We’re solving all of life’s needs with smoothies. Whether it’s a low mood, a slow metabolism, a bit of anxiety or a dull complexion, we believe there’s probably a smoothie that can help. The right blend of whole foods and powerful adaptogens can go a long way.

To that end, we tasked the smoothie whisperer, Sage Dammers of Addictive Wellness to answer a few pressing smoothie Qs in our summer series, Ask the Smoothie Whisperer. Sage will be solving a few of our common life problems with smoothies, starting below.

Before his cacao-fueled life at Addictive Wellness, Sage spent his days concocting magical adaptogenic potions at the original Erewhon’s famed smoothie bar — the genius bar of the wellness world. His smoothie knowledge knows no bounds and we’re sharing it here with you…

Q: I’ve been feeling extra sluggish in the morning for about two hours after waking. My mind has felt foggy even though I’m getting a good amount of sleep. I would love a smoothie that kick starts my day into action with plenty of energy, without feeling dependent on a double espresso.

a: We can definitely put together a recipe to help support your body’s natural energy production in the mornings, but I feel I would be doing you a disservice if I simply allowed you to rest on this as a crutch without inviting you to go a little deeper into the cause as well. Quality of sleep is equally important, if not more important, than quantity of sleep. You may be getting eight hours per night, but if you’re highly stressed; having caffeine after 2 p.m.; sleeping in an environment that isn’t dark or has high levels of EMF; or have poor mitochondrial health that isn’t providing your glymphatic system with enough energy to effectively wash out your brain with cerebrospinal fluid while you sleep, you may not be getting as much rest as you think.

Morning sluggishness is also a common symptom of hypothyroidism, so if I was experiencing these symptoms, I would test my TSH, T4, T3 uptake, reverse T3, thyroid binding globulin and thyroid antibodies. Then I’d review the results with a qualified practitioner who can fully understand the results.

Taking cold showers and exposing yourself to morning sunlight are also great free tools to help get you going in the morning.

The smoothie: We’ll start off with chia seeds and hemp seeds to make this a delicious, creamy drink and to incorporate the complete proteins and essential fatty acids these seeds offer. Next, we’ll save a little time by throwing in a packet of our Cacao Elixir Blends, getting some of the best nootropic, energy and beauty herbs like lion’s mane mushroom, astragalus, cordyceps and tremella mushroom. Also, the raw Arriba Nacional cacao in the Elixir Blend acts as a potentiator for the powerful herbs we’re using in this drink. Next, ginseng is one of the greatest qi (moment-to-moment energy, vitality and cognitive function) herbs in the world. Most ginseng products are very low quality and don’t do much for you (they can even be harmful), but Dragon Herbs Ginseng is top-notch. Shilajit, known as the destroyer of weakness in ayurveda is a fantastic energy tonic and its flavor actually combines really well with chocolate. The caprylic acid will provide ketones for your body to burn as an alternative energy source to glucose – essentially turning your mitochondria into hybrid vehicles! And finally, the ghee (should you choose to include it) provides great nutrients for healthy hormones, building the brain and helps with absorption of all the other fantastic ingredients you’re drinking.