I’m always fascinated to learn what the beverage industry thinks is going to be a hit each year. 2019 is predicted to be even more exciting then previous years. The top two predictions for superstars are beverages that incorporate CBD and butterfly pea flower tea. The rise of functional beverages that pack superfood ingredients such as matcha, turmeric, or melatonin will evolve into creative and innovative drinks. To optimize health and wellness through medicinal plants, herbs and foods are the foundation of functional medicine. Tea will continue to play a big role in this wave. (source)

Butterfly pea flower tea is made, as you would expect, from the flower of the butterfly pea plant, clitoria ternatea. It’s rich in antioxidants which fuel its presence in this emerging industry of functional beverages. The icing on the cake is the unique property that allows it to change color, from blue to purple, with the addition of an acid such as lemon. That WOW factor brings a little magic to the visual presentation of this unique tea.

CBD is an oil obtained through the marijuana plant that has been gaining in popularity and legality throughout the U.S.  I live in Oregon where even recreational marijuana has been legalized. As it contains no THC – the active ingredient that causes an altered state of consciousness – CBD is legal throughout the U.S. If you google CBD, you’ll immediately see countless conditions that are believed to be helped with CBD. Some research, however, is suggesting that the small addition of THC is a necessary component of the mix to obtain optimal results. This is true for anti-seizure properties as well as treatments for IBS. The research seems to be growing by the week so keep checking for your particular needs.

I just completed a nine-part series on the gut microbiome. It is believed to be the next major advancement in medicine. Fermented foods are king when it comes to gut health and kombucha is among the list of healing foods to feed your gut microbiome. We have more bacteria, viruses, and fungi in our GI system than we have cells in our body. There are more than hundreds of times more DNA from these microbiome colonies than our own DNA. These “bugs” if you will communicate more with the brain than the brain communicates with the entire rest of our body. More than 70% of our serotonin is made in the gut. Serotonin is given to those suffering from depression to improve their mood. Ultimately once we balance our out-of-wack microbiome, we have harmony in the belly and health and wellness in a disease-free body. It is an exciting time to be alive!

Photo “Cups” is copyright under Creative Commons Attribution License 2.0 to the photographer Dominic Melton and is being posted unaltered (source)