caffeine free

Hi, Has anyone tried "Postum"? It's a wheat beverage and I don't think it's too bad at all to replace the coffee. I even put the hazelnut creamer in it. Nancy

Nothing seems to replace the "drug" effect of coffee, however, I have found that hot water with fresh lemon juice helps somewhat. At least you can hold a warm cup in your hand. :) Also drinking a large glass of water when you first get up is also helpful and seems to give a little "boost". Oh well.

I finally became something like allergic to coffee and it makes me nauseated now just thinking about it - I drank four strong, organic, fresh-ground cups for twenty years. However, now it's green tea with freshly grated ginger. I only drink one cup in the morning and sometimes one cup in the afternoon (the afternoon cup is usually Celestial Seasonings "white tea"), but there's no doubt it's a strong stimulant. Seems like one of life's little pleasures and I guess I will know in time whether the cumulative affect is positive or negative. My constitution is predominantly "kapha" in nature for those of you familiar with ayurveda, the "dosha" that tradition believes can benefit from a little caffeine.

I love the green tea I get when I go to an Asian restaurant, but when I make it myself, I find it rather gags me. I wish I could make it like they do. What is their secret?

It's pretty bitter stuff, but I love it...then again, "kapha" types are supposed to need and do well with bitter foods - I can eat a field of dandelions at a sitting. :-) Try C.S. white tea. They add pear and other natural flavors, and it's pretty aromatic and delicious. I grate fresh, organic ginger (tbs - no need to peel) and add to a quart jar of just-under-boiling water and about two tsp green tea. Look for "bancha" at your whole foods market. Ginger is very soothing to the gut.

>I love the green tea I get when I go to an Asian restaurant,
>but when I make it myself, I find it rather gags me. I wish I
>could make it like they do. What is their secret?

Hi Mare,

I am also not a huge fan of regular green tea, but I have found I really love organic JASMINE green tea! The added jasmine scent/flavor makes a big difference. I use Long Life brand, bags (I used to use loose teas but am on a teabag kick) which are not chlorine bleached. A lot of Asian restaurants use jamine green or black tea, that may be the difference you notice!

Evie

Thank you so much for the info. I shall visit Vitamin Cottage tomorrow and purchase some of this tea there.
I have started useing Chlorella powder and find my energy level has increased. Finally, a substitute for coffee, I think. :)

I had a bottle of chlorella powder and found a recipe that called for spirulina powder, so I tried the chlorella powder in place of the spirulina. I have since purchased some spirulina powder and am using both powders in this drink. It doesn't give you the short lived burst as the coffee does, but it gives you an anti-tired feeling so you don't have to stop and take a nap. I still have energy left after watching two active toddlers from 6:45 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. three days a week.
Here is the recipe: 1 C fresh apple juice, 1/2 of a banana (frozen, but I just use a room temp one), 1/4 C frozen blueberries and 2 t. of spirulina powder and I also use 2 t. of chlorella powder. It has been great for me, I just have a constant flow of energy since I have tried this. I have a Champion juicer and use 1 1/2 apples to make a cup of juice. Delicious. :)

This is great, Mare. Every health expert I've ever believed in insists that both coffee AND tea must go in order to bring about optimum well-being. I'm still working on the green tea - I just love everything about it - including the lift. The downside is, the energy is not as sustained as it could be.

Hi Granolamom,

There are a lot of good books on Ayurveda that would explain the "doshas" much better than I. A very beautiful book on the subject with lots and lots of recipes is Ayurveda - A Life of Balance, by Maya Tiwari. Deepak Chopra has also written several on the subject. If you just google "dosha" or "kapha" I'm sure you'll find a ton of info.

:-)Christine

I replied directly to your post, but do not know why sometimes they are inserted where you want them and sometimes at the end of the thread!! Still getting used to this new software.

I drank Roiboos (red) tea when I was pregnant and caffeine free. It doesn't give you a lift, but I feel like it has that smoky, robust flavor that coffee has. It's also loaded with antioxidants.

I've been back on coffee since I had the baby, though. After reading these posts, I'm wondering if giving it up will help my bladder irritation.

Ann