Coffee Alternatives: Delicious and Stimulating Hot Beverages — Alternatives to Caffeine

Coffee Alternatives: Delicious and Stimulating Hot Beverages — Alternatives to Caffeine
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The Ups and Downs of Coffee

Many people start their day with a cup of coffee. They do it for the taste and the ritual, but most of all they do it for the caffeine. A cup of coffee contains anywhere from 90 to 120 milligrams of this potent photochemical. It stimulates the central nervous system, increases circulation, improves mental clarity, and opens up air passageways. Other compounds in coffee act as antioxidants, in fact coffee is the leading source for Americans.

Why switch to alternatives to caffeine, or at least limit the heavy amount in a cup of coffee? In excess, coffee is harmful to your health. It is a natural diuretic, increasing the elimination of valuable nutrients through urination. Drinking coffee also causes dehydration - every cup of coffee should be matched with two glasses of water to stay properly hydrated. The caffeine in coffee is addicting - leaving some people to drink more and more coffee for it to have the same effect. Coffee is also is an acid-causing food, upsetting the alkaline-acid balance in the body, which is necessary for optimum health.

Should we drink coffee at all? In moderation - about two cups per day - coffee is fine for the average healthy person. There are many reasons to turn to coffee alternatives however, ranging from craving the comfort of a hot beverage throughout the day to contracting ulcers. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not drink coffee, people with high blood pressure, trouble sleeping, stomach problems, or simply general anxiety should limit their coffee intake. Fortunately there are a number of coffee alternatives, each with its own benefits and positive qualities.

1. Chicory

Chicory is a blue-flowered herb in the same family of vegetables as endive, frisee, and radicchio. Chicory root has been used as a medicinal herb for thousands of years. It is traditionally used as a liver tonic and for digestive health. Chicory provides inulin, which encourages the growth of healthy bacteria, benefiting the digestive tract and the immune system. It is also a good source of vitamin A and vitamin C.

As a natural stimulant, with no caffeine, chicory root is a perfect coffee substitute. When ground and roasted, it has a robust, bitter flavor, and produces a dark liquor similar to coffee. Ground chicory is sometimes blended with regular coffee to make chicory root coffee, or it is blended with other herbs, such as star anise and cinnamon to make a pleasing herbal tea.

2. Yerba Mate

Yerba Mate is made from the leaves of the South American mate tree. It is packed with nutrients and phytochemicals, many of which act as natural antioxidants. In Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, and parts of Brazil, yerba mate is drunk as commonly as coffee in America. Like coffee, yerba mate energizes, clears the mind, and contains caffeine. A cup of yerba mate tea has anywhere from 20 to 85 milligrams of caffeine, although it doesn’t encourage the nervousness and anxiety that comes from drinking coffee. This is because some of the phytochemicals in yerba mate actually encourage relaxation and help to combat stress.

Yerba mate is traditionally drunk with a metal or wooden straw called a bombilla. The mate leaves are placed in a mate gourd, then the tea is sipped through the straw, which acts as a filter. Dried yerba mate tea can also be purchased as a bagged tea.

3. Licorice Tea

Licorice is another medicinal herb used since ancient times to combat stress, energize, and nourish. It is the root that is ground and dried to make a sweet tasting licorice tea. Traditionally, this herb has been used for inflammation, stomach ulcers, and bronchial problems. The benefits of licorice tea also include nourishing the adrenal glands, which are weakened by long-term coffee consumption. In this way, drinking licorice tea as a coffee alternative is a convenient way to reverse some of the negative effects of caffeine. Especially if you are suffering from anxiety or nervousness, drink licorice tea to balance the adrenals and allow your body to cope with emotional and physical stress once again.

4. Twig Tea

Twig tea, also called kukicha, is made from the same camellia sinensis plant as true teas, but it is brewed from the roasted twigs and stems as opposed to the leaves. It has a mild, nutty, and slightly sweet flavor, and about one tenth the caffeine of a cup of coffee.

Twig tea is another alternative that helps to combat the negative effects of coffee. Coffee is an acid-forming food; it encourages an acidic state, leaving the body prone to a number of chronic illnesses. Twig tea has alkalizing abilities; it promotes harmony by bringing the body back to a healthy acid-alkaline ratio. It also provides nutrients and the same antioxidants found in tea.

5. Hot Cocoa

A cup of hot cocoa has approximately 10 to 20 milligrams of caffeine, making this hot beverage a delicious and harmless coffee substitute. It is also packed with antioxidants - more so than a cup of green tea or a glass of red wine. Yes, hot cocoa is good for you. To make it more healthy, mix cocoa powder with soymilk, and use honey instead of sugar to sweeten.

Even with all of these delightful coffee alternatives, always remember that moderation is important. Too much, even of a good thing, can cause an imbalance and negatively affect your health. Try one or all of these hot beverages and see which one is your ideal steaming, comforting, energizing drink.

Sources:

Page, Linda. “Healthy Healing: A Guide to Self-Healing for Everyone.” (Traditional Wisdom, 2003).

Global Healing Center

Guayaki

Science Daily

photo credit: Rosevita