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Hyped-Up Coffee Alternatives for Natural Energy
Life is better when you're energized. But let's be honest- life also likes to drain your energy!
To combat this silly irony, we must utilize our diet as a keystone element in maintaining the energy levels needed to keep up with the passion and liveliness of three surf groms (cough, that's me).
Where it's common to reach for the coffee pot, and hey, I get it; there's a plethora of other coffee alternatives providing more extended, sustained vitality, all while promoting natural energy synonymous with health and wellness.
Whether you're looking to eliminate coffee entirely or if you need a coffee substitute for those arvo pick-me-ups, between the dawn patrols and the crazy kids, I've learned a thing or two about healthy coffee alternatives.
Check it!
The Best Coffee Alternatives
Why do humans love coffee? Because it's a quick, tasty, and reliable answer for revitalizing tired eyes, brains, and bodies. With that, my favorite alternatives to coffee feature the same characteristics. They taste so darn good, they aren't some complicated mess to make, and you can enjoy them with the same iced or hot or blended variety as a classic cup of joe.
That, and more important to me, is a healthy coffee replacement that doesn't come with all those pitfalls of coffee. They're easier on digestion; they don't surge anxiety; they don't contribute to a rapid heart rate.
Energy is intricate, and it has to do with a lot more than just a quick intake of caffeine to treat it right.
Kombucha!
Kombucha isn't for everyone, but those who love this gut-friendly drink's crisp, bubbly flavors and health benefits tend to love it A LOT.
Kombucha is made by fermenting a particular type of bacteria called 'SCOBY' into brewed green/black tea, resulting in a yummy probiotic drink with tons of health benefits.
Not only does superior gut health, in general, promote higher energy levels, as all your bodily functions are influenced by such.
But because kombucha is brewed with green or black tea, it also features a minuscule 15 g of caffeine per serving.
That's just enough to wake up the brain but barely noticeable to even those who are reasonably sensitive to caffeine.
Enjoy kombucha homemade or store bought!
Speaking of Tea…
There's just no other alternative to coffee that allows for the same versatility and ritualistic similarity to coffee as tea. You can sip hot tea on the porch in the morning or enjoy a cold iced tea during a day at the beach in the same ways you would coffee, but with many additional health benefits.
If you're looking to eliminate caffeine from your life, herbal teas are an excellent means. You'll enjoy a wide range of unique herbal flavors and the health benefits of every herb used in the concoction, such as turmeric's inflammation-reducing properties or chamomile's calming characteristics.
And for those who seek a caffeine boost but one that isn't as intense as coffee, any tea made from the camellia Sinensis plant, which includes:
- Green Tea
- Black Tea
- White Tea
- Oolong Tea
- Pu-erh Tea
- Purple Tea
Will provide an average of 26-40 mg caffeine per cup (compared to 105 mg caffeine in drip coffee). Not only will you enjoy a boost of energy, but these teas are known to eliminate free radicals within the body, which are responsible for many ill effects on your health, so it's a win-win.
Mushroom Coffee
Four Sigmatic: A Popular Purveyor of Mushroom Coffees!
You've probably seen mushroom coffee on social media, as it's quite a popular trend, but for dang good reasons! Medicinal mushrooms, such as turkey tail, reishi, lion's mane, and many more, are some of the most potent components of holistic health.
They're known for improving the quality of life by combating numerous diseases, flaunting many antibacterial properties, and enhancing the body's immune system.
Mushroom coffee is impressive, as the flavor and texture highly resemble standard coffee- drink it black or sweeten it up with your same favorite, classic coffee creamers.
Some mushroom coffee alternatives come with caffeine, so it's really just a daily cup of coffee but with the additional health benefits of mushrooms. This is a combination of ground coffee beans and mushroom powder.
But other mushroom coffees simply mimic the effects of coffee, such as increased energy and focus, due solely to the benefits of the mushrooms being consumed. For example, lion's mane has been shown to hugely increase focus and brain function, while cordyceps are hailed as the "Olympic mushroom" due to its energizing abilities on a cellular level.
Make a Green Smoothie!
Reaching for the coffee when you're feeling drained might cover up the symptoms of fatigue, but only momentarily, and you'll often end up worse off than before. That, and coffee inhibits appetite, so often you further neglect the body's true energy sources:
Food and hydration!!
Vitamins, minerals, quick hydration and lubed-up joints and muscles; you know the deal. Nutrition IS energy, and with this, a green smoothie is the best healthy coffee replacement I know of, ideal for tired mums and dads, and a huge-health asset for growing groms.
Green smoothies feature clean, good calories as the basis of energy. Where a lack of B vitamins is often a cause of fatigue, greens like kale and spinach (packed with B vitamins essential to vitality) disguised into the smoothie make for a non-caffeinated, powerful replacement to coffee in terms of energy levels.
Regarding sugar, natural sugars from fruit are critical to energy levels. Yes, in the right amounts, natural sugar is totally good for you!! And will provide a natural boost of liveliness via fast yet stable energy.
Toss in some protein powder, and you'll help with muscle growth and repair that otherwise leaves the body tired and sore, and the overall hydration from your smoothie will have you feeling more awake than any cup of coffee ever could.
Vitamin Shots
Speaking of vitamins, certain shots packed with vitamins and other energy-boosting, focus-enhancing qualities are a one-sip, non-caffeinated means to discover newfound energy throughout the day.
These shots might contain several ingredients to get the job done. Once again, mushrooms are a familiar favorite due to their ability to enhance focus. And more often than not, you'll see all sorts of vitamins (specifically B12) in the 10x daily values packed into a juice/tea shot.
Suppose you're one who does enjoy a hefty dose of caffeine, but without the coffee, there are still healthy energy-drink-like coffee replacement shots.
The Suja energy shot, for example, features 100 mg of caffeine with coffee fruit and adaptogenic reishi.
Immediate energy for on-the-go, energy shots are a great way to feel awake without feeling full.
So, my salty, radical folk. Go shred, knock out the errands, finish up those projects, and do so with endless ardor via your new favorite coffee alternatives.
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- Ash, Dev & The Salty Shreds Fam.
