A little black to wake up in the morning, take a break between colleagues, pass a desire to snack, finish lunch, re-boost in the afternoon… In the end, we drank a lot of coffee! What if we tried other options to limit our consumption? When you love coffee, you quickly exceed the recommended “dose”. The European Food Safety Authority advises not to exceed 400 mg of caffeine daily, or 3 to 4 cups (and only 200 mg for pregnant women).
In addition to caffeine which, in excess, makes you nervous and irritable and can disturb sleep, too much coffee is acidifying for the body, weakening it and making it more vulnerable to disease. And the more we are tired, the more we drink coffee, a natural vicious circle… Fortunately, some alternatives are just as tasty and stimulating.
I Quit Coffee: What To Drink To Regain The Bitterness Of Coffee?
Those who love coffee for its taste will try roasted cereal-based substitutes (barley, rye, spelt), which can be found in instant powder form in organic stores. Check that there are only roasted botanicals and no added sugar or additives. The other well-known coffee substitute is chicory.
A root that grows in the North is roasted to reduce its bitterness and develop caramelized notes. It’s plus: it contains a bit of inulin, a prebiotic that nourishes the good bacteria of the intestinal microbiota. It is often found as an instant powder, but it is sold just ground to be infused like coffee. This allows you to continue to run your filter coffee maker!
I Quit Coffee: What To Drink To Find The Stimulating Side But Without Caffeine?
Caffeine is the queen molecule for improving alertness and concentration, but it also ends up being too stimulating and preventing you from falling asleep! It is therefore advisable to turn to plants that provide vital but non-exciting compounds: peppermint, especially at the end of a meal, because it has digestive properties; lemon balm, an adaptogenic plant that supports the body; hibiscus, which gives colorful and tangy infusions, rich in antioxidants or thyme and rosemary, especially in winter, for their anti-infection side.
We make infusions of it, alone or in a mixture. We also think of spices for hot-flavored drinks: ginger and cinnamon, in particular, are known for their stimulating side. They are made into delicious beverages by infusing them in water or vegetable milk (almond, rice, oats, etc.) with a spoonful of honey! There are also ready-made “chai” type blends (organic stores).
I Quit Coffee: What To Drink To Rediscover The Stimulating Side Of Caffeine?
Coffee is not the only plant to contain caffeine. Tea also contains it (we speak of theine, but it is the same molecule) and the lesser-known South American mate. Tea is stimulating without having the exciting side of coffee because it’s tannins slow down the passage of theine in the blood. And it also contains theanine, a compound with rather soothing effects.
As for mates, it is particularly appreciated by athletes because it improves vitality. Like mate, tea contains less caffeine than coffee and is highly antioxidant. The other significant advantage of these plants is that they can be “decaffeinated” naturally. How? Infusing them for 30 seconds in the first water we will throw away before pouring a second water and leaving them to invest typically to release the aromas and tannins (slower to diffuse than caffeine).
How Much Caffeine Is In… (average and variable levels depending on the variety)
- 1 cup of filter coffee (150 ml): 120 mg
- One can of energy drink such as Red Bull (25 cl): 80 mg
- 1 cup of espresso (60ml): 70mg
- 1 cup of mate (150 ml): 70 mg
- 1 cup of tea (150ml): 50mg
- One can of caffeinated soda (33 cl): 33 mg
I Stopped The Coffee: Lemon Juice, Is It Good?
This advice comes up often: drink a glass of warm water with lemon juice on an empty stomach in the morning. Lemon helps the liver (detox) and provides vitamin C (stimulating and anti-infection); we would be tempted to adopt it instead of coffee. However, this is only suitable for some. Typically the acidic elements of lemon are transformed into essential elements in the body, but this cannot be done correctly in people who are too acidic or tired. The right reflex: listen to your body and its sensations. It is up to everyone to identify what suits them best.
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