The Sapp Story: Organic Adaptogenic Hydration

I'm always on the lookout for new functional beverages - I don't do the best at drinking regular water, so having tasty and healthy drinks to grab from the fridge helps me keep my hydration on point. Sooooo when I had the opportunity to try Sapp birch water, I jumped on it! Not only is it 100% organic, free of added sugar, and deeeeelicious, but it's full of naturally occurring nutrients and minerals (manganese is the standout) and infused with adaptogenic chaga mushrooms (see: rockstar of the medicinal mushroom world). This bev is definitely going in my regular rotation--read on to learn about how birch water's health benefits, and why chaga 'shrooms should be in YOUR regular rotation.

Birch water comes from birch trees (duh). Birch trees spend the entire year absorbing rich and diverse minerals from the soil and the sun. During just a few weeks in the springtime, they release sap (or birch water) infused with nutrients and ready to drink. Birch water is naturally low in sugars, containing only about 3 grams of sugar per 10 oz. The beauty of collecting this delicately sweet sap is that it leaves the birch trees unharmed, allowing them to continue growing through the rest of the year. Also a stellar benefit is the fact that it gives us a reason to cultivate birch forests instead of cutting them down for their wood. #winning

Birch water's superstar mineral is manganese. Why do you care? Here are just a few of the many reasons to get more of this mineral in your life:

• Manganese plays a key role in the production of digestive enzymes, helping your bod turn food into useable energy and amino acids.
• It's also used in numerous free-radical-fighting enzymes, including arginase, glutamine synthetase and manganese superoxide. These work as antioxidants in the body, helping lower levels of oxidative stress and inflammation that can lead to heart disease or cancer.
• Manganese helps form important enzymes related to bone formation, keeping' that skeleton of yours sturdy.

Sapp's birch water is particularly special because they infuse it with wildly gown organic Chaga mushrooms, turning this already nutritious water into an adaptogenic functional beverage. Here's a quick breakdown of Chaga's benefits, and why I use chaga products in my weekly routine:

• In case you're not already in the know, Chaga is a fungus (erm, mushroom) that grows on the outside of birch trees in very cold climates. Chaga mushrooms grow wild in places like Siberia, northern Canada, Alaska, and some northern areas of the continental United States. Although it might not sound the most appetizing, it actually has a delicate flavor (and you don't taste it at all in the Sapp lineup).
• Chaga is known as an adaptogen, a substance that helps the body deal with stress, both physically and mentally. Chaga is particularly good for providing a gentle and balanced uplift of energy.
• Chaga has one of the highest ORAC scores of any food. ORAC stands for “Oxygen Radical Absorbent Capacity”, and the higher the ORAC value the better a food’s ability to protect the body from disease-causing free radicals. It also means that chaga mushrooms are one of the best sources of antioxidants.
• In animal studies, chaga mushrooms have helped to boost the immune system by increasing the production of certain immune cells. These help regulate your immune system and make sure your bod is keeping out nasty bacteria and viruses.
• Chaga mushrooms have been shown to reduce inflammation. I'm always bringing it back to the digestive system, and chaga has me particularly jazzed since it's been shown to reduce inflammation due to ulcerative colitis in animal subjects.
• More digestion benefits: Chaga stimulates bile production, which in turn helps break down dietary fats.

You ready to go get your own bottle of Sapp birch water??? You know you wanna! Check them out at www.sapplife.co. 😋

X's and O's,
​Nikole