Recipe: Pumpkin Matcha Latte

Camellia sinensis.

If you didn’t already know, this is the plant that all traditional teas come from: black tea, green tea, white tea, oolong, and our focus today – matcha. Isn’t it fascinating that we get all of these very different beverages from one plant? They are simply processed and sometimes grown differently to yield various tastes and effects.

I must tell you that I’ve been caffeine-free for a few years now, but I recently started drinking matcha tea in the morning after completing an online learning course from the Society of Wellness titled Functional Herbal Therapy and Cancer by Kerry Bone, one of my favorite herbal teachers.

This course was absolutely amazing and the power of green tea kept coming up over and over and over again. For instance, it is one of the 4 G’s of anti-aging, alongside ginseng, ginkgo, and garlic.

Are these plants a part of your daily life?

Because remember: vitality isn't about doing one big thing, it's about all the little things we do that either move us towards the highest version of ourselves or away from health and vitality. You choose.

Green tea also addresses 3 out of 10 key strategies to prevent cancer:

1. Reducing oxidative stress, increasing detoxification, and inducing Nrf2 which is a master regulator of antioxidant production in our bodies. You need to know that the antioxidants your body makes are infinitely stronger than the ones you eat. Green tea helps your body make strong antioxidants.

2. “Thinning” the blood resulting in healthy endothelial responses and improved tissue perfusion. This has to do with what is called the tumor microenvironment, asking the basic question: is your tissue a breeding ground for cancer? There is a thin layer of epithelial tissue lining your blood vessels and you want it to be healthy - green tea helps here.

3. Supporting healthy methylation and increasing epigenetic/genomic stability. While genes are far from destiny, what we consume and how we live affects genetic expression. We want stable genes, and no surprise here: green tea protects our genes.

Matcha is a special form of green tea – it’s a finely ground powder of Camellia sinensis leaves with the stems and veins removed that have been shade grown for 3-4 weeks before harvest. This technique increases their caffeine and theanine content, which is the part of green tea that gives you that alert, happy, calm feeling.

Ready to try it? I can tell you that this alone is delicious: Matcha Latte MCT Oil Powder from Perfect Keto where ceremonial-grade matcha is combined with MCT oil powder and a touch of stevia. All you have to do is add hot water, blend, and enjoy. But I’ve discovered a way to take it to the next level by making a pumpkin matcha latte…

What you need:

1 cup boiling water

1 scoop Matcha Latte MCT Oil Powder from Perfect Keto

½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

A batch of the Best Nut Milk Ever

While water is boiling, place matcha latte powder and pumpkin spice in blender. Add nut milk to frother – press start (this usually takes about 2 minutes). When water has boiled, pour one cup into blender and mix on high until creamy and frothy. Pour the matcha into your favorite mug and then add frothed milk.

Sit back, relax, and know that Starbucks can kiss your ass – you are now empowered to make your very own tasty, low-carb, health-promoting latte at home. Mmmmmm.

Drink your matcha in peace, my friends!

Love,

Charlotte

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The Best Nut Milk - EVER!

"Necessity is the mother of invention."

Especially in the kitchen. The other day I didn't have what I needed to make my typical nut milk, so I had to get creative, and what I made was better than ever before...

1 cup raw almonds from Terrasoul

1 cup raw pecans

1 cup shredded coconut (or raw macadamia nuts)

4 cups water

1 TBS vanilla extract

Pinch of sea salt

Place nuts and water in high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Strain with nut milk bag. Pour into quart jar with vanilla and salt. Shake well and store in fridge.

If you like this recipe, you may love my weekly newsletter and my book Eat in Peace to Live in Peace: Your Handbook for Vitality.

Drink your nut milk in peace, my friends!

How I Support My Immune System

Does everyone remember that Janet Jackson song – What have you done for me lately? Well, that’s what your immune system may be asking of you right now!

In the spirit of Covid-19, also known as the Coronavirus, I’d like to share with you what I do to support my immune system. Some of these things won’t be a surprise to you, while some of them will. Some of you may already be doing some of this but don't realize that it's supporting your immunity - now you can bring your intention to these things. Some of you may judge me for being excessive – that’s fine because you haven’t lived in my body. Some of you may think, I don't have the time or money for that - I say, do what you can.

As the child of a man who ran a sugar company and was diagnosed with asthma at 3 years of age, I’ve had more steroids and antibiotics than I can count! When the Epstein-Barr virus took me down to the ground in 2002, that was the final straw – I had to learn how to care for my immune system or join the walking dead. I chose the former and these are my rituals:

I take an absolute shit load of supplements.

From Standard Process, I use:

Allerplex 12 per day – This is a multivitamin for people with allergies.

Calcium Lactate 8 per day – This comes from beets and performs an essential immune function in the blood as food for the white blood cells. You don't want sluggish, dumb white blood cells!

Cod Liver Oil 3 per day – A source of fat soluble vitamins, specifically vitamin A which keeps the mucus membranes healthy. Our ancestors had 10 times the amount of fat soluble vitamins that we consume today thanks to our avoidance of animal fat.

Immuplex 4 per day – A multivitamin for the immune system, rich in organs and glands which are largely missing from our diets and contains everything the mucus membrane needs for its proper function.

Sesame Seed Oil 2 per day – This builds the blood.

Zypan 2 per day – Healthy stomach acid is an essential part of your immune system. This supports and restores digestive function.

From MediHerb, I use:

Albizia Complex 6 per day – I can’t live without this formula. It stabilizes mast cells which can be trigger happy for histamine release. Plus, it’s a happy pill and lifts the spirits which is something you don’t get with allergy medications!

Astragalus 1:2 – This is in my daily liquid herbal blend. It deeply supports and builds the immune system. It is also a remedy for the lungs.

Echinacea Premium 2 per day – Echinacea primes the immune system. Let’s say we are both at a party and someone sneezes on us. I’m taking echinacea and you’re not. That means my body is ready to mount an immune response and yours may not be. It also supports healthy lymphatic function. Echinacea is all about prevention.

Eleuthero 2 per day – This is an adaptogen specific to supporting immune function. It supports a healthy stress response and recovery from stressful events. It makes me a nicer person.

Turmeric Forte 4 per day – This is a potent anti-inflammatory. Inflammation IS the immune system. We don’t want a raging fire within us; we want a healthy fire. Turmeric aids appropriate inflammatory responses in the body, and often acts as an antidepressant.

Mushrooms: I alternate between Ganoderma & Shiitake from MediHerb and the Immune Builder from Mushroom Science, both at 2 per day. Mushrooms are medicinal foods for the immune system. They keep the immune system awake and ready and play a key role in cancer prevention. They also exhibit antiviral activity.

Vitamin D3 1 squirt from Quicksilver Scientific – While the best source of vitamin is the sun, this assures me that I have enough coming in. Vitamin D is essential for healthy immune function.

Lung Tonic from Herbs Etc 3 squirts per day – As a former asthmatic, this formula prevents the use of my inhaler when my lungs are exposed to particulate or I simply feel vulnerable. It is very effective in keeping the lung tissue healthy, if this is an area of concern for you.

In terms of ways of eating, I eat at low-carb, high-fat diet avoiding all grains, dairy, legumes, and fruit, except for berries.

I don’t drink alcohol. Why? Three reasons. One it makes you do stupid shit and lowers inhibitions, like here I am at a party partaking in a glass of red wine when all of a sudden that brownie looks good to me. “WTF? Live a little, Char!” So I eat it and pay the price. Who needs alcohol? It's a gateway to stupidity.

Secondly, alcohol is a toxin. The liver prioritizes neutralizing it at the expense of doing everything else the liver does. No thanks. I like my detoxification pathways to work! In fact, I remember the day I got sick from the mononucleosis infection from hell, I had just enjoyed a margarita earlier that afternoon. Did it cause my infection? No, but it is a vivid memory and likely played a role.

Last but not least, alcoholic beverages often contain sugar – which disables the immune system, poison that it is.

As a side note, the last time my family took a cruise for vacation (yeah, those days are over), the massage therapist I worked with said, "You must not drink alcohol. Your skin is so healthy." I confirmed her suspicions. She said that she can always tell. Interesting, heh?

I stay hydrated – simple but not easy.

I float weekly for one hour.

I get acupuncture every other week.

I get a 90-minute massage every other week.

My family receives monthly chiropractic care.

I enjoy an infrared sauna a few times per week.

I use exercise to relieve stress, not add to it. I walk, rebound, and lift weights slow burn-style once per week. Sometimes I go to yoga class.

I try to go to sleep as close to 9PM as possible. Many times this doesn’t happen but the effort is there!

We've cancelled all of our air travel that is not related to work.

Most recently, when I became aware of the negative health impact of radiofrequency radiation, we eliminated all wireless devices from our home, installed a remote cut-off switch to turn off all electricity off at night, and got rid of our cell phones.

Please remember that you do not have an immune system, you are an immune system. Microbes and pathogens greatly outnumber us – for the most part they are not the problem, we are.

So again, my immune system asks me: what have you done for me lately?

And to that I say – I literally live for you.

May you wake up and do the same, my friends.

Stay well in peace.

Love,

Charlotte

PS - If you need any nutritional and herbal support during this time or want to learn how to eliminate wireless technology from your home, I'm here for you. You can make an appointment here.