Leaving the Dark Side: The 5 Best Alternatives to Coffee

Leaving this for the end was purposeful. Many of us have never tried a green juice, and the sound of it is horrifying in an old-school-monster-movie kind of way. Green juice is actually one of the healthiest, freshest, most hydrating, and cleansing beverages out there. It is simply the extraction of water content from certain leafy greens, lemons, and fruit into a delicious lemonade-type drink, and because of the vast amount of nutrients, it’s an instant pick-me-up for those of us who could use it. An excellent, easy to drink and in fact delicious green juice to try at home (with a juicer of course), is: 1 head of romaine lettuce, a few leaves of kale, 1/2 cucumber, a few sticks of celery, a whole lemon (including the rind) and a whole apple. It’s sweet, lemony, refreshing, and the alkalinity of the juice helps bind to acidic toxins in the body for extraction through your waste. Many people who start their day with a green juice often find forgoing coffee very easy.

Licorice tea is an excellent adrenal supporter, making it the anti-coffee. It will rebuild healthy adrenals that have become over exhausted by stress and caffeine, therefore increasing your daily energy on a consistent level. It’s not a stimulant, however, so you won’t feel the kick–just overall health and heartiness, especially in the mornings upon waking, if you have been drinking it for a few days. If you like, you can even take licorice as a tincture to get the benefits while drinking other healthful drinks like green tea.

Green tea has been in the media for ages now with studies touting its excellent health properties. With roughly half the caffeine of a cup of coffee, it still does provide a bit of a kick like black tea (considering it is a less processed black tea). Green tea has been known to assist with fat loss, prevent heart disease and cancer, reduce inflammation ,and assist the body in staying young by preventing oxidative stress with its well-known components, catechins. Catechins are an antioxidant that is released twofold by adding a squeeze of lemon juice to your green tea. Drink green tea hot or iced, with or without sweetener. Be careful of bottled green teas in stores–they often have a lot of added sugar, which would override any health benefits of the actual tea.

Black tea is often used in place of coffee in Britain, as it does have roughly half the amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee, so it does provide a bit of a kick, but not too hard. Black tea is actually green tea that is further oxidized and fermented, giving it the darkness that makes it “black.” High in antioxidants, black tea has been found to prevent strokes, certain kinds of cancer, fat storage, and inflammation. Black tea comes in all sorts of flavors, some being Earl Gray, English Breakfast, Ceylon, Darjeeling, and orange spice. Drink it hot or iced, with or without sweetener.

Teeccino is actually is a bit harder to find unless you live in Venice Beach, California. It is available in most health food stores around the nation, but if you can’t find it, you can easily buy it online. Teeccino is roasted barley and chicory as well as a few other ingredients like carob, almonds, and dates, and whatever flavor it is you buy it in. High in potassium, it’s very healthy and doesn’t strip your body of minerals the way coffee does, as it is not acidic either.  Teeccino can please coffee lovers, and coming in a wide range of flavors and roasts, it can vary to your taste. Best to drink hot and sweetener is unnecessary due to its natural sweetness.

Ending a coffee habit can be difficult when the habit is so deeply ingrained, but it is possible with the help of replacement with nourishing drinks that take its place. The important thing to keep in mind is that you are benefiting your body by giving it things that support it.