Do you need to break up with coffee?
Coffee is life for so many people. It signifies the start to the day, it’s an integral part of the morning routine and it’s ceremonial for some people. Coffee tastes delicious, when made well and it helps us feel good, switched on and dialled in for good work.
So when is coffee bad for you?
The answer to that is that it’s a very individual thing. We find on questioning that some clients feel anxious, jittery and some people even have heart palpitations after they drink it. Those clients often intuitively know coffee is not working for them. They just need someone to tell them to stop drinking it.
For some people coffee in the morning translates to no sleep at night. Yes, even coffee very early in the day can cause insomnia in some people. That’s because it blocks an important molecule called adenosine from rising to its highest level during the day to assist with sleep onset and melatonin production at bedtime.
For others coffee is not a great option for them as they are chronically stressed and operating in an almost constant fight or flight response and the neuro-stimulating effect of caffeine is just adding fuel to their stress fire. When we work with clients we don’t just assume people are too stressed to tolerate coffee. We test for it. We look at stress hormones blood markers to guide us. After all, coffee can be a wonderful stimulant and cognitive support tool when used appropriately. You don’t want to be missing out on its positive actions if you don’t need to.
If you know you need to lay off the coffee or you have been told to avoid it, it’s time to find a tasty and satisfying replacement. This may sound impossible, after all what else could be as good as the taste of a good milky latte or a good pour over coffee?
Here are some ideas for swapping your coffee for a yummy non-caffeinated alternative:
Nootropic hot chocolate - You want the cognition enhancing effect of coffee but not the overstimulation? You need a nootropic hot chocolate. Just add Cacao powder, lions mane extract (a great herb for improving concentration and focus) along with your favourite milk and warm it up on the stove.
Loco Love Higher Being tonic, a lovely artisan, handmade chocolates. They also make an incredible Medicinal Mushroom and Adaptogen Tonic that you just need to add to milk to, that is a great coffee alternative! It contains herbs like Ashwhaganda and American Ginseng to give you a natural energy boost, help with stress tolerance and it also contains a number of medicinal mushrooms that assist with energy and immunity. You can drink it hot or cold with water or your favourite milk.
Matcha latte - Still offering some caffeine but nowhere near as much as the coffee bean. Matcha is full of antioxidants and theanine, a calming amino acid that is a great anxiety and stress reliever.
Chai tea - Chai is great! It’s earthy, spicy and a good way to not feel deprived. You get some black tea in most blends so it’s a more mellow caffeine infusion that won’t overstimulate most people. Chai is full of warming spices that improve circulation, reduce inflammation and stabilise blood sugars. Just add your favourite milk and warm up on the stove, then strain and drink.
If you are after a recipe to make a matcha latte from scratch give this one a go -
MATCHA LATTE RECIPE
Adapted from Liv Kaplan
Ingredients
1 tbs matcha powder
1 cup of oat milk
1 tbsp raw honey
Instructions
Heat the almond milk in a small saucepan on low heat until warm
Stir in the honey and heat for another minute.
Turn off the heat. Add the mixture and the matcha to a blender that can tolerate hot liquid and blend for 30 seconds or use a hand held blender in the pan until the mixture is blended and foamy.
