16 Carat Chai

Chai is becoming a popular substitute for coffee because it helps people get going in the morning without as much caffeine. Chai is a traditional Indian drink and it has a lot of healing properties. Many people depend on stimulants to get going in the morning. Like everything in Ayurveda we must assess whether it is appropriate or inappropriate and coffee may not be appropriate for most people.

This tea may seem reminiscent of Bulletproof Coffee, and it is.  They serve similar purposes and it is for this reason that I named it 16 Carat Chai. It is also similar to Tim Ferris’s Titanium Tea.

There are quite a few differences between Titanium Tea, Bulletproof Coffee and 16 Carat Chai as the herbal components are very different.

Chai is traditionally made with black tea. You may want to consider adding some green tea to your chai because the stimulating chemicals in the black and green tea are staggered in the blood plasma concentrations. This can help to stop the crash that often occurs after drinking caffeinated beverages.

Another approach is to include yerba mate instead of green tea because of its different chemical constituents. Like most things you may want to experiment with different combinations to find the one that is optimal for your biochemistry.

You may find that when you use the theophylline (found in green tea) and theobromine (the primary alkaloid in cocoa and chocolate) instead of caffeine it is easier to quit stimulants without withdrawal headaches.

In addition to the powerful antioxidants in black and green tea there is the addition of te herbs in a chai blend including cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, black pepper, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. Each of these herbs has a host of powerful effects such as pain relieving, anti-inflammatory, digestive stimulating and on and on. It is the addition of these herbs that really separates 16 Carat Chai from Titanium Tea and Bulletproof Coffee.

The addition of coconut oil and grass fed butter has the effect of feeling effective for 3-4 hours instead of feeling amazing for 30 minutes and then fatigued, which leads to more stimulant consumption.

The most important thing to consider is dosage. Even theophylline and theobromine have plenty of adverse effects. Up to 16 ounces a day of this beverage is the general recommendation, but if you have a more sensitive system you will want to drink less and if you have a sluggish system you may need to drink more.

Here is the recipe:

16 Carat Chai

Ingredients:

• 1-2 Tablespoons of Spiced Chai Black Bio-Active Heicha Fermented Tea
• 1 cup of water
• 1 teaspoon- 1 Tablespoon coconut oil (Nutiva is my favorite)
• 1 teaspoon- 1 Tablespoon unsalted grass fed butter (Kerry Gold is my favorite)
• 1 Tablespoon Native Forest Full Fat Coconut milk
• Pinch of organic turmeric powder
• Pinch of ginger powder

Directions:
Steep the Chai in a cup of boiling water for about 2-5 minutes. I like to use a Nutri-bullet blender and I place the remaining ingredients into the blender and then pour the tea into the blender and pulse for a few seconds. You can use whatever method you like in order to emulsify the oil so that it incorporates with the tea.

I like the fermented black tea blends but for a simpler version with tea bags consider using Organic India Chai or here is a list published by the Huffington Post with some other suggestions. Once the can of coconut milk has been opened remove it from the metal and place in a glass jar for storage and it will last longer.

Lastly, I would love to know what you think about this recipe. Please leave me a comment below.