Firstly, I drink (caffeinated) coffee. I love the smell, the taste...but I do try to keep my coffee intake at one cup a day. I recently had a huge workload to complete and my coffee-intake rose to about 3-4 cups a day, and I felt lousy. I have been switching out the extra coffees with green smoothies, Cococardio & Cococeps (A beet powder beverage and a reishi mushroom beverage) and Genmaicha and I feel much better and balanced. :)
Whether you want some new beverage ideas, or maybe you're trying to cut down, I have made a list of some of my favourites. Well, I haven't tried every single one, but I will give my 2 cents for the ones I have tried and are a fan of. Feel free to comment if you have any extras that I could have added to the listen. I've included both gluten-free and non-gluten free substitutes.
This post isn't meant to get into the "Why one shouldn't or should drink coffee" - It's just giving some new ideas, especially since my coffee intake seems to increase in the colder months, so it is nice to balance how much I drink. I will, however, include an article that listens some reasons you might want to cut down on coffee: http://www.hungryforchange.tv/article/10-reasons-to-quit-coffee-plus-healthy-alternatives
Some points they mention are:
- Coffee increases your stress levels
- The acidity of Coffee is linked to heart burn and other digestion issues
- Interferes with our natural levels of Seratonin, which aids sleep, mood, bowel functions and energy levels
Yummy Beverage Ideas
- Genmaicha - I love Genmaicha. It is a tea that has roasted rice in it and tastes and smells so comforting. I’m drinking some as I write this. *Worth noting that most green teas have caffeine, so if you’re looking to steer clear of caffeine altogether, make sure to get an uncaffeinated tea. WikiPage
- Dandelion Tea - Good for Liver Support
- Healthy Hot Chocolate - Cacao (or Carob Powder - It’s Caffeine-Free and tastes chocolately), Xylitol/Stevia, unsweetened almond milk, vanilla extract
- Hot Apple Cider
- CocoCardio - One of my favourites. Made with Certified Organic Cocoa & Beet Juice Powders - 100% Natural (Non-Alkalized) Dark Cocoa beverage - It can be added to coffee or made into a chocolately hot beverage and some people say it helps them cut down on chocolate consumption. "This tastes sooooo good! I am a bit of a "choco-holic" and this product fully satisfies my cravings for a hot chocolate without me feeling guilty about calories or sugar overloads.” - More Info
- Green Smoothies - If you don’t mind it not being hot, Green smoothies are great energy-boosters. I pack them full of kale or spinach, unsweetened almond milk and a few pieces of frozen fruit.
- Teeccino Herbal Caffeine Free Coffee - I haven't tried this yet, but I think I might try to order some to try it out. Ingredients in their Vanilla Nut Flavour: Organic carob, organic barley, organic chicory, dates, almonds, organic dates, natural vanilla extract, natural nut flavor, organic figs. More Info
- Mug of Homemade Soup - I made some homemade miso soup tonight and drank it out of a mug. It was soothing and delicious!
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Voted. Some great ideas here. I agree, it is not good to drink too much coffee. Everything in moderation. My latest blog touches on that subject as well actually: It's Official: Soy Doesn't Make Men Gay! Please check it out if you have time and vote if you like it. :-)
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I would also like to add green tea to the list..it has really helped me cut down my caffeine intake.