If you are like the vast majority of North Americans, you start your day with a cup of coffee, either piping hot or iced. If you are still like the vast majority of North Americans, you have probably noticed that caffeine doesn’t work the way it used to.
As you build up a resistance to caffeine, it takes more and more coffee to make you feel awake and engaged. Unfortunately, what happens instead is you go from the caffeine having no effects to you suddenly being jittery, cranky, and on edge.
For many folks, they find that caffeine doesn’t even really wake them up anymore. It just makes them feel edgy and hyper, while still groggy and sluggish.Â
What if there were a better way? What if you could have a morning beverage that would make you feel refreshed and ready to face the day, without the caffeine jitters?
Wouldn’t it be nice to drink your morning cuppa and finish it wide awake, focused, and clear-headed, without feeling like you needed three or four more cups to get there?
There is an Alternative to Coffee
There have always been coffee alternatives, from hot tea to green tea, to Mexican hot cocoa. Each of these alternatives has pros and cons. Most traditional teas get their energy exclusively from caffeine, just like coffee, only in smaller doses.
If you are developing caffeine resistance, drinking the energy equivalent of weak coffee is probably not helpful. Mexican cocoa has a larger balance of beneficial chemicals for brain function, but it is typically so sweet that you will inevitably have a sugar crash later.
Many athletes like to start the day with a post-workout beverage because it energizes the body by balancing electrolytes lost during the night through sweating, urination, and respiration. The body’s natural functions can throw off your salt balance overnight because you aren’t consuming any, but all of your body’s functions continue while you sleep.
There are other alternatives. Many people take herbal supplements in the morning, to get phytochemicals and fungi based compounds that are rumored to promote brain activity and help with focus through the night.
What if there were a way to get all of these disparate benefits in one beverage? There are many different companies producing coffee substitutes, with MUD/WTR being a great example.
This beverage includes cacao for some of the caffeine and theobromine. The theobromine stimulates brain activity and regulates the metabolism of the caffeine to provide a generalized feeling of well being and energy (everyone feels better when eating chocolate).
Incorporating an array of medicinal mushrooms allows you to get all the health benefits of those different mushrooms, without having to eat the large amount necessary to gain the benefits. Not to mention, there aren’t many ways to really enjoy a pile of mushrooms first thing in the morning.
The dark earthy flavors of mushrooms are offset by the cocoa, mixed with masala chai. Masala chai is an Indian black tea, which adds some amount of caffeine, with several spices added for flavor and health benefits.
Combining all of these superfoods into one beverage gives you the benefits of all of them, with each ingredient balancing the shortcomings of the others. It can be sweetened, and cream can be added just like any coffee. The mix of spices keeps an interesting mix of flavors, allowing you to keep your morning ritual with a different set of health benefits.
To summarize, a great coffee alternative can taste great, while still providing a nutrient boost to jumpstart your day. Mixing the health benefits and flavor elements of several coffee substitutes in one place makes a balanced and delicious beverage.
