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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