Hello Woo Woo Working Women!

My name is Hiwa Alaghebandian, and I am the founder of Sedretre. Sedretre is an herb brand that makes herbalism accessible to anyone. It is my passion project, and it came about through my own healing journey. But before I started my own company, I was in the corporate world for many years. After college, I worked full-time in politics, then as a business analyst for a corporation, then I did my JD-MBA, and started working as a lawyer.

Working full time in the corporate work is challenging for us woo woo women- work eats up the majority of our waking hours, making self-care so much more difficult. Working long hours is also draining on your adrenals and your thyroid. 

Possibly the single most important thing you can do for addressing both is to avoid sugar. By "sugar" I certainly mean refined sugar, but I also mean healthier alternatives like coconut sugar, agave, maple syrup, and honey. Even though these sweeteners have some trace nutritional benefits, their effect is the same- they still cause dramatic blood sugar spikes and crashes. This is a highly oversimplified statement, but essentially: to protect your adrenals, you should avoid such blood sugar spikes and crashes.

I want to share two recipes with you: one is a "caramel" sauce that you can use to sweeten anything. I use it in sauces, in desserts, in smoothies, drinks, you name it. You can think of it as an alternative to honey or maple syrup- except that it is super loaded with adaptogenic herbs that will help you manage stress better & bolster your immune system. Perhaps even more importantly, this sauce has all of the fiber from the fruits, so unlike honey and maple syrup, this sauce will not cause blood sugar spikes and crashes. It is the ideal thing for the Woo Woo Working Woman to keep in her fridge, you can easily add a tablespoon to your morning coffee, matcha, tea, or whatever. 

The second recipe is a morning beverage using the date-raisin caramel. You can make this as a smoothie, or as a latte, depending on your preferences. This drink has the same adaptogenic benefits as the date-raisin caramel, with additional thyroid-supporting nutrients, vitamins and minerals, and an extra concentration and memory boost.

I love these recipes because they are ideal for busy women. They're quick, easy, could be consumed on the go, and have so many nutrients that help balance your adrenals, support your thyroid, and give a general sense of grounding and balance.

RECIPES

Adaptogenic Date-Raisin Caramel

Ingredients:

2 cups pitted medjool dates*
1cup raisins**
1cup water
5 tbsp tocos
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp chickpea miso
2 tbsp ashwagandha powder

1 tbsp reishi powder
1/4 tsp celtic sea salt
optional: cinnamon, cardamom, rose water, or pumpkin pie spice

Instructions:

add everything to the blender and blend, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the blender, and resume.
taste the mixture and adjust salt, vanilla, or optional flavorings.

Notes:

*make sure they are actually pitted

**can substitute with more dates. check the benefits section for a discussion of this.

Boss Babe Morning Boosting Bev

Ingredients:

1 cup water

1 tbsp cacao nibs

1 tsp lion's mane

1 tsp ashwagandha

1 tsp pine pollen (optional- see "benefits" section)

2 brazil nuts

1 tbsp tocos

1 tsp vanilla extract

3-4 tbsp date-raisin caramel

2 tsp sunflower seed butter

if making a smoothie, add:

1 cup ice, frozen cauliflower, or frozen banana

up to 1 cup dark leafy greens

Instructions- smoothie:

1. pour water into blender

2. add the rest of the ingredients on top

3. blend until smooth

Instructions- latte:

1. heat up water- it's fine if it does not reach a full boil, none of the ingredients need to steep

2. add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend

HEALTH BENEFITS

Dates: Dates are a rich source of magnesium, potassium, manganese, vitamin B6, iron, and antioxidants. 

Raisins: Raisins are a rich source of iron, calcium, boron, antioxidants, and have antimicrobial compounds. Energetically, raisins are very grounding.

Tocos: Tocos, or rice bran solubles, are extremely rich in Vitamin E. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant, which means that it helps protect cells from free radical damage. It is anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting, and anti-aging. It is commonly thought of as the "beauty vitamin" because it supports hair and nail growth and is the ultimate nutrient for beautiful skin. Truthfully, I included tocos because they taste amazing, and because we all want to look good as well as feel good.

Ashwagandha: Ashwagandha's most important role is in conditioning your body's stress response. Ashwagandha is not a sedative nor a stimulant. It does not address stress and anxiety by sedating you, like the pharmaceutical options would. It also does not address lack of energy by stimulating you. Rather, Ashwagandha helps your body with stress, anxiety, insomnia, and lack of energy combined by helping your body's stress response. I always describe it like this: you probably won't notice anything the first day you take ashwagandha, but in a few weeks you'll notice that you have been handling stress and conflict so much better than you used to. You will feel more in flow. Ashwagandha is also helpful for cognitive function, immune boosting, improving sex drive, blood sugar modulation, and supporting thyroid function.

Reishi: Reishi is a type of mushroom. Like ashwagandha, it is so helpful for conditioning your body's stress response and boosting your immune system. It also has anti-cancer properties, may help fight fatigue and depression, is good for blood sugar control, and it's great for heart health.

Brazil nuts: Brazil nuts are the richest source of selenium. Selenium is a trace mineral that is critical for thyroid function.

Lion's Mane: Lion's mane is a type of mushroom that is excellent for memory and concentration. It is such a great ally to support your brain function throughout a big workday.

Cacao nibs: cacao nibs are crushed cocoa beans. They're packed with antioxidants, have anti-inflammatory properties, boost immune health, regulate blood sugar, improve heart health, and may have anti-cancer benefits. Energetically, cacao is known for opening the heart chakra, and deepening feelings of love and empathy. I think cacao is a beautiful thing for woo woo working women to incorporate because the corporate world so often makes us close off our heart chakras. Cacao brings a sense of balance by taking us out of our masculine energy, and back into the feminine.

Sunflower Seed Butter: Sunflower seeds are such a superfood. They are rich in B-complex vitamins, which are critical for converting food into usable energy, important for mood, memory, and so many other things. Sunflower seeds are also rich in phosphorus, magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium, protein, and vitamin E. Note: make sure your sunflower seed butter has no sugar added!

Pine Pollen: only add pine pollen if you need a little extra energy. It does seem to have adaptogenic properties, like ashwagandha and reishi, and may help prevent some forms of cancer, has detox properties, and may alleviate pain. But primarily, it is a little bit of an energy boost. If you do use pine pollen regularly, make sure to take a week or so off every 3 weeks.

There you have it- 2 quick, easy recipes that nourish your body, and support your lifestyle. 

Follow Hiwa for loads of beautiful and health-filled recipes @hiwaaaaaaaa and find her Superpowders at www.sedretre.com.