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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
-
Place ingredients in a mug and pour in boiling water and stir.
-
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
Not sure if anyone will read this far down in the comments section (LOL), but here is my comment on the “coffee substitute” recommended by Sally Fallon Morell, which I made as follows:
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
2 Tablespoons molasses
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
about 10-11 oz boiling water
(Note: at a seminar I attended with Sally, she recommended 1-2 T each of coconut oil and molasses. I chose to use the larger quantity. she also recommended 1/4 to 1/2 tsp ginger, and I elected to use the smaller quantity.)
When the coconut oil was fully melted, it was floating on top of the rest of the beverage, which did not appeal to me at all. So, before even tasting it, I poured it into a deep narrow bowl, whipped out my immersion blender and blended it for a minute or so until it was completely emulsified. I then poured it back into my cup, and the blending had formed a delightful foam reminiscent of the foam on a cafe au lait.
I enjoyed the flavor of this beverage very much. It was kinda of filling. I don’t know if it gave me an energy boost like coffee would have, though. It’s a great afternoon or evening choice for a comforting, warm beverage that is caffeine-free, with some health benefits from the coconut oil and even from the molasses.
Rice Coffee is an Asian beverage, made from roasted rice and caffeine and gluten free. There are many varieties available if you were in Asia, not so outside Asia. However the big coffee corporations are slowly seeping into the Asian markets with their caffeine attracting the younger modern generation.
In an effort to kill two birds with one stone I kicked caffeine and picked up roasted dandelion and chicory because I was hoping it would deal with my edema that revisited me after months of being away. I was doing really good with my water retention until I did a glucose tolerance test that left me hypoglycemic for a week and then for 4 weeks after that I was fighting edema that was getting worse and worse. I am confident these things were related. In my research I came up with Adrenal Fatigue as a possible cause for a multitude of symptoms I’ve been dealing with that I haven’t had any answer to. I run under all the blood test radars for anything conclusive. But I know something is not right. When I mentioned Adrenal Fatigue to the Dr. he said mainstream medicine doesn’t know what to do with that. They can’t diagnose it or treat it. Thankfully I am A.OK with that! I am very happy to treat myself. Anyhow back to the Dandelion! After a little over a week my edema is completely under control! I have my ankles back!!!! YAY
If you have questions regarding Adrenal Fatigue check out drlam.com. He is specialist in this field and has devoted his career to it. He offers lots of information and help.
Anyone have a suggestion for their favorite organic herbal tea company? I too am trying to kick the coffee habit and it’s time to check out some herbal teas or alt-coffee options. This is a great resource to read and re-read as needed 🙂 Thanks to all who have contributed thus far… Cin
Do you really intend to point to the Amazon page for Sucanat Sugar when sending people via hyperlink to buy molasses for making a coffee substitute?
I like herbal tea also especially Tahitian Vanilla Hazelnut. Teeccino comes close to coffee with its Vanilla Nut Herbal Coffee that is caffeine free (yeah!) and dark in color 😀
Caffeine is bad on your bones.
Hi, was excited to give this i try since I’m 1 week without coffee an I am dying. Tea just doesn’t cut it. So I went to amazon to check out the Dandy Blend, but then i found this comment…. 1.0 out of 5 stars Not *Actually* Gluten Free, June 21, 2012
By
Eric D. Smith – See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Dandy Blend 2 lb. Bag (Misc.)
FYI Gluten-Intolerant Folks! This product contains Rye and Barley which contain gluten. The package states that the gluten is removed in the processing, but my personal experience drinking this doesn’t support that claim. I am gluten-intolerant, and I reacted to Dandy Blend as if I had ingested gluten. Too bad, because it is pleasant-tasting and a nice coffee substitute!
Black tea can be cultured into kombucha. Can coffee be cultured?
I just tried Sally Fallon’s recipe for a coffee substitute. I can’t say that it tastes like coffee, but it is actually a nice warming drink. I think I’ll try swapping this for coffee. 🙂