As the weather warms up, we’re looking forward to transitioning from hot drinks to iced. Instead of reaching for a coffee, consider swapping your daily habit for an energizing alternative that’s loaded with additional health benefits – Yerba Mate. It’s also cleanse-approved, so there’s no reason not to try it!
THE COFFEE CONUNDRUM
Millions of people rely on coffee to wake up and start their days. Many of us reach for another cup post-lunch to stay alert through afternoon meetings and have enough energy to make it to the gym. While it may perk us up temporarily, coffee activates our fight-or-flight response every time we take a sip, which takes a toll on our adrenal glands.
Over time, the adrenal glands start to wear down from overuse. This eventually leads to adrenal fatigue, which can cause exhaustion, reduced sex drive, loss of concentration, food cravings, and other unpleasant symptoms. In other words, drinking coffee can actually make us more tired. The stress coffee puts on our adrenal glands and detox organs is one of the main reasons we avoid it on the 21-Day Clean Program. Instead of coffee, we like drinking Yerba Mate for an energy boost that doesn’t come with a crash.
YERBA MATE: AN ENERGIZING COFFEE SUBSTITUTE
Yerba Mate, also called Mate, is a South American herb that grows wild in Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Brazil. Mate has been drunk for centuries for health, sustained energy, and mental clarity, and for good reason. It boasts 24 vitamins and minerals, 15 amino acids, and higher antioxidant levels than many brewed green teas. While there is caffeine in Mate, it only contains a third of what you’d get from a cup of coffee. Plus, with the presence of natural calming tryptophan, Mate provides nearly identical energizing effects of drinking coffee without the jitters, shakes, or anxiety.
In addition to giving us an energy boost, Yerba Mate stimulates the immune system and helps protect the body from disease. Studies have also shown that Mate can naturally lower our cholesterol and promote healthy weight loss. This season, we’re drinking our Mate iced with creamy macadamia milk and a hint of rosemary.
Yerba Mate Iced Latte
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups filtered water
4 Yerba Mate tea bags
½ cup raw macadamia nuts
1 sprig fresh rosemary (plus extra for garnish)
Ice, for serving
Directions:
Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and add the Yerba Mate teabags. Steep for 30 minutes.
Remove the teabags and add a sprig of fresh rosemary to the saucepan. Allow the rosemary to infuse the tea as it comes down to room temperature, about 15 minutes. For a stronger rosemary flavor, add the rosemary along with the teabags.
Once the tea has dropped to room temperature, remove the rosemary sprig and pour the tea into a high-speed blender. Add the macadamia nuts and blend on high for two minutes.
Position a very fine mesh strainer or nut milk bag over a measuring cup or small pitcher. Pour the mate blend through to catch the pulp, pressing the strainer with a spoon or squeezing the nut milk bag to extract as much of the liquid as possible.
To serve, fill two glasses with ice. Pour the latte into the glasses and garnish with fresh rosemary. Enjoy cold.
Recipe and photography by Kate Kasbee
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