It may sound like B.S. but I swear that my morning cup of coffee makes all the difference in the world to me.
It could just be the placebo effect, or maybe it IS the extra caffeine boost to my system, but I’ve been a fan of the roasted-coffee-bean-water world of deliciousness ever since I can remember.
I’ve come across vegans who are fully raw (i.e. no cooked foods or preservative/processed type dishes) and some who say that they have given up caffeine altogether due to various reasons, whether they felt it was simply unhealthy because it’s a drug (by virtue of the fact you CAN have an addiction, caffeine is itself a drug of sorts), or that they felt more detoxed and regulated allowing their body to do it’s natural thing without the system that many young business-age types do, switching between our uppers to keep us plugging through fatigue and using Benadryl or other downers at the end of the night to bring us back down long enough to catch a few hours sleep.
I must be honest and admit that I’ve loved coffee since long before I actually felt I needed it.
Way back in grade school, my family used to go to church together on Sundays. Immediately following the end of service, we’d go to the adjoining church hall for “Coffee Hour”, the normal socializing aspect of Orthodox Christianity where you sit with all your fellow church-goers and have a donut to discuss how the week has been and what we’re looking forward to in the next week. Of course being the little outlier I am, I was more interested in how I could sneak a cup of coffee without my dad or stepmom noticing over attempting mundane socialization with my peers. Coffee (or soda, caffeine in general really) was not allowed in the home as it was deemed inappropriate for children. I’d only had a sweet sip or two here or there at family dinner parties (where coffee is served with dessert) or a taste of my stepmoms Starbucks cup while we were out running errands, but never my own cup. I knew I was young and active, but I didn’t care. It wasn’t about the energy boost — it was purely comfort-based. There was always something I found personally, blissfully comforting about having a warm cup of liquid heaven to hold in your cold hands. A beverage that says “I’m here for you” and “Sip as long as you like” on a cold, drizzly morning. I could babble on in a pseudo-poetic way for another nine pages about coffee, but I’ll spare you my romantic drivel.
Getting to my point — I’ve realized there is a down side to coffee, as with almost anything in life outside of moderation:
Expense — Yes, Starbucks costs average $5 for anything other than plain ol’ coffee, which at a plain grande size still runs about $3 a cup. That adds up quick at the end of the week.
Addiction — it’s real, and it totally matters where caffeine is concerned, as those of us who have gotten withdrawal migraines can attest. There is no bitch like the bitch of caffeine withdrawal vengeance. “I’ll do the responsible adult thing and cut back on my coffee intake”, until you realize you’re left on the floor crying in a little ball with a pounding headache and feeling vertigo in full swing. Not. Cool.
Aesthetics — so let’s say you pace yourself at home making coffee yourself. Effectively you save money not paying exorbitant prices out, nor are over-regulating your allotment of 1 cup per day. All the same, coffee stains don’t discriminate against any of these factors. Coffee is coffee, and it will stain your teeth. I consider myself to have impeccable oral hygiene (thanks OCD!) and keep tootbrushes/floss in all my bags and still find that close to my bi-annual dentist appointments that a little teeny bit of extra grime stain is present, no doubt from my coffee bean fix.
SO? What’s the solution then?
I’m a firm believer in moderation. Honestly, due to selfish enjoyment and pursuit of instant gratification, I don’t like the idea of giving up anything entirely. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a beautiful middle ground waiting to be found.
Now, provided you are looking into alternatives for a coffee habit, and are willing to stick to your guns and rotate up your comfort zone routine, these following methods will absolutely be of service to you, should you take them seriously.
If, however, you are a raging coffee-guzzling, caffeine-3-times-a-day fiend, then you’re on your own and reading this will probably be moot to you if you have chugged so much bean juice that you cannot, will not be able to manually adjust your intake enough to the point that you can swap these other choices in/around without causing yourself to spiral into migraine withdrawal.
1. Matcha Green Tea
This is probably my favorite alternate beverage to my morning cup of Joe. Similarly to coffee, matcha gives you a legitimate boost of caffeine since it’s made from whole crushed tea leaves (stronger than average bagged tea) and depending on where, what kind, and how your matcha is served, it’s typically about half the caffeine level of a regular serving of black coffee. Unlike coffee, however, matcha packs a punch for health benefits, including but not limited to hosting antioxidant properties (like EGCg), is metabolism boosting/calorie burning, is a natural detoxifying plant and helps aid in concentration and calming anxiety. Not bad, right? Sometimes I like a cold pre-brew like this kind I found at the grocery store for $2-3 (sometimes on sale) which is totally comparable to your typical coffee establishment . Other times (especially in cold weather) I love a good hot matcha latte with soy milk if a cafe offers such. Gotta love options.
Suggestions:
2. Beets!
Yes. Red beet powder is something to try on your list if you haven’t yet seen the power of this underappreciated superfood. I personally liked to use this for a mixer in my morning Braggs ACV to help cut bitterness, but it does more than sweeten a sour deal. Beet powder contains many benefits which include being “rich in antioxidants, dietary fiber, calcium, iron, potassium,folate and manganese, along with other nutrients. Perhaps most remarkably, beets are naturally rich in nitrate, compounds that can improve blood flow andlower blood pressure, leading to notable health benefits” (source HERE for more). Again, it’s not a delicious latte, and I won’t lie to you and say it is. But for the HEALTH benefits herein, you cannot go wrong and should as a “responsible adult” look into PREVENTATIVE care, not just getting your act together once the shit hits the fan.
Suggestions:
3. A non-coffee holistic “latte”
Move over pumpkin spice, a new beverage bae is in town! This is, by nature, caffeine free. However, it is neither without flavor nor holistic benefit. Are you aware of how good for your body some daily turmeric is? I’ve thrown it in my coffee before, on top of potatoes, in with my taco “meat” while cooking, et cetera. Sneak a little in anywhere and everywhere throughout your kitchen creations and your body will thank you. This is but ONE recipe that I’ve found, tried, and enjoyed from a fellow vegan blogger. Link is as follows:
Pumpkin Spice Turmeric Latte. Thanks vegan Richa!
Suggestions:
Still on the lookout for something else? I found an entire article you can read HERE that offers some other drinkable pizzazz such as Kombucha, Coconut Water, and other probiotic goods if none of my top three are your thang. 🙂
Happy sipping!
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