Do you have trouble getting things finished in a timely manner? Do you have a hard time staying focused or wish to have better concentration?
I did.
And it wasn’t until I watched this video by Tim Ferriss about smart drugs, was I able to enhance my brain power.
Starts talking about yerba mate at 1:45
Like many of you, I looked into yerba mate after hearing about it from Tim. He said many great things about it:
- Better focus
- Better creativity
- And he even admitted that it helped him write most of his books
Can you imagine what yerba mate can do for you if it was able to help Tim write his books?
Writing books isn’t easy, especially when they’re as long as his (400-600 pages).
So if you want to hijack your productivity levels, keep reading to find out how you can start drinking yerba mate like Tim Ferris and why you should.
Why Tim Ferriss Drinks Yerba Mate
Yerba mate is beneficial in many ways.
It’s packed with a myriad of stimulants, chemical compounds, polyphenols, vitamins, minerals, and more that can:
- Help with creativity
- Increase your energy levels
- Uplift your mood
- Relax your body
But most important of all, improve focus and concentration for hours WITHOUT the jitters and crash you’d get from drinking coffee.
This is a big deal for someone who has a big project or dreadful task they need to get done. And that’s the exact reason why Tim Ferris drinks yerba mate…
Yerba Mate And Writing
In one of Tim’s blog posts, he credits yerba mate for helping him write more than half of his book.
And in another post, he said…
I drink a LOT of yerba mate tea. Useful for 10pm-5am writing marathons on a deadline.
Can you imagine how powerful a drink must be if it can get him through 7 long hours of writing (and it’s during midnight)?
I didn’t believe him when I read it. It sounded too good to be true.
But after trying it myself, I now drink yerba mate every time I write as well (like right now).
Yerba mate provides me with a constant stream of energy and a clear head, making writing a lot easier. All the right words just seem to pop up effortlessly, I don’t get writer’s block, and I can write for hours and hours on end.
It almost feels like cheating.
However, this isn’t only good for writing.
You can use the superpowers yerba mate grants you and apply it to any task that requires your 110% focus.
Yerba Mate And Digestion
Another reason Tim uses yerba mate is for digestion.
In Tim Ferriss’ best-selling book The Four Hour Body, he described how he used yerba mate for digestion:
I accomplish this [digestion] primarily through caffeine and yerba mate tea, which includes the additional stimulants theobromine (found in dark chocolate) and theophylline (found in green tea). I consume 100-200 milligrams of caffeine, or 16 ounces of cooled yerba mate.
The caffeine from yerba mate aids in digestion because it causes your intestinal muscles to contract.
If you suffer from constipation like I do, yerba mate is going to be a godsend.
Some people like to tough it out while others like to take laxatives or other drugs.
But me? I just drink yerba mate.
Upon the first few sips, I instantly start feeling my bowels move. Within the next 5-10 minutes, I’m then rushing to the bathroom. Whether that’s good or bad, depends on if you need it for that reason.
I suffer from constipation here and there so yerba mate helps me out a lot in that regard.
How to Prepare Yerba Mate Like Tim Ferriss
If you watched the video at the beginning of this post, you know Tim drinks yerba mate in a specific way for a specific reason.
His explanation was:
What you consume is one thing, how you consume it is the second. And how you consume something and in what form has a huge impact on the pharmacokinetics.
Now you might be thinking, What the hell is pharmacokinetics?
Pharmacokinetics is simply the way your body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and eliminates a drug. In this case, the healthy compounds and stimulants in yerba mate.
Now, yerba mate can be prepared in multiple ways (e.g. french press, coffee maker, tea pot), but the way Tim showed in the video is the traditional way it’s done in South America – with a gourd and bombilla.
According to Tim, drinking it this way gives him the best results.
And I agree.
Because of the care and attention it takes to prepare it this way, it’s somewhat meditative and relaxing.
Unfortunately, Tim didn’t really tell you how to make it so allow me to explain…
Here’s what you’ll need:
- A gourd (cup)
- A bombilla (filtered straw)
- And some loose leaf yerba mate
Quick note: I’m not going into too much detail here. Otherwise it’ll be too long. Click here to learn how to prepare yerba mate in more detail (pictures and video included).
Now, let’s get started…
Step 1:
Heat water to 140-170ºF.
Step 2:
Fill your gourd 1/2-2/3 of the way with loose leaf yerba.
Step 3:
Cover the top of the gourd with your palm, turn it upside down, and shake to get the larger particles on the bottom and the smaller ones on top for better filtration.
Step 4:
Tilt the gourd back to about a 45° angle to make one half of yerba and one half empty. Then, pour a little cold water on the empty side.
Step 5:
Slide your bombilla in from the empty side and move it under the mountain of yerba.
Step 6:
Now fill your gourd with hot water on the empty side (where your bombilla should be) and what you’ll end up with is one side that is wet, and the other side still dry.
Step 7:
Let it steep for 30 seconds to a minute and drink!
Like Tim Ferriss said, you’ll only be getting a few sips depending on the size of your gourd. You have to keep refilling it. Eventually, all the yerba mate will be used. And you’ll know it’s finished once the tea starts to lose all its flavor.
What Does Tim Ferriss Drink?
If you plan on drinking yerba mate, what better way to start than with some of Tim Ferriss’ favorite yerba mate brands?
Here they are (in no particular order):
#1 Cruz De Malta
(Click here to read my full review)
Cruz De Malta is an Argentinian yerba mate brand highly recommended by Tim and many others. This (and the brand below) is what he drank to help him write his first book. This brand was also shown in his smart drug video.
I also love this brand myself. It’s the cheapest of Tim’s favorites (and probably the most affordable brand out there). It’s also what I recommend for first-timers as its flavors aren’t too strong nor too light, giving you a good introduction as to what this herb tastes like. It even has a natural sweetness to it along with a nice woody note.
Amazon (US | UK | CA | ES | DE | FR)
Click Here To Get A 500g / 1.1lb Bag
Click Here To Get A 1000g / 1kg Bag
PampaDirect (Worldwide)
Click Here To Get A 500g / 1.1lb Bag
Click Here To Get A 1000g / 1kg Bag
#2 Rosamonte
(Click here to read my full review)
Amazon (US | UK | CA | ES | DE | FR)
Click Here To Get A 500g / 1.1lb Bag
Click Here To Get A 1000g / 1kg Bag
PampaDirect (Worldwide)
Click Here To Get A 500g / 1.1lb Bag
Click Here To Get A 1000g / 1kg Bag
#3 Anna Park
(Click here to read my full review)
Anna Park is another Argentinian brand and was shown in Tim’s video. And like he said, this yerba mate is certified organic. However, it’s a bit hard to get your hands on it since production is limited. But if you do happen to get it, I’m sure you’ll be very pleased with how it tastes as it has no harsh taste, strong bitterness, or smoky tones to it. Overall, a nice healthy tasting tea with lots of grass and nutty notes.
Amazon (US | UK | CA | ES | DE | FR)
Click Here To Get A 500g / 1.1lb Bag
PampaDirect (Worldwide)
Click Here To Get A 500g / 1.1lb Bag
#4 Jesper
(Click here to read my full review)
Jesper is the last brand Tim mentions that he drinks. Although not a very popular brand, it’s a nice soft and mild one. If you’re afraid yerba mate might be too strong for your palate, of the four on this list, this is the best one to start with. It features hints of woods and nuts.
PampaDirect (Worldwide)
Click Here To Get A 500g / 1.1lb Bag
What Gourd Does Tim Ferriss Use?
In the video, Tim shows you one of his yerba mate gourds.
Again, a gourd is the cup you drink yerba mate out of. Traditionally, these gourds are made out of calabash – a squash plant.
However, the one Tim is holding seems like it can either be a stainless steel gourd where the entire gourd is made out of steel, or it can be an aluminum-wrapped palo santo gourd where it’s metal on the outside and wood on the inside.
It’s hard to tell based off the video itself.
But if you’d like to get a gourd that looks like his, click here to grab an aluminum-wrapped palo santo gourd from our shop.
Final Words
Yerba mate has helped Tim Ferriss tremendously.
It’s a powerful herb unlike anything you’ll ever experience.
If you think coffee is a great source of energy, you won’t believe what yerba mate can do not only for your focus and concentration, but also to your mood.
Everything he’s claimed it’s done for him, it’s done for me as well
Now it’s your turn to have this experience yourself…
P.S. If you’d like to start drinking yerba mate like Tim Ferriss, click here now to visit our store to get a gourd, bombilla, and yerba mate.