5 Of The Best Alternatives To Coffee
Coffee has a lot of caffeine, which can be bad for you. Caffeine can make you hyper and it can keep you awake at night, depending on when you have it. But a lot of people can’t get through their day without the caffeine. Other people just like the taste of coffee, which is why they drink it. Drinking a lot of it is never a good idea, but having one drink a day won’t hurt.
There are also other things you could have that would be similar enough to coffee for it to have the same effects. It can be hard to find something to replace the coffee, especially if you’ve been drinking it for a long while, so you might need to try a couple of them out before you find the right one for you. But please enjoy the best alternatives to coffee.
1. Golden Milk
Golden milk is a rich, caffeine-free substitute for coffee. This warm drink includes amazing spices, such as ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, and black pepper. Other common ingredients include cardamom, vanilla, and honey. Turmeric is what gives the milk the golden color. It might also have powerful inflammatory properties due to the potent chemical curcumin. Black pepper increases your body’s ability to absorb curcumin, as does fat. This drink may work better with whole milk instead of fat-free milk. Keep that in mind when making the drink.
To make your own golden milk: In a saucepan, combine 1 cup of milk or a non-dairy alternative with 1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon of ground ginger, and a pinch of black pepper. You can add honey, depending on how you want the milk to taste. Warm the mixture on low to medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Once heated, pour the drink into a mug and enjoy it.
2. Lemon Water
Changing the drink you start your morning with doesn’t have to be a difficult thing. You can start your day with lemon water and still be just as hyper as you would with a cup of coffee. It’s calorie and caffeine-free, and it has plenty of vitamin C for your day. As an antioxidant, vitamin C plays a role in your immune system and protects your skin from sun damage. It is essential for creating collagen, a protein that provides the basic structure for your skin, tendons, and ligaments. Vitamin C is often forgotten about, so starting your day with lemon water is a good way to remember it.
To make lemon water, all you do is add 1/2 of a lemon to every cup of water. So if you have 2 cups of water, you should use a whole lemon. Just squeeze the lemon to get the juice into your water. You can add other fruits and herbs for a variety of flavors. Cucumber, mint, watermelon, and basil are some of the popular flavors. Just one glass of lemon water provides you with ten percent of your recommended daily intake for vitamin C.
3. Chai Tea
Chai tea is a type of black tea blended with strong herbs and spices. It contains less caffeine than coffee, but it can improve mental alertness the same as coffee does. Black and green teas are both made from the Camellia Sinensis plant, but black tea goes through a fermentation process, which changes its chemical makeup. Both types have powerful antioxidant properties. Some research has shown that drinking black tea might also lower the risk of heart disease. Chai tea also has a comforting smell and a very powerful flavor.
To make your own chai tea, crush four cardamom seeds, four cloves, and two black peppercorns. In a saucepan, combine two cups of filtered water, a 1-inch slice of fresh ginger, 1 cinnamon stick, and the crushed spices. Bring the mixture to a boil and then remove it from the heat. Add two single-serving black tea bags and let steep for ten minutes. Strain the tea into two mugs and enjoy. You can make this a latte by adding milk instead of water.
4. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is made by fermenting crushed apples using yeast and bacteria. This process produces a compound called acetic acid, which may have beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity and blood sugar levels, according to some studies. For example, one study found that when people with insulin resistance drank 1/2 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar before a meal, their rise in blood sugar levels was reduced by 64 percent. This effect was not seen in people with Type 2 diabetes. So it is not known for sure in the vinegar helps with blood sugar levels.
Apple cider vinegar is also thought to increase feelings of fullness after meals and assist with modest weight loss, though there is not much evidence. To make an apple cider vinegar drink, combine 1-2 tablespoons of raw or unfiltered apple cider vinegar, 1 cup of cold water, and 1-2 tablespoons of honey or another preferred sweetener. Do not drink apple cider vinegar without diluting it first. It contains 4-6 percent of acetic acid, which can burn your mouth and throat and wear away tooth enamel.
5. Matcha Tea
Matcha is a type of green tea made by steaming, drying, and grinding the leaves of the Camellia sinensis into a fine powder. You consume the whole leaf, which is very different than most green teas. You are getting a much more concentrated source of antioxidants, epigallocatechin (EGCG, in particular). Many of the proposed benefits of matcha tea are thanks to EGCG. Observational studies suggest regular green tea consumption may reduce your risk of high blood pressure. Green tea has also been associated with reduced weight and body fat.
To make chai tea, sift 1-2 teaspoons of matcha powder into a ceramic bowl using a fine-mesh strainer. Add hot, but not boiling water, the water temperature should be around 160-170 degrees F. Stir slowly until the powder is dissolved, then whisk back and forth. A traditional bamboo tea whisk, called a chasen, works best. The tea is ready once a light froth forms. You can also try adding 1 cup of steamed milk or a non-dairy alternative for a chai latte.
