Need an afternoon energy boost? Our sneaky coffee + chocolate treat?
It’s two, maybe three o’clock in the afternoon and your energy is waning. A quick nap would be lovely, but either work or the kids would prevent an uninterrupted 30 minutes of snoozing. Another option would be to turn to venti coffee for a pick me up, but. . . then there’s a caffeine crash along with sugar cravings a few hours later. You could turn to the secret stash of chocolate for a quick energy surge, but that’s going to wreak havoc on your blood sugar and mood and cravings and create a hot mess.
Can’t there be a happy medium? Yes there is! It’s called a Nap-a-chino!
1 cup: cold brew coffee. (there’s your small coffee fix)
1 cup: full fat coconut milk (good fats to keep you full)
2T: cacao powder (there’s your “chocolate”)
1T: maca powder (energy from the Incan gods)
2 tsp: of Raw honey (natural sweetener)
1T: vanilla extract
Handful of spinach (yes–sneak a serving of veggies in there too!)
[Optional] ¼ -tsp: Spirulina (bonus superfood!)
[Optional] Dash of cayenne pepper (here’s the instant zap or kick you’re looking for)
[Optional] Ice to make it more of a chilled smoothie
Directions: Blend all the ingredients together and enjoy!
Best served after chilling for a few hours or overnight
ONLY HAVE A MINUTE TO SPARE and can’t blend on the spot. . . Make your Nap-a-chino the night before and refrigerate. Before you enjoy, stir it up and dance at the same time– why not! Not only will it get you moving and grooving, getting your blood flowing, but it will shake up your drink! By increasing your blood circulation (a la cayenne pepper and dance moves), you’ll feel an instant pick me up. If that’s all the time you can spare, at least you got your body moving, snuck in some veggies and good fats, and superfood sidekicks!
IF YOU HAVE SIX MINUTES. . . make them mindful and unplug from the multi-tasking and social media scrolling and take a real mental break. Be honest, we all have wasted time on social media at one point or another and then realize too much time has passed and now we’re playing catch up and feeling guilty about the wasted time. Let’s instead, skip the guilt and create some headspace to re-energize. We love just sitting with our eyes closed to re-group. You can also grab a journal and jot down a few things you are grateful for. Reconnect with yourself, take a few deep breaths and you will feel like a new woman.
IF YOU HAVE 20-30 MINUTES. . . take a power nap! Just a few minutes of closing your eyes to recharge can shift your whole day and energy level. You will feel more alert and your concentration and motor skills will be improved. That’s a real Nap-a-chino! — Be sure not to exceed 30 minutes or you could end up in a brain fog.
One reason we are drained by the end of the day is because we aren’t present in our day’s experiences. We just go through the motions. And at the end of the day, we haven’t taken the time to notice, appreciate, and witness all the good in our lives. The key is to take a mindful moment and/or get the blood moving. It’s not about the mini caffeine or chocolate boost. It’s about honoring where you are right at that moment and using the sensual experience to recharge yourself for the rest of your day’s adventure.
Remember ladies, if you do hit that afternoon slump and really struggle with energy, it is possible that you are experiencing some version of adrenal fatigue. This is when the hormones feel out of balance, and it can impact energy levels, your sleep cycle, hormone balance and so much more. If this is something you want more information or support on, Emily run’s Adrenal Stress Profile tests in her practice, and can answer some questions for you on this topic! Just reply to this email and we will hook you up!
Cheers beautiful!
