of healthy fats and helps maintain healthy metabolism and weight. Seriously, the energy from these medium chain fatty acids can be used to burn other fats in the system and lose weight. It is supportive of a healthy immune and digestive system… and it tastes AMAZING! Truly.
• Maple Syrup – Antioxidant rich with a lower glycemic index than most other sweeteners. Also provides zinc and manganese which support a healthy immune system, maintain a good metabolism and healthy blood sugar regulation!
• Gelatin (collagen hydrolysate) – Loaded with protein and easily digested, gelatin is supportive of gut and joint health. Contains millions of essential amino acids and peptides which regulate cell function. Feeling of alertness, improved concentration, balanced mood, improved energy and increased sense of well-being have been reported! Because collagen hydrolysate dissolves in cold water, as well as hot, and will not congeal like regular gelatin, you can use this high-protein powder in endless ways!
• Sea Salt – Includes vital minerals like sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, bromide, chloride, iron, copper, and zinc among other beneficial elements. The benefits for your well-being are seemingly endless. Plus, it adds rich flavor!

Wake up. Enjoy your warm cup of mud tea and know that you’re starting your day off to a good start!