3 steps to reducing your caffeine intake
Caffeine Culture
If you love a quirky artisan coffee shop or quaint tea room but already struggle with managing stress, sleep issues or digestive problems– there is a more more nurturing daily ritual you can engage in that leaves you feeling just as satisfied and gleaming with good health.
Here we share our tried, tested & loved alternatives to your daily cup of caffeine we know you will fall in love with.
Benefit’s of your morning cup
It’s not all bad. Let’s not shame ourselves for enjoying a high quality cup of caffeine used in moderation. It does have some health benefits:
- Helps boost brain function & memory
- Detoxes the liver & cleanses the colon
- Increases stamina & focus
But for every effect there is a side effect.
Caffeine has many effects on your body’s metabolism. It
- Stimulates your central nervous system, which can make you feel jittery & on edge
- Is a diuretic, meaning that it helps your body get rid of extra salt and water by urinating more
- Increases the release of acid in your stomach, sometimes leading to an upset stomach or heartburn
- May interfere with the absorption of calcium in the body
- Increases your blood pressure
Step 1; Upgrade your current beans.
So, if you are a 4 cup a day kinda girl & not quite ready to give up your fix, here’s a few ways to make sure you are the most out of your brew.
Mushroom coffee
Bulletproof Coffee
- Brew a pot of coffee organic, fairtrade coffee as you normally would.
- Mix coffee, butter, MCT oil (and salt & cinnamon if using) into a blender.
- Blend until smooth and serve hot.
Caffeine has a half life of about 5 to 6 hours and varies with lifestyle and health factors. So drinking coffee or other caffeinated beverages later in the day means that half or more of the caffeine will remain in your bloodstream as you approach your set bedtime.
The ideal time to have you first cup if from around 10 am with your last cup being around Mid-day. This means you will naturally reduce your intake therefore reducing your cravings and getting a better night’s sleep so less reliance on the habit in the first place.
You will find that you saviour the ritual even more when you enjoy your daily cup more out of intention and less out of necessity.
Try a Decaf
All of the flavour but without so much of the caffeine hit. This is a good bridging step as you start to reduce your intake but may still have some cravings.
Decaf coffee & tea is not completely caffeine free. It actually contains varying amounts of caffeine, usually about 3 mg per cup.
Step 3; Ready to choose your alternative…
Chicory root ‘coffee’
Chicory coffee is a beverage made using the roots of the chicory plant, which are roasted, ground and brewed into a coffee-like drink. It tastes similar to coffee but has a flavor that’s often described as slightly woody and nutty. It is very supportive of good liver function.
While this won’t specifically give you an energy boost, making chicory root coffee is one of the best ways to mimic the flavor and ritual of coffee, if that’s the placebo you are looking for.
Ceremonial Grade Cacao
One for those that love the flavour of chocolate & the energy boost of coffee. Superfood Ceremonial cacao refers to a cacao grade that is evaluated by the quality and source of the bean, the process of making cacao, and the intentions that go into making it.
It is 100% pure cacao made from roasted and ground whole shelled cacao beans. It is the highest anti-oxidant food on the planet & has a plethora of health benefits.
A unique food source that the compound Theobromine which was revered by the Mayans and was considered a food from the Gods. One of the amazing properties of Theobromine is the steady energy lift, without the spike and crash of coffee.
Read here to learn about why we drink cacao everyday.
Not coffee lattes
A warm mug of creativity! These healthy lattes are often a pop of colour with mouth watering ingredients teamed with foamed milk. Try blending your 2 or 3 favourite flavours with a plant based milk (oat, almond, coconut, hemp, etc).
Popular alternative lattes include ingredients such as;
Powders such as turmeric, beetroot, redbush, cinnamon, cacao, ashwagandha, chai, cayenne, maca, reishi mushroom.
Add some flavourings such as extracts, essences, pastes or sweetners. Vanilla, almond, maple syrup, coconut sugar and honey are delicious options for additions.
Warm the milk, add the ingredients, blend & enjoy!
Ready to commit to a caffeine free alternative?
We are running a ceremonial grade cacao challenge to help you cut down or replace your current preferred stimulant with high grade drinking chocolate.
They say it takes 21 days to form a new habit so we have put together a beautiful schedule of guided meditations, journal prompts, stress relieving techniques and nutrition tips inside our pop up Facebook group.
Join our 21 day cacao challenge here.
I hope that these alternatives have given you some inspiration to try adding a new, tasty & health packed beverage to your day.
How Can We Help You Further?
Purchase your High Grade Ceremonial Grade Cacao here
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Love this and amazing information. Thank you
Ah thanks Fatima for the feedback