Written by Dr. Sandra Miranda, ND

Don’t take me wrong, I love coffee!  So let me be the first to admit this.  Unfortunately, caffeine is like one of those friends who promises us the world but they never deliver. 

Caffeine is supposed to give us a boost of energy and help our focus.  This is true only for short-term or if you only drink coffee once in a while but if we overdo it (which is so easy to do) then it may actually have the opposite effect.

Depending on your genetic makeup and your level of daily hydration, even a small amount of morning caffeine can disrupt your quality of sleep and your hormones, particularly if you metabolize caffeine slowly.  It won’t take long for you to get trapped in a cycle of needing more and more caffeine as a pick-me-up.  Not optimal!

Here are my 3 favorite coffee alternatives that actually support energy levels without stimulation.  I hope you decide to try them:

1. Swiss water decaf – Regular decaf coffee is not a good alternative because in the process of removing the caffeine, manufacturing companies add harmful chemicals.  However, Swiss water decaf if a decaf drink that has most (not all) of the caffeine removed with a steaming process.  You can enjoy a drink that smells and tastes just like coffee with most of the caffeine removed with a natural method.  Swiss water decaf is a sleep-friendly way to capture coffee’s antioxidants without the excessive stimulation.

1. Chicory coffee – this is a caffeine-free beverage brewed from ground chicory root.  It comes out tasting….well…not quite like coffee, but not too far off.  It’s earthy.  Chicory root is high in prebiotic fiber called inulin.  You may find that inulin causes some boating and gassiness at first – so introduce it slowly if you have a sensitive digestive tract.

1. Matcha tea – this is considered an herbal tea that still has some caffeine but not as much as your regular cup of coffee.  In addition, it has an abundance of antioxidants including one called catechins which are so potent that they are considered excellent in preventing and reducing cancers. It is also a great drink high in L-theanine (like green tea) which is very calming to the nervous system, help with sleep, memory and concentration.

So, what to do you think…which one will you try today?