Start Your Day Off Right With A Morning Elixir

One of the most memorable things I learned from my holistic health professor was the importance of a morning elixir. When first waking up in the morning most people are thirsty after a long night of internal restoration and crave something to refresh and jump start their day. If you’re groggy and have a hard time waking up your mind a cleansing drink is in order. Start your day off bright and energetic without all the caffeine induced buzz overload from coffee. Skip the cup of joe and try one of these detoxifying morning pick-me ups:

In order of cleansing quality. The lower on the list the more cleansing ability:

1.) Warming teas:
ex. ginger, fenugreek, cinnamon, star anise, fennel, spearmint

2.) Vegetable broth:
ex. cabbage, parsley

3.) Micro-algae drink:
ex. spirulina or chlorella

4.) Water:
plain or with sqeezed lemon

5.) Vegetable juice:
ex. carrot, celery

6.) Fruit juice:
ex. apple, prune, grape, orange

7.) Barley/wheat-grass juice:
ex. freshly extracted, or from commercial powders

8.) Wild micro-algae drink:
freeze-dried wild blue-green micro-alga

9.) Root teas:
ex. burdock, dandelion, chicory

10.) Flower teas:
ex. chamomile, red clover blossoms, orange blossoms

This list is based on Traditional Chinese Medicine and takes into account the warming and cooling qualities of each drink. It’s recommended to only drink an elixir that is room temperature or warmer. That way your morning detox will jump start your metabolism rather than shock it with cold.

Common black and green tea also are incredibly beneficial to ones health, but are not included on the list because of their caffeine content. These teas are great for a little later in the morning. Not when first waking up.

Another tea that I adore is “kukicha” or “bancha twig tea,” made from the branches of certain tea plants. It’s the mildest tea with the least caffeine and most minerals. A perfect tea for any time of day.

My professor swore by her lemon water, followed by kukicha tea later in the morning. I can definitely see why. It feels amazing to wake up and start your day feeling rejuvinated, not jittery and frantic like one can get from drinking too much caffeine.

Don’t be an instant human, mix up your coffee routine and try some tea, or wheat grass, or even just lemon water!

Resource: Healing With Whole Foods, by Paul Pitchford