The Best Energy Drink

When I searching for a great energy drink from rainforest herbs one of my first acts was to get my hands on jatoba (Hymenaea courbaril). Since you use the bark, it needs to be boiled to bring out its healing qualities. It's a small effort for a great deal in return.

I had been offered it as a drink in Brazil. I loved its earthy flavor and found it gave me a fabulous energy that I couldn't quite describe at first. I couldn't describe it because even though I'd had ginseng and other herbal tonic teas I responded to jatoba in a way that was new for me.

It was like speed, except without the speed. Not clear? OK, it felt like a boost to my cognitive abilities. I could focus better and longer without any of the feel of a caffeinated drink. Since I knew it had no caffeine I took it in the evening. A mistake I made only once.
I tend to be a night owl even when I have to get up early the next day. So I was pretty bleary-eyed the next morning, having finally gone to bed in the wee hours. My Brazilian hosts got a kick out of it. People in that part of the world know that if you want to sleep before midnight you don't drink jatoba in the evening.  The energy it gives can last up to to seven hours.

Now you can understand why jatoba can easily be considered the best energy drink. Unlike Red Bull, Monster energy drink, Cocaine energy drink, or 5 hour energy drink which are based on caffeine and other addictive substances, jatoba based drinks are completely different. The energizing effect comes from tonifying the central nervous system and balancing the inner organs.

Don't be fooled. Use good wood

What I didn't know about jatoba was that it is the beautiful Brazilian Cherry wood used as flooring. It's not actually in the cherry family. It's “big leaf” mahogany, a canopy rainforest hardwood that is in serious trouble.

It takes around 60 years for the tree to mature and it can reach a height of 500 feet. Often referred to as "green gold," one mahogany tree can net up to $130,000 in furniture.

The temptation has lured illegal loggers, with the result that the trees are severely endangered.

The mighty mahogany is good for many things -- other than being illegally slaughtered. jatoba is not only of value as a canopy tree that protects animal life and other plants, it is contains amazing healing properties in its own right.

Its popularity doesn't have to be its downfall as has happened with other healing plants. We can continue to use it for the valuable wood that it is while protecting it for all of us, present and future generations, and benefit from the many attributes it offers as a living being.

Obviously it is a great tonic. It is also used to treat urinary tract infections, yeast and fungal infections, and nail fungus, The copal resin at the base of the tree is delightfully aromatic. It is dug up and burned as incense. Its fruit is edible but nicknamed "stinky toe" to describe its taste and smell.

An undocumented use

I have an electric toothbrush and sometimes get a little obsessive about the gunk that accumulates around and under the holder. It's kind of a pain to clean since the inside part has little rings that are hard to get at.

One day in a flash of brilliance I decided to use a solution of jatoba mixed with a little water and vinegar. Worked like a charm. I figured if I could just find a way to make the jatoba colorless I could market it as a household cleaner and give muscle-bound Mr. Clean something to cross his big arms about.

What an herb! Besides uses for flooring and as a household cleaner it is in my opion the best energy drink you can imagine.