To balance out the fast-paced energy of the day we place a lot of emphasis on our night-time wind down. Dinner on and screens off early, dim lights and moving through the little rituals that help settle the spirit and ease into the evening.
One of our favourite mocktail recipes is this Sparkling Tart Cherry and Reishi Nightcap.
Tart cherry juice, or more specifically tart cherries, are one of the few food sources that contain high amounts of melatonin[1], the hormone that the pineal gland in the brain releases to prompt sleep.
And it’s no secret, the queen of calm Reishi, is our favourite mushie extracts for the evening. Described as ‘the mushroom of the spirit’ Reishi mushroom is coveted for its ability to help lower both mental and physical feelings of stress and support the quality of our sleep, particularly deep sleep[2].
For the recipe be on the lookout for a tart cherry juice with no added sugar.
Ingredients
½ cup tart cherry juice
½ cup sparkling water
¼ tsp Reishi mushroom extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
Add tart cherry juice, sparkling water and vanilla extract to a glass.
Stir in Reishi extract and enjoy.
Sweet dreams!
References:
[1] Tart cherries and melatonin https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22038497/
[2] Reishi mushroom and sleep https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3255119/
