Healthy Alternatives to Coffee

Ranked #1,675 in Healthy Living, #35,386 overall

My Search for a Healthy Stimulant

I've nothing against Coffee I still love it but now I want to drink it just once a day as a treat, and then drink something stimulating but healthy at other times.
So what's it going to be Green Tea or Puer Tea or Yerba Mate or is there no real alternative to Coffee? Read this Lens to find out!

Finding the perfect beverage or pick me up is one of my real passions, but also important because I wake up feeling so lethargic, and waste so much time before I get into the zone!!

Leave your suggestions in the comments form below

Healthy Drinks or Pick-Me-Ups

Raw Chocolate
Raw Chocolate. Unsweetend. Incredible levels of antioxidants. Must be real chocolate.


Yerba Mate
Yerba Mate (tastes like dirt but you get used to it) South American herbal tonic, drunk as tea.


Bee Pollen
Bee bread is used in naturopathic medicine traditions and as a nutritional supplement, although exposure may trigger allergic or anaphylactic reactions in sensitive people.


Siberian Ginseng
Eleuthero (Siberian Ginseng)
Claimed to
increase endurance
improve memory


Bancha Twig Tea
Bancha Twig Tea is a Japanese green tea


Maca Maca
Another real good one is Maca Maca from Peru.
It works on a lot of levels


Ginkgo Biloba
Ginkgo Biloba is mainly used as memory and concentration enhancer, and anti-vertigo agent


Ashwaganda
Ashwaganda, an Indian herb available at any health food store. It is a great tonic without giving you the jitters


CoQ10
CoQ10 - not so much for energy but it REALLY helps with brain function (by a 50 year old)


Pepper Smoothie
What I love to take in the morning is a smoothie made of fresh fruit with a generous amount of cayenne pepper. (takes getting used to)


Barley Coffee Substitute
Caro is made up of soluble solids of roasted barley, malted barley, chicory, and rye. It is most often available in health food shops, but can also be found in most major supermarkets. Add Honey, Milk, Sugar to taste.

I enjoy and look forward to drinking Caro
Healthy Energy Drink
When I need something to really clear away the cobwebs then I turn to my Healthy Energy Drink. This contains extracts of Green Tea, Panax Ginseng,Stevia, a range of Vitamins. The kick comes from GUARANA. The taste of the drink which comes as powder takes a little getting used to
Rooibos Tea
Rooibos is becoming more popular in Western countries particularly among health-conscious consumers, due to its high level of antioxidants such as aspalathin and nothofagin, its lack of caffeine and its low tannin levels compared to fully oxidized black tea or unoxidized green tea leaves.[citation needed] "Green" rooibos (see above) has a higher antioxidant capacity than fully oxidised rooibos (source Wikipedia)

Tea & Coffee on CafePress

Yerba Tea

Is claimed to help with weight loss, energy, boost immunity, cleanse and detoxify the blood, tone the nervous system, restore youthful hair color, retard aging, combat fatigue, stimulate the mind, control the appetite, reduce the effects of debilitating disease, reduce stress, and eliminate insomnia.

In the search for a natural stimulant without side effects and toxicity, Yerba Maté currently holds the most hope. Yerba Maté is an invigorator of the mind and body, a natural source of nutrition, and a health promoter. Yerba Maté deserves the attention of every person interested in optimum health.

Tea versus Coffee on eBay

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Learn More About Healthy Drinks

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Activities to Perk you Up

Exercise
Immediate exercise upon waking. Lots of breath and water and fresh foods.


Showering
I find having a hot shower in the morning followed by a few seconds of cold very invigorating!
Fruit Breakfast
Try a fresh raw fruit breakfast now and again

Tea & Coffee Voting (Plexo)

20,000 Secrets of Tea: The Most Effective Ways to Benefit from Nature's Healing Herbs by Victoria Zak

20,000 Secrets of Tea: The Most Effective Ways to Benefit from Nature's Healing Herbs by Victoria Zak

Fight Colds and Flu <br /> Lower Cholesterol more...1 point

What to Drink with What You Eat: The Definitive Guide to Pairing Food with Wine, Beer, Spirits, Coffee, Tea - Even Water - Based on Expert Advice from America's Best Sommeliers by Andrew Dornenburg, Karen Page

What to Drink with What You Eat: The Definitive Guide to Pairing Food with Wine, Beer, Spirits, Coffee, Tea - Even Water - Based on Expert Advice from America's Best Sommeliers by Andrew Dornenburg, Karen Page

The most comprehensive guide to matching food and more...0 points

The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide by Mary Lou Heiss, Robert J. Heiss

The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide by Mary Lou Heiss, Robert J. Heiss

Whether it's a delicate green tea from China or a more...0 points

How to Open a Financially Successful Coffee, Espresso & Tea Shop by Elizabeth Godsmark, Lora Arduser, Douglas R. Brown

How to Open a Financially Successful Coffee, Espresso &amp; Tea Shop by Elizabeth Godsmark, Lora Arduser, Douglas R. Brown

The explosive growth of the coffee shops across th more...0 points

Home Coffee Roasting, Revised, Updated Edition: Romance and Revival by Kenneth Davids

Home Coffee Roasting, Revised, Updated Edition: Romance and Revival by Kenneth Davids

In the past decade, coffee roasting has gone from more...0 points

Is Coffee Healthy or Not?

Everyday I read something different, Coffee is good for Altzheimers, bad for something else, good for another. My own gut feeling is too much can't be good. So that's why I'm searching for another drink to balance things out, one that I look forward to as much as I do Coffee!

Coffee Pros (Benefits)

Quoted from http://hubpages.com/hub/coffee-pros-cons

* 1. Antioxidants. Coffee is rich in antioxidants like chlorogenic acid and melanoidins. Antioxidants help prevent oxidation, a process that causes damage to cells and contributes to aging.
* 2. Parkinson's disease. Regular coffee drinking reduces the risk of Parkinson's disease. A number of studies [1],[2] have demonstrated that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are significantly less likely to develop Parkinson's disease.
* 3. Diabetes. Coffee drinking has the potential to protect against the development of type 2 diabetes. A prospective study[3] as part of the US Nurses Health Study found that moderate consumption of both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes in younger and middle aged women.
* 4. Liver cirrhosis. Coffee drinking may protect against liver cirrhosis, especially alcoholic cirrhosis.
* 5. Gallstones. There is some evidence [4] that coffee drinking may be protective against gallstone formation in both men and women.
* 6. Kidney stones. Coffee consumption lowers the risk of kidney stones formation. Coffee increases the urine volume, preventing the crystallization of calcium oxalate, the most common component of kidney stones.
* 7. Improved mental performance. Caffeine in coffee is a well-known stimulant. Coffee promotes alertness, attention and wakefulness. The cup of coffee can also increase information processing.
* 8. Alzheimer's disease. Regular coffee drinking may help to protect against Alzheimer's disease. Recent study [5] in mice showed that caffeine equivalent to 5 cups of coffee per day reduced the build up of destructive plaques in the brain.
* 9. Asthma. Caffeine in coffee is related to theophylline, an old asthma medication. Caffeine can open airways and improve asthma symptoms.
* 10. Caffeine safety. In 1958, caffeine was placed on the Food and Drug Administration's list as generally recognized as safe.

Coffee Cons (Disadvantages)

Quoted from http://hubpages.com/hub/coffee-pros-cons

* 1. Heart disease. This is somewhat controversial. Most prospective cohort studies haven't found that coffee consumption is associated with significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

On one hand, diterpenes cafestol and kahweol present in unfiltered coffee and caffeine each appear to increase risk of coronary heart disease. High quality studies [6] have confirmed the cholesterol-raising effect of diterpenes. Also, coffee consumption is associated with an increase of plasma homocysteine, a risk factor for coronary heart disease.

On the other hand, a lower risk of heart disease among moderate coffee drinkers might be due to antioxidants found in coffee.
* 2. Cholesterol. Heavy consumption of boiled coffee elevates blood total and LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels [7]. Unfiltered coffee contains two cholesterol-raising compounds cafestol and kahweol.
* 3. Blood vessels. Coffee negatively affects the blood vessel tone and function.
* 4. Heart rhythm disturbances. Coffee can cause rapid or irregular heartbeats (cardiac arrhythmias).
* 5. Blood pressure. Although coffee drinking is not a significant risk factor for hypertension, it produces unfavorable effects on blood pressure [8] and people prone to hypertension may be more susceptible. Recent Italian study found that coffee drinking can slightly increase the risk for development of sustained hypertension in people with elevated blood pressure.
* 6. Osteoporosis. Coffee intake may induce an extra urinary excretion of calcium. Heavy coffee consumption (600 ml or more) can modestly increase the risk of osteoporosis, especially in women with a low calcium intake [9].
* 7. Heartburn. A cup of coffee can trigger the heartburn.
* 8. Sleep. Most are aware of the stimulatory effects of caffeine. High amounts of caffeine taken before going to sleep can cause difficulty falling asleep, tendency to be awakened more readily by sudden noises, and a decreased quality of sleep. However, some people can drink coffee and fall right asleep.
* 9. Dehydration. The caffeine in coffee is a mild diuretic and can increase urine excretion. This effect may be easily neutralized by drinking an extra glass of water.
* 10. Dependence. Although "generally recognized as safe" by the FDA, caffeine is still a drug, a mild central nervous system stimulant, and it produces dependence. Caffeine withdrawal is a real syndrome. You may get a few days of headache and irritability if you choose to quit drinking coffee, however, it is relatively easy to break this habit, and most people are not addicted to caffeine

Are you a Tea or Coffee Person?

Say Why !

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Tea Lover

VKumar says:

Tea is full of anti-oxidants.

poddys says:

I like coffee but try to stay clear of it most of the time. I enjoy Green or Red tea more than Black tea, and have a variety of teas that I like to choose from, depending on my mood.

JaguarJulie says:

Oh my ... how topicable ... I have always craved that morning cup of coffee and considered myself a coffee lover. Something happened in the past couple of weeks, I haven't figured it all out. But, I cannot finish a cup of coffee!! I am slightly distressed about it all. At the moment, I have a cup of tea for my morning drink ... so I think I've moved over to tea ... like my grandmother did.

Close2Art says:

I like my tea...:)rwjr

DailyHealthBlitz says:

For 30 years I was a coffee drinker. I recently switched to herbal tea as my main drink. About once a month I'll fall off the wagon on special occasions.

Coffee Adict

technospunky says:

COFFEEEEEEEE.... Actually I take a little coffee in my Cream and Sugar.

jenna says:

coffee all the way!

newbizmau says:

Coffee for now, but also looking for either a healthier coffee or a coffee brew with more benefits. There seems to be some options emerging. I do like to drink cold tea, and hot tea just hasn't been much of a habit for me but I do like it, especially in Winter.

flipflopnana says:

coffee-coffee-coffee

yourgoldenfuture says:

some coffee... seldom tea...

 
view all 14 comments

New Health Drink Boosters for your Smoothie or Juice

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Detox
Chorella, barleygrass, sprouted flaxseeds, inulin, aloe vera, artichoke,grapeseed, purple corn

Superfood Boosters

There is a new new trend to add Boosters to Smoothies

  • Barleygrass as much protein as meat, 5x the iron of spinach, 4x the vitamin C as oranges, 11x the calcium
  • Camu Camu 30x more vitamin C than oranges, rich in iron, potassium, beta carotene, vitamins B1,B2,B3
  • Purple Corn High levels of antioxidants
  • Chlorella Contains more calcium and magnesium than milk and has been shown to boost brain function.
  • Goji (Wolfberries) Anti-aging food, richest known source of Carotenoids, 18 amino acids
  • Wheatgrass used to maintain vitality, energy and well being, more protein than meat, egg, dairy and beans

Amazing Fruit Teas

Until recently I couldn't drink these but recently I've even ordered then in a Coffee Shop, and noticed you feel great after drinking them!
  • Blueberry and Echinacea Tea ; This is my current favorite tasty and warming
  • Ginger, Ginko Bolboa and Ginseng ; A natural way to help invigorate and lift your spirits
  • Blackcurrant, Ginseng & Vanilla : A refreshing drink with a lively taste. The ancient Chinese herb of Ginseng is reputed to act as a natural pick-me-up, whilst vanilla pods and a blackcurrant flavour give this infusion a delightfully fresh flavour. (My New Favorite)

Your Beverage Tip or Comment

What is your best Tea or Coffee tip? I often buy exotic teas but then end up not finishing them.

submit
  • Reply
    VKumar Feb 4, 2012 @ 2:23 pm | delete
    I prefer tea - herbal tea or ginger tea for that matter. A lot of useful information. Thanks for sharing.
  • Reply
    poddys Jan 17, 2012 @ 4:14 pm | delete
    I love Yerba Mate, but it's hard to find in the UK. I grew to like it while working in Paraguay, where everyone drinks it all day long and very sweet. It's a different taste, but once you like it very addictive. Best drunk using a traditional Calabas and Pipe.
  • Reply
    Glenn619 Dec 7, 2011 @ 6:37 am | delete
    These are some good alternatives, though i love coffee at times it becomes too boring to have the same thing.
  • Reply
    KathyT Aug 17, 2011 @ 10:28 am | delete
    During summer, I'll take a gallon jar and put a few raspberry tea bags in it, add cold water, and let it sit for a day. Sometimes I'll add a few mint leaves from the lawn. YUMMY! :)

    Nice lens! Oh... one more thing. I was having trouble with Yerba Mate until I realized "Less is More..." In other words, I was using too much! It made for a bitter tea. I cut back to about a teaspoon for a couple of cups, and it's much easier to enjoy now!
  • Reply
    DailyHealthBlitz Jul 21, 2011 @ 4:54 pm | delete
    Don't drink caffeine after a high fat meal (even though that's what we want to do!). Studies show that it will spike your blood sugar level up to unsafe levels!
  • Reply
    Kris Jun 14, 2011 @ 11:05 pm | delete
    I'd go for a drink that has ginseng in it. It makes me feel young. Ginseng is such a great plant.

    Hammer Toes and Bunion Relief
  • Reply
    newbizmau May 16, 2011 @ 6:55 pm | delete
    There are some emerging new coffee companies that are incorporating healthier substances into our coffee brew, like high antioxidant ingredients. check out this, a new company not yet launched; reserveyourcup.com/glaude
  • Reply
    rhonney May 5, 2011 @ 11:55 am | delete
    useful tips...thanks!
  • Reply
    shoulderpaincoachrick Apr 25, 2011 @ 5:16 am | delete
    Useful stuff. I am learning from your lenses. Also, other than these healthy beverages, we need to consider vitamins and supplements that will even more keep us strong and healthy like magnesium supplements.
  • Reply
    Tipi Apr 13, 2011 @ 10:02 pm | delete
    Somehow, I didn't rate this the last time I was here or it just vanishe.
  • Reply
    Tipi Apr 13, 2011 @ 10:00 pm | delete
    You certainly have presented a lot of alternatives to coffee here. I'm not quite ready for a "Pepper Smoothie" to start the day, wowzers, talk about a waker upper! My sister often send me an assortment of teas and recently I fell in love with an orange herbal tea by Tazo. When I first got it, I looked forward to going to bed so I could wake up and have it in the morning.
  • Reply
    Milan Scott Apr 8, 2011 @ 4:16 pm | delete
    A friend of mine has mentioned that my love for coffee could have been the reason why the bones on my hips weakened. That resulted in me in the need to have a hip replacement. I'm now worried though from all the news about the possibility of a DePuy Pinnacle Recall. It's been noted to cause metal toxicity in some patients.
  • Reply
    KimGiancaterino Feb 18, 2011 @ 7:51 pm | delete
    We keep lots of different flavored teas on hand for guests. My latest find is a chocolate tea, and it's pretty good with a touch of cream.
  • Reply
    Tipi Feb 4, 2011 @ 11:08 pm | delete
    I like any kind of coffee, really. Tea is good, but I don't care for any that are bitter. I had no idea that there are so many alternatives for coffee. Thanks for sharing.
  • Reply
    howtocurecancer Oct 20, 2010 @ 10:23 am | delete
    Lensrolling to my Breakfast of a cancer survivor
  • Reply
    howtocurecancer Oct 20, 2010 @ 10:21 am | delete
    I am deeply in love with coffee, but for my mom who is on a healthy raw foods treatment, your lens content is of a great help.
  • Reply
    d-artist Oct 13, 2010 @ 5:42 pm | delete
    I like both coffee and tea, definitely have to have one cup of strong coffee in the morning(usually adding a bit of cinnamon) my afternoon choice is green tea, but found Soy Coffee to my liking as well.
  • Reply
    Swisstoons Oct 1, 2010 @ 11:37 am | delete
    I like your description of Yerba Mate. Hahaha. The problem is less apparent if you use the tea bags rather than the loose stuff. But if I drink a double cup of this stuff, I feel it. Rooibos is pretty tasty and the color of the red variety makes it even more interesting, but as I understand it, it's not related to green tea. I've tried cayenne "tea" and I understand it counters inflammation anywhere in the body. Not bad with sweetener added, either. I like to add a handful of goji berries to my green tea or rooibos. When the tea's finished, the berries can be eaten. They are very healthful in their own right. Great highly informative and interesting lens!
  • Reply
    thesuccess Oct 3, 2010 @ 6:07 pm | delete
    Thanks Swisstoons for such a considered reply: I've started again on Rooibos especially evenings.
  • Reply
    WriterBuzz Sep 29, 2010 @ 1:50 pm | delete
    I just found your lens. I like it a lot. Thanks for building it. Gave you a thumbs up.
  • Reply
    Crissy May 31, 2010 @ 12:43 pm | delete
    Try Suffuse Rooibos tea. It's naturally caffeine free but also very energizing. Very delicious!!
    http://suffuseusa.com/
  • Reply
    hamandegg Aug 13, 2009 @ 9:58 am | in reply to havanagilaboy | delete
    Hi I know I tasted one I found bitter, will have to try yours!
  • Reply
    havanagilaboy Aug 13, 2009 @ 9:49 am | delete
    How about the Mate Factor yerba Mate - they claim to be the freshest and best tasting. Have you tried it yet?

    http://matefactor.com
  • Reply
    Revive_Energy_Mints Apr 25, 2009 @ 11:05 pm | delete
    You forgot to mention Revive Nature's Energy Mints
  • Reply
    Mar 19, 2008 @ 9:34 am | delete
    I don't drink coffee, so I will be sure and try some of these teas.

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