Apdaptogenic Coffee: What are Adaptogens?

(Collaboration with London Nootropics. Contains affiliate links)

I am the first person to hold my hands up and say I’m a bit of a coffee addict. It even states it on my social media profile! I like to wake up to good quality coffee in the morning to start my day.

I don’t go overboard with it though, having perhaps two cups a day. Being a Mum of two, a biz owner and Blogger, I’ve always suffered with anxiety and stress. As a bit of an over thinker things can get overwhelming, and it takes over my concentration levels.

Too much caffeine can get me twitchy. However I’ve recently been introduced to ‘adaptogens’ – which are natural herbs used for centuries in Chinese medicine. They are non toxic and have healing properties and can combat stress and fatigue. They do that by counteracting the effect stress has on the body. As we feel stress, our bodies go through three stages: alarm, resistance and exhaustion. Adaptogens help us to stay in the ‘resistance’ stage for longer so we can cope better.

Adaptogens can also help with memory, focus and clarity. Perfect for when I need to focus on a daily task without worrying about being worried.

London Nootropics Adaptogenic Coffee Blends

London Nootropics is a company co founded by Zain and Shez. They are passionate about offering quality blends with the convenience of accessing natural adaptogens. They combine functional plants, mushrooms and herbs in their coffee blends so we can enjoy them in our everyday lives.

Being able to ‘find your flow’ can help with focus and listen to your inner thoughts, rather than being distracted by the noise around you. As a blogger and work at home Mum, this is especially important. I want to utilise my time more effectively so I can balance work and family life.

What are in London Nootropics?

London Nootropics coffee blends come in individual sachets. There is ‘Grind’ coffee, ‘Mojo’ coffee and ‘Zen’ coffee. There are also starter boxes, gift boxes and larger boxes for corporations. A great way to help employees with focus and balance in the workplace.

As well as coffee blends, there are T-Shirts and coffee cups, designed by artists Ellie Heywood and Lucia Dami.

Each blend offers different benefits:

• Mojo: For endurance and vitality
• Zen: Feel alert, calm and focussed
• Grind: Mental clarity and concentration

Brain Boosting Properties

Each of their coffee blends contains natural high-quality adaptogens. Mojo is designed for physical endurance and strength and contains Cordyceps. These are known to support energy and stamina and increase oxygen flow to the muscles. As well as this, they have also been found to have strong antioxidants and immune-boosting properties. Mojo also contains Siberian Ginseng which is a mighty adaptogen used for thousands of years. It is known to help to adapt to physical stress and also mental stress.

Zen is exactly that – it helps to calm you and promote a sense of peace. A CBD which is rich in terpenes, it can reduce tension and can alleviate stress, anxiety and inflammation. There is also Ashwagandha which can reduce stress and can help to enhance memory and cognition.

Then Grind is a balancing blend, which helps you with mental clarity and motivation. It contains Lions Mane which is an ancient mushroom that is known to stimulate nerve growth factor. Plus there is Rhodiola which is an adaptogen to help to cope with stress and improve physical and mental stamina.

What do they taste like?

The first question really should be, ‘do they work?’ I tried out Grind and Mojo a few days into the New Year. At that point I hadn’t returned back to work officially, so was still in a bit of a Twixmas limbo. I felt exhausted but needed to catch up with emails so I started with the Grind, expecting one cup to do very little.

I made it up like a regular instant coffee. Personally I have my coffee black with no sugar, so I had this in the same way – and I was pleasantly surprised by how it tasted. I’m a bit of a coffee snob (I never buy instant) but this was very nice. And in fact I managed to sit at my laptop and get on with some unplanned work pretty efficiently.

I must admit that about an hour or so later, I cracked open my second sachet, which was Mojo. The taste was different to Grind – which I actually preferred. But I carried on working and had a very productive afternoon.

Would I drink it again?

I would definitely been keen to get into having London Nootropics regularly. I drink coffee daily and if they were to benefit by allowing me to use my time better and get less stressed by the world around me, I’d carry on with them. Especially with home working and the times when I have to home school.

I also workout each day, so they would be helpful physically as well as mentally.