The topic of coffee substitutes is becoming more important as people realize that caffeine addiction is very real problem today that can cause hormonal imbalances over time.Â
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!
The article A Visual View of Caffeine really seemed to get the conversation rolling about coffee and caffeine.
In particular, does the positive research about coffee overshadow its clear and present danger to hormonal health? It’s a trade-off many struggle with on a daily basis even if they carefully choose dark roasts which are healthier than light.
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 or even a tea habit can’t help but exacerbate these problems leading to health challenges and hormonal imbalances.
As a personal example, I really enjoy jasmine green tea and would love to drink a cup or two every single morning, however, I refrain and only drink it occasionally because I have repeatedly noticed that if I drink green tea for a few days in a row and then skip a day, I feel the negative effects on my adrenals as I experience fatigue from the removal of the caffeine.
The positive antioxidant profile of green tea in no way overcomes this worrisome effect on my adrenals, in my opinion, so I drink red tea or a homemade vanilla latte instead.
Help! I Need Coffee Substitutes for Morning 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.
16oz of Starbucks Decaf, for example, contains about 25 mg of caffeine which is about the same amount as 8 oz of regular green tea.
Even decaf black tea has up to 12 mg of caffeine per 8 oz. 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 slow release due to the amino acid theanine. Thus, the adrenal hit is minimized.
One coffee substitutes option for a completely caffeine free morning brew is Dandy Blend, made of extracts of dandelion root, barley, rye, chicory and nonGMO sugar beetroot. I know plenty of folks who just love Dandy Blend and swear it tastes just like coffee, but if you choose to give it a try – go slow and build up gradually. I’ve had some people report that the detoxifying effect of the dandelion can result in a close relationship with the bathroom until your digestive tract adjusts!
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.
The following coffee substitute is suggested by Sally Fallon Morell, President of the Weston A. Price Foundation who recommends it as a really good pick me up:
Recipe for a Healthy Coffee Substitute
Three simple, whole ingredients make this healthy coffee substitute that will give you a good pick me up and a dose of healthy fats without the hit to the adrenal glands from all that caffeine.
Ingredients
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger preferably organic
- 1 Tbl molasses
- 1 Tbl 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!
Sources and 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
Is Caffeine Causing Your Chronic Back Pain
Caffeine Content of Coffee, Tea, Soda and More, Mayo Clinic
Don’t forget too, I found my Teccino on Vitacost for a better price. I did not see Dandy Blend on there.
We grew up in GA where we drank iced tea all day long, especially in the summer. It’s been a process – 1st I took the sweetner out of it, then switched to loose, organic black tea, I can get by on 1 glass a day, but my husband will finish the pitcher – I just learned how to make it “decaff” myself, which he is agreeable to – 80% of the caffeine is released in the 1st 30 seconds of brewing – steep the tea 30-45 seconds, then discard the water – resteep as usual with fresh water and you will have reduced the caffeine to about 20%, which is essentially what purchased decaf tea contains. We crumble a tsp of organic Stevia leaves in with the tea as it steeps to lightly sweeten it. Not perfect, but a place to start.
I drink a product called ” Ganocafe Classic “. It is a blend of coffee 25gms and Ganoderma lucidum extract . It is spray dried Chinese mushroom extract. I add raw cream and coconut oil and sometimes 1 tsp raw maple syrup .
Has anyone else heard of this???
It seems to be a very large multilevel marketing product popular all over the world.
joan
I tried Dandy Blend, loved the taste, but within 20 minutes my throat began to swell and itch. I am allergic to ragweed and dandelions and chamomile are related to ragweed. I have also tried Yerba Mate but it made me jittery whereas coffee does not. Go figure!
LOVE Dandyblend! I’ll scald milk and then in the mug add a tablespoon or more of the Dandyblend and 1/4 mugful of boiling water and then quickly pour in the scalded milk – creates a lovely foam and it is just as delicious as a cappuccino but is actually relaxing while energizing.
Ronda,
What is roobios tea? I have read different things on it, that it is a stimulant, then that it isn’t. What exactly is it? I need to be careful with my adrenals. Thanks!
Rooibos is the proper name for “red tea”. My personal favorite tea is rooibos with chai spices in it. And then a little cream, honey and vanilla. OMG! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rooibos
There are SO many great caffeine-free alternatives to coffee. I personally love Chicory Root tea. The health benefits are astounding as well. It helps control blood sugar and metabolize fats, for starters. Our Chicory Mocha Spice is divine (although I like plain Chicory at times, too), and someone mentioned Rooibos Chai. That is a big seller in our store. All red teas are delicious, Honeybush as well. And totally without caffeine as they are herbal.
Another option is herbal teas. I think it is best not to try and replicate the coffee flavor. You will be disappointed. You can get used to the change. 🙂 Herbal teas are a great way to incorporate medicial herbals into your diet. For energy and alertness, and in addition for healing the adrenals which have been previously taxed by overconsumption of coffee, I made a blend for my husband. It also includes herbs for nutrition. It includes Foti Root, Ginseng, Ginkgo, Nettle, Oats, Bilberry, Ashwagandha, Dandelion, Burdock, Licorice Root, Oatstraw, and cinnamon chips and cloves for flavor. You can add Peppermint or Spearmint as well. I need to share this recipe in an upcoming newsletter! The key is healing the adrenals so that you do not feel like you “need” that caffeine.
Hope this helps! All year long, even in the hot summer, I must have a hot beverage in my hand. I love hot herbal teas.
Nickole
Sorry, I meant for this to be a reply to the article, not specifically to you, Kendahl! 🙂
Nickole
For those who want a espresso-like experience try roobios tea in your espresso makers. It makes a lovely tea that can be made into espresso type drinks. I use a bit less tea my moka pot than I would if I was using espresso ground coffee. I find it to be a a very satisfying alternative.
I love Mountain Rose Herbs roasted dandelion. They also have a coffee sub blend that I haven’t tried but I’m sure is even better. After using up my MRH roasted dandelion I just roasted regular dandelion root in my oven. It tastes best when it seems like it’s been roasted too long, pretty stinky process though. I started throwing in some chai tea spices as well and it makes a nice flavored “coffee.” Lately I’ve been into chai with coconut milk. I mix my own with chai spices and adaptogenic herbs like ashwaganda, shatavari, rhodiola, astragalus, etc. and cover the rooty flavor with lots of spices. Then I add either oatstraw or red roobois tea. It’s quite yummy.
I was just about to go to Amazon and order some of this Teeccino to try based on so many good reviews. But now that you said it’s made of Barley I can’t do it because of the gluten in Barley. Does anybody have any other suggestions for ready-made stuff that tastes as good as this one?
Hello Rachel,
I prefer the taste of Dandiblend to Teeccino.
Thanks for all of your suggestions. I just went to Amazon and both the Dandy Blend and the Teeccino were too much money for my budget. I don’t have a caffeine problem; I just love the smell and taste. So I’m going to stick to my daily cup of Mount Hagen organic instant freeze-dried coffee. They recommend a teaspoonful and I use about 2/3 of a teaspoonful and it gives me just what I need.
LOVE LOVE LOVE Dandy Blend! I was so addicted to coffee and it was doing crazy things to my body! Switched from coffee with cream to a heaping table spoon of Dandy Blend with half milk half water and it tastes exactly the same, minus the bitter coffee taste! I love it, and my body is thanking me! I feel better than I have in years!
I should add I was drinking about 6 cups of coffee a day for the taste, not so much the caffeine! Yuck! I’m so glad I found this great substitute!