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Healthy substitutes to limit or eliminate a daily coffee habit, which has dubious scientific claims behind claimed “benefits”.
The topic of coffee substitutes is becoming more important as people realize that caffeine addiction is a very real problem today that can cause hormonal imbalances over time.
What’s with all the kids drinking coffee, too? This rarely happened only a couple of decades ago!
This trend is a testament to how fried our adrenals are as a society in general. If the youngest and healthiest among us need to be jacked up on caffeine to get going in the morning, that is very worrisome indeed!
This visual view of caffeine really seems to get the conversation rolling when it comes to coffee and whether all those studies on its “benefits” are really true (or objective).
In particular, does the positive research about coffee overshadow its clear and present danger to hormonal health and microbiome risks from mold contamination?
It’s a trade-off many struggle with on a daily basis, even if they carefully choose organic, mold-free, dark roasts.
With so many assaults on our hormones today and many people living under constant and seemingly never-ending stress, it seems to me that a coffee habit can exacerbate these problems, leading to unforeseen challenges down the road, such as a very difficult transition to menopause.
Coffee Substitutes for Jitter-Free Pick-Me-Up
What if you really need a morning or afternoon pick-me-up and are truly concerned about the effect of coffee or tea on your adrenal and overall hormone health?
You can go the decaf route, but supposed coffee substitutes like decaf coffee and tea still have caffeine in them and so will not eliminate the stress on the adrenals completely.
In addition, the decaf process for many brands (not all) involves toxic substances, with likely residues present in the coffee. For example, my dairy-free coffee ice cream recipe suggests an organic decaf brand that uses the solvent-free Swiss water method.
Even if safe, decaf coffee contains a surprising amount of caffeine.
A 16 oz of Starbucks decaf, for example, contains about 25 mg of caffeine. This is roughly the same amount as 8 oz of regular green tea. (1)
Even decaf black tea has up to 12 mg of caffeine per cup.
Substituting green tea instead? A matcha latte contains 80 mg of caffeine per cup.
One benefit of drinking tea over coffee, however, is that the caffeine in tea is released more slowly due to the amino acid theanine. Thus, the adrenal hit is greatly minimized with little to no jitters experienced by most people.
One coffee substitute option for a completely caffeine-free morning brew is Dandy Blend, made of extracts of dandelion root, barley, rye, and chicory root.
I know plenty of people (including me) who just love Dandy Blend and swear it tastes just like coffee. If you choose to try it, be sure to go slow and build up gradually to avoid detox symptoms.
Another option is to make coffee substitutes yourself. One excellent one is a rooibos latte or “red espresso”.
Red tea is a delicious and satisfying coffee substitute, no matter how you enjoy taking it. If you enjoy the taste of dandelion tea more, try this recipe for a dandelion coffee latte.
Another idea is the coffee substitute recipe below, suggested by Sally Fallon Morell, author of Nourishing Traditions Cookbook, who recommends it as one of her favorite jitter-free pick-me-ups: (2)
Healthy Coffee Substitute
Three simple, whole ingredients make this healthy coffee substitute that will give you a jitter-free pick-me-up and a dose of healthy fats in a single serving.
Ingredients
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger preferably organic
- 1 Tbsp molasses
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 cup filtered water
Instructions
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Place ingredients in a mug and pour in boiling water and stir.
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Let cook until still hot but drinkable and enjoy! It tastes like a gingerbread cookie in a mug!
Recipe Notes
Blackstrap molasses is the most nutritious type to use for this recipe.
Do you have tea or coffee substitutes that work for you? Please share with all of us!
(1) Caffeine Content of Coffee, Tea, Soda and More, Mayo Clinic
(2) Cuppa Joe or Cuppa Jolt?
More Information
Gluten Issues or Celiac? Don’t Drink Coffee!
How Bulletproof Coffee Shoots You in the Foot
Why You Need to Change WHEN You Drink Coffee
The Truth About Your Morning Coffee Fix
Thanks for sharing thisn informative article. This can help coffee drinkers to refrain from drinking too much coffee everyday. I just remembered my dad who died just this year. He used to consume 10-12 cups of coffee daily. Unbelievable but true. His doctor tried to make him stop from drinking too much coffee or even just lessen the amount but he can’t simply do it. Is coffee really that addictive?
I’m trying several flavors of the Teeccino and they are ..ok. I need to get off caffiene so I will try to stick to it. I’ve made many changes in our diet and lifestyle in the last 8 yrs and ultimately it really hits the wallet pretty hard, even if I find it online or squeak out deals as much as possible. But between this suggestion for Dandy Blend and the last post I read on Olive oil……….I just can’t keep spending so much more money on alternatives. I’d have to just stop using some of this stuff instead of finding healthier ways. Then again, I am on the tail end of our changes. These are the last areas of adjustment.
This post gave me the courage (yes, it took courage) to wean myself off of coffee after consuming 6 to 8 cups (sometimes more) daily for years – many, many years. I’ve given up a lot in the last few years to heal my gut, but I held on to my black coffee habit. I snuck my first sip at age 5, and by age 18, I was a full-blown daily consumer of black coffee. I’m 52. I had heard myself utter the words “I’ll never give up my coffee” more than once in the last few months, with my friends nearby nodding in agreement. I knew that my coffee consumption had spiraled out of control when I began to drink decaf in the evenings. I have a shelf in my kitchen that holds no less than 30 varieties of regular coffee beans and a handful of decaf coffee beans. It took raging adrenal fatigue to bring me to my knees, literally. My poor adrenals gave out after I experienced 3 back-to-back very stressful, life-changing events since Memorial weekend 2012, most certainly weakened and stressed by all the coffee I’ve consumed over the years.
I’m proud and happy to say that today, I am coffee free. It was this little idea in this blog post that I could make a coffee substitute that planted the seed for me to quit. For the record, I haven’t made the coffee substitute yet, but I know it’s there, ready and waiting for the day that I might want it.
Thanks, Sarah, for all you do.
I really enjoyed Gwen’s posting as to her getting off of both kinds of coffee. I have gotten off so many things starting with sugar in 2004, red meats in 2010, and most recently milk. I rarely drink coffee but see its use in family members. In 1994, I started eating oatmeal every day and found it to be so benefitial. Different health problems and concerns have moved me. Most recently, I was diagnosed with bone density issues, which is why I got off milk. Countries with high milk use have the most problems with low bone density. Coffee is a drain on bone density. Unlike other people, I love the dandelion, but I didn’t know about dandy coffee. We have an acerage with lots of dandelions, and I love them all. Down with Tim Hortons and the other coffee places.
I think that Dandyblend is actually a very good and tasty product, while there isn’t an alternative that is exactly like the same, I find it works for me.
I just tried the molasses, coconut oil, ginger recipe. It is really good! Might even be able to use it in place of my 1-2 cups a day coffee. Thanks Sarah!
I usually drink my coffee black with no sugar and cream but I found this recipe several years ago that quinches your thirst during summer when it is hot outside and if you like the coffee flavor, you’ll love this. Try it and let me know how you like it.
Dandelion Root Tea:
2 teaspoons roasted dandelion root
Dash hot water
1/4 teaspoon raw honey
Dash pure vanilla extract
1/2 of a large glass of ice cubes
1/2 glass raw milk
Preparation:
1. Place roasted dandelion root in large mug.
2. Add dash of hot water and stir to dissolve.
3. Add raw honey, and mix well to dissolve.
4. Add dash of vanilla extract and mix well.
5. Fill large glass halfway with ice cubes.
6. Pour raw milk over ice until glass is two-thirds full.
7. Add dandelion coffee mixture from mug into milk glass and stir.
I’ve tried and like: http://www.teeccino.com; I quit cold turkey…I am enjoying my herbal “coffee” and tea. =)
The coffee/Tea substitute that works for me is water! I drink filtered water when I get up and it picks me right up!
My wife really likes this: http://www.dandyblend.com Healthy and gluten-free!
I gave up drinking coffee over a year ago. I drink kombucha daily, sometimes alot, especially when it’s hot outside. So I was wondering about the caffeine in kombucha, I use black tea, white sugar, SCOBY and brew it for 7 days.
Does anyone know. I feel better not drinking coffee but did I just substiitue kombucha for coffee?
Cathy
I’ve been told the caffeine in kombucha is minimal because of the fermentation process. Never checked it out to see if that’s true….