adrenal-nourishing iced protein london fog

Written by Heather Hart | @howtonourish

Earl grey tea and lavender combine to make the most heavenly drink; a London fog. This adrenal-nourishing take on a classic beverage is iced to satisfy in colder weather and uses caffeine-free rooibos chai to avoid taxing the adrenals. This is the perfect alternative to iced coffee.

Let’s face it – your adrenals probably need some love. If you’re chasing babies all day, if your house is a mess, if you work from home with kids around, if you have to rush home to make dinner, if you sit down at the end of the day and melt into the couch... your adrenals could use some extra nourishment. Motherhood can be tough on our stress hormones, especially when our kids are little and loud and so busy.

If you’ve never had a London fog, you’re in for a treat! Adding protein and minerals to this recipe, along with caffeine-free tea, ensures some serious love and affection for your adrenal glands that are so easily taxed. Make one in the morning with breakfast or enjoy as an afternoon snack!

breaking down the ingredients

• Rooibos earl grey loose-leaf tea and lavender flowers. The hallmark combination of a London Fog. Rooibos earl grey will give you an adrenal-nourishing caffeine-free tea for us mamas that doesn’t tax the adrenals like a caffeinated version would if you’re already stressed. My personal favorite loose-leaf teas come from Mountain Rose Herbs.
• Milk. Gives your drink the lovely creamy texture in any good London Fog. Any milk you prefer should work fine for this recipe.
• Vanilla protein powder. Adds a hefty serving of protein to nourish and support your adrenals. Depending on your protein powder, you may want to add a touch of extra sweetness to your drink with maple syrup or another mineral-rich sweetener of your choice. Taste it first, then decide!
• Trace Mineral drops. Adds adrenal-supportive minerals to your drink and helps you hydrate better.
• Grey salt or sea salt. Adds even more minerals and brings out the flavor and sweetness in your drink.

questions & answers

Can I use any earl grey tea or does it have to be rooibos?

You can use an earl grey you have on hand, but keep in mind that rooibos tea is caffeine-free and recommended to keep the drink adrenal-supportive. If you know caffeine doesn’t bother you, feel free to use a traditional earl grey.

Can I use earl grey tea bags instead of loose-leaf tea?

Yes! I would use two earl grey tea bags on your first batch and adjust depending on your desired potency.

Can I make this ahead of time and store it?

Definitely, and I often do. I like my tea cold from the fridge so I will typically brew it the night before I want to drink it and store it covered in the fridge until I’m ready to use it. This is a great way to have your drink cold without needing to add ice.

Can I make this drink hot instead of iced?

Yep! While your tea is brewing, heat the milk, then pour it into the blender with everything else in step #2 below.

adrenal-supporting iced protein london fog

Recipe by Heather Hart

Makes: 30 oz

Prep Time: 20 minutes (with brew time)

ingredients

• 1 tbsp rooibos earl grey tea (Mountain Rose Herbs)
• 1/2 tsp lavender flowers (Mountain Rose Herbs)
• 20 oz water, just boiled
• 10 oz milk of choice
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder of choice
• trace mineral drops to preference
• 1/4-1/2 tsp Celtic grey salt or sea salt of choice
• optional: maple syrup or another sweetener to taste*
• optional: ice

directions

1. Add earl grey and lavender flowers to a tea strainer, place in a 32 oz mason jar, and cover strainer with just-boiled water. Let sit 15 minutes, then remove tea strainer and discard leaves or use to brew a second batch. If making ahead of time, let tea cool to room temperature before covering and storing in the fridge.
2. When ready to make your drink, add brewed tea to a blender with all other ingredients and blend until frothy. You can also use a hand-held frother if that’s what you have on hand.
3. Add ice if desired. Enjoy!

notes

*If adding additional sweetener, choose one that is rich in minerals. This ensures your body won’t lose precious minerals while processing the sugar, but will still add a yummy dose of sweetness. Good alternatives to maple syrup are raw honey, maple sugar, coconut sugar, or panela cane sugar. If you are not in a fertility season, pure stevia can also be a good choice. Always avoid highly-processed white sugar and sugar alcohols like erythritol.

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To learn more about nutritional therapy, please feel free to browse my other blog posts here.

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about heather

Hello friend! I'm Heather, Nutritional Therapist and Perinatal Minerals Expert. As a mother of three littles, I am constantly thinking about how I can support my body and mind with healthy nutrition and lifestyle choices. As a practitioner, I would like to pass that knowledge on to you! I love to cook, eat, and teach others all the things I know. I hope you'll stick around and consider me a part of your village. ♥