My best friend and I had a falling out…I don’t mean Meg, I mean my OTHER best friend - caffeine! Sadly over the course of the last several months, I had realized I was consuming way too much caffeine, primarily in the form of coffee. It was so strange, no matter how much I drank, I still seemed tired, and to make matters even worse, I had been having some irregular heart rates. So after a not-so-hard look at my day, it was clear that I had to cut back on my coffee addiction.

What I found was amazing! At first, I cut all caffeine out - I’m kind of an all or nothing gal, but eventually, I have added one caffeine beverage a day. I was surprised by how awake I naturally am in the morning. When I get adequate sleep, I really didn’t need the coffee to get me moving in the morning. I also felt more productive, oddly enough? What I discovered was my internal clock needs a recharge around lunchtime, which is when I have a little caffeine, and one small beverage does the trick! Before, I had built up such a tolerance to caffeine that it seemed like there was never enough to really get me moving. I did however miss the morning ritual of a nice warm cup of coffee, so I have some great caffeine-free alternatives that may help you replace at least a couple of your cups of coffee.

Grain Coffee Beverages

There are a number of grain alternatives that are “coffee tasting” and are naturally caffeine-free. They help maintain the ritual of your morning cup of Joe, without drinking an actual cup of coffee. There is something about getting up and grabbing a cup of coffee that seems so comforting, and these grain beverages offer a pretty satisfying replacement.

These coffee alternatives use a variety of ingredients that give each one their own distinct flavor, but they all roast grains and roots like barley, rye, and chicory as their base. The result is a beverage that looks like coffee and has a coffee flavor, but just be forewarned it doesn’t taste exactly like coffee. It’s similar to when I make a healthy version of a dish my family loves - having an appropriate expectation helps a lot! If they taste it knowing that it’s going to taste a little different but be healthier, they usually like it… but f they taste it thinking that they are getting their usual dish, it doesn’t measure up. So just know - these are “like” coffee, but they are not “exactly like” coffee.

How to Kick the Caffeine Habit

I just switched cold turkey from drinking a ton of coffee to drinking these caffeine-free alternatives, but I didn’t suffer from any of the possible side effects. There are some possible side effects that you should be aware of as your body adapts to life without caffeine.

Headaches are the most common complaint, and you are probably already somewhat aware that this could be an issue because you’ve most likely already experienced this if you forgot to drink your morning coffee one day. Making a fast switch can definitely trigger headaches in people that are more sensitive to the increased blood flow in the brain. Caffeine causes the blood vessels in the brain to narrow slightly, so gradually eliminating caffeine will help as your body adjusts to this new normal.

Other people experience a lack of concentration, lack of energy, irritability, anxiety, and depression. That list is making you second guess cutting back on your caffeine, right! There are some ways to help reduce the effects while your body adapts to not having caffeine. Cutting back slowly is probably the best way to avoid major withdrawal symptoms. Try substituting 25% of your coffee cup with one of the alternatives throughout your day. Gradually over the course of two weeks begin switching to 50% and then 75% ratio of grain beverage to coffee. This should help alleviate some of the issues with headaches especially.

So here are three coffee alternatives to try…and my favorite one!

Dandy Blend

No drumroll needed, I will jump right in with my favorite. Of all of the herbal beverage coffees that I have tried, Dandy Blend is my favorite (you can find it here). I am a black coffee drinker, and Dandy tastes the most similar to regular black coffee to me. The extra beauty of Dandy Bend is that the ingredients all have health benefits as well, especially the dandelion roots, chicory roots, and sugar beet. They have anti-inflammatory properties, help control blood sugar, and have antioxidants as well. They also act as a prebiotic and have a little bit of a stool softening effect. The sugar beets are reported to have lots of positive effects on how efficiently your body is able to distribute oxygen. Even though Dandy Blend contains barley and rye, it is still considered gluten-free. The soluble parts of the barley and rye are washed away from the proteins that contain the gluten, which is left behind. It is surprising that “grain coffee” can be gluten-free! Who knew?

Dandy Blend is actually like an instant coffee, with extremely fine ground that dissolves instantly, no stirring is needed. If you are really serious about kicking the caffeine habit, this makes it very easy to take to work or to stick in a bag and take with you if you are meeting someone for breakfast. All you need is some hot water and you can easily make your own caffeine-free coffee. Interestingly, there are some trace minerals in the dandelion root which support adrenal function and can provide a bit of an energy boost, so you may want to avoid drinking it in the evening, as some people experience difficulty falling asleep, much like with caffeine.

Teeccino Chicory Herbal Coffee

Teeccino Herbal coffee has an interesting taste and may be perfect for you if you are a chocolate lover or enjoy sweet coffee. Teeccino has carob, barley, chicory, dates, almonds, and figs, as well as some natural coffee flavors. I found that I could definitely taste the almonds and the chocolate flavor from the carob. Those flavors coupled with the dates and figs, made this herbal substitute perfect for anyone looking for a sweeter alternative, although there is a strong coffee bite. The flavor of this substitute has a definite following and some people prefer it’s taste to actual coffee! If you are a flavored coffee drinker than Teecino is definitely the one for you! They have so many varieties of coffee substitutes on their website from Hazelnut, Chocolate Mint, Caramel Nut, Southern Pecan and the list goes on (you can find a variety pack here).

Unlike the instant grain coffees, Teeccino needs to be brewed, either by a French press or pour-over method. This may be positive or negative depending on your preference. If you love the morning ritual of your pour-over coffee or doing a French press, then this will “feel” like you are making real coffee. If you are looking for a more portable option, you can purchase Teeccino in bags similar to tea bags and use them when you are on the go.

One quick note for those of you that are gluten-free, Teecino recommends using a paper filter during the brewing to remove any remaining gluten, or they also offer a dandelion blend that is specifically gluten-free.

Cafix Instant Grain Beverage

Cafix is a product of Poland and resembles instant coffee crystals that need to be stirred into hot water (you can find it here). The flavor of this substitute reminds me of a good instant coffee and is perfect for those of you that like cream and sweeter in your coffee. I have read lots of reviews from people that have kicked the coffee habit with Cafix. The ingredient list is pretty simple with roasted barley, rye, chicory, and sugar beets. While it is Non-GMO, I couldn’t locate any information on their website that specifically addressed the gluten residue in their product and if it was classified as gluten-free. Since it is not specifically stated anywhere, I would probably go with another option if gluten is a concern. Cafix also doesn’t specifically address any information about if the products are organically grown, as Teecino and Dandy Blend give specific information regarding their growing procedures on their websites. For anyone who likes cream and sugar in their coffee, but not necessarily flavored coffee, Cafix might be a good option to try!

A Note About Acrylamide

Acrylamide is a chemical that is naturally occurring when foods are roasted and since these grain beverages are roasted, they do contain acrylamide. Acrylamide is found in most foods that are roasted, from French fries and potato chips to crackers and breakfast cereals, and our beloved coffee. While coffee does contain acrylamide from the bean roasting process, dark roast tends to contain less of the chemical.So what is the concern with acrylamide anyway? It has been linked with an increased occurrence of certain types of cancer in rodents. While there is a concern that there could be DNA damage due to the chemical, no studies on humans have found any obvious evidence that it has the same effect on humans, mainly because rodents and humans absorb and metabolize acrylamide differently. And it’s important to note that almost every baked food has some traces of acrylamide. I am not an expert in this area, but from the studies I have looked at, grain coffee substitutes do seem to have a higher amount of the chemical than a regular cup of coffee. Dandy Blend has addressed the presence of acrylamide specifically on their website. To be on the safe side though, I do stick to only using one teaspoon of the product in my morning coffee - I had started with almost a tablespoon before I had read the research and decided to cut back. (You can read about acrylamide from the National Cancer Institute here.)

Final Thought…

If you are like me and have built up a caffeine tolerance that could fuel an elephant, you may want to try cutting back, at least a little. Sadly, the struggle is real when you are missing your morning ritual of a warm cup of coffee! I really needed to taste coffee in the morning, especially in the first few weeks. These powders really bridged the gap and even though I wasn’t actually getting any caffeine, I felt like I was drinking a cup of coffee, which made me very happy!Hopefully, you found some new caffeine-free substitutes that to throw in your cart on your next trip to the grocery store. I would love to hear about your favorite coffee alternatives!

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