Dear coffee,
It’s not you, it’s me, we’ve been in a toxic relationship and I need to end it, even though our love story had been sweet. Growing up in a country that prides on exporting your quality beans, I became enamored with you at a young age but as I grew into my teens and 20s you became overbearing at times. It’s time for us to take a much needed break.
💔
Ok, I’ve moved on. There’s plenty of fish in the sea, or in this case plenty of drinks. Here are some natural, healthy alternatives to drinking coffee that will leave you feeling just as energized without the jitters or the after crash:
Ginger/lemon tea🍋: Ginger reduces fatigue by improving blood circulation and blood sugar levels. Lemon gives you a boost by oxygenating your body, the potassium in it boosts your immune system and also helps reduce the effects of stress.
Tip: Go natural! Try to use fresh ginger root pieces and lemon slices and just bring to a boil. Add your sweetener of choice after, like agave or a local organic honey. Honey from your local area is the one that is most likely not to cause mild allergies because the bees have fed with local pollen.
Matcha🍵: Matcha has l-theanine, an amino acid that stimulates calm alertness. It stimulates your metabolism by increasing thermogenesis in your body and has one of the highest ORAC servings per unit (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) making it one of the drinks with the highest level of antioxidants!
Tip: You don’t need a fancy matcha whisk to get your latte on, heat up a cup of milk of your preference, add your desired amount of matcha powder (1/2 to 1/4 tsp per cup is recommended) add to blender and you’ve got a foamy matcha latte in seconds!
Turmeric💛: Turmeric can significantly lower your levels of fatigue by improving your blood circulation and in turn, boost your overall energy. Turmeric boosts brain power increasing the hormone BDNF increasing your mind's ability to function and focus efficiently.
Tip: Quick turmeric latte, heat a cup of almond milk (regular milk if you do dairy) for 1-2 minutes, the milk should NOT reach boiling point. Add 2 tsp of turmeric, your sweetener of choice, 1/2 tsp of ginger to a blender. You’ll end up with a foamy “latte” like drink in the matter of seconds!
Ginseng tea🍶: Ginseng contains polysaccharides and oligopeptides, which help lower oxidative stress and boost higher energy production in cells, which help fight fatigue.
Apple Cider Vinegar🍎: ACV promotes B cell insulin secretion having positive effects on insulin sensitivity and blood sugar levels, it contains potassium and enzymes so it acts as a natural electrolyte solution. The amino acids contained in acv counteract lactic acid build-up in the body, relieving fatigue.
Tip: ACV is very acidic, combine into 2 tbsps in a room temperature glass of water for a quick slurp or if you have time, add a tsp of cinnamon powder, 2 tbsp of ACV, slices of lemon and let it all come to a boil together with 1 cup of water. Add your sweetener of choice.
Kombucha🍵: Kombucha uses tea as its fermentation medium, so you get the benefits of L-theanine with the lower dosage of caffeine to create a more even energy without jitters.
Cacao☕: Cacao is rich in polyphenols that promote better blood flow in your body, improve blood flow to your brain and better brain function, it also helps lower blood pressure and regulate blood sugar levels in our body.
Let’s be real, you may or may not have the time to prepare yourself a turmeric latte, and depending on how your body processes caffeine, because in case you had no idea, coffee and caffeine affects us differently depending on genetics, the recommended intake is one to three cups a day. It’s important to listen to your body’s cues about how much is too much. If you’re suffering from headaches, anxiety, palpitations, jitters, losing sleep, it may be time to scale back.
The key, as with everything else in life, is moderation bbs.