In the morning you wake up with difficulty and, feeling like in a fog, in a desperate hurry to cheer up with a cup of coffee? For many of us, drinking coffee has become an automatic action that we perform as soon as we get out of bed. It’s just part of our daily life.
Recent studies have shown that coffee is not as harmful as it was once thought. Some even argue that good coffee can protect against heart disease, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes. So this is good news, but keep in mind that coffee is far from the healthiest drink.
First of all, coffee highly oxidizes our body, which causes digestive problems, intestinal discomfort and an imbalance of the intestinal microflora in general.
Coffee can also boost the production of anxiety and stress hormones by stimulating the nervous system. The release of cortisol and the increased release of insulin, in turn, leads to the development of inflammation.
Many (including myself) know from their own experience, and research proves that coffee can disrupt sleep. Coffee has a diuretic effect, which means that it flushes water out of the body, and with it the minerals calcium, magnesium and potassium.
So why not try to break this habit, stay hydrated, and get rid of naps with other natural and healthy drinks?
Here are four drinks to try as an alternative to your morning coffee:
- Chicory.
For a long time, chicory has been used as a “healthy” substitute for coffee, since it not only resembles it in taste and color, but also gives vigor in the morning.
Chicory root contains 60% (dry weight) of inulin, a polysaccharide that is widely used in nutrition as a substitute for starch and sugar. Inulin promotes the assimilation (absorption by our body from food) of calcium and magnesium, helps the growth of intestinal bacteria. It is considered a form of soluble fiber by nutritionists and is sometimes categorized as a prebiotic.
Chicory root contains organic acids, vitamins B, C, carotene. For medicinal purposes, decoctions and tinctures from chicory roots are used, which increase appetite, improve digestion, calm the nervous system, and help the heart.
Chicory can be found in a variety of forms: instant powder or teapot-infused granules. There are drinks with other herbs and flavors added. My favorite is to brew chicory granules, which I buy here. I pour a pinch of granules with boiling water in a teapot, and then dilute this “tea leaves” with hot water.
- Match tea.
I published a separate post about matcha tea with a detailed description of all the beneficial properties of this drink. Matcha is not an ordinary green tea. Leaves are harvested for him only once a year.
Moreover, a few weeks before harvesting, tea bushes are shaded to protect them from direct sunlight. Thanks to this, the leaves become softer and juicier, excess bitterness leaves them. Tea made from such leaves turns out to be sweeter, and its composition increases the content of amino acids. You can buy it here.
- Warm water with lemon juice.
This is my usual start to the day. The easiest way to wake up your body and energize it. Lemon water not only quenches thirst better than any other drink, but also saturates the body with vitamins, minerals and trace elements that we absolutely need. It also helps the body to restore the acid-base balance, which is necessary for us to prevent disease and lose weight. Upon awakening, our body tissues are dehydrated and need water to expel toxins and rejuvenate all cells. Lemon water helps to flush out internal toxins and normalizes kidney and digestive tract function, making them work as efficiently as possible. The blog has a detailed article on the benefits of lemon water.
- Freshly squeezed green vegetable juice.
If my juicer is at hand, then in the morning various vegetables, herbs and always lemon or ginger are sent to it to give a pleasant taste. Freshly squeezed vegetable juice is the best way to get a boost of vitamins and minerals. The main thing is that the set of vegetables is varied in taste and color – this is more fun and more useful. Read more about juices here.