Naturally awaken with these healthy coffee alternatives

Unless you’re one of those lucky people who wakes up in the morning and springs out of bed, ready for the day ahead, you probably start your day looking for a little energy boost. For many, this will be a cup of coffee, providing a quick fix of caffeine to switch on the brain and increase alertness. However, many people are now recognising that beginning the day with such a stimulating drink is not always helpful. Large doses of caffeine can promote feelings of anxiety and jitteriness, especially when we are already stressed. When we have a large workload, an important meeting, or if we haven’t slept well the night before, caffeine can stimulate the release of our stress hormone, cortisol. Coffee-drinkers also often experience an energy crash a few hours after the initial energy boost, driving further cravings for something stimulating.

Starting your day with a cup of herbal tea can provide a gentle, more balanced start, enabling you to sustain your energy while staying cool and calm, whatever the day throws at you. Here are our top recommendations for coffee alternatives:

1. Rooibos

Rooibos (also known as red bush) is a South African alternative to black tea that offers a similar rich and comforting flavour but without the caffeine. It can be enjoyed with or without milk and sweetened if desired. Rooibos is known to be very rich in molecules that fight free radicals in your body, increasingly caused by our modern lifestyles. It has traditionally been used to support overall health and wellbeing and can therefore be considered a tea to support all-round vitality.

Rooibos can be found alongside other brain-boosting herbs and fruits in our Morning Berry tea. This caffeine-free tea also contains rosemary, a herb traditionally associated with “remembrance”, as it can increase mental clarity and focus, perfect for when we need to concentrate for longer periods of time.

Morning Berry has a bold, fruity flavour, thanks to hibiscus and a range of fruits including rosehips, blackcurrants and blackberries, all of which help support healthy circulation due to the beneficial plant compounds they contain. Healthy circulation means better blood flow throughout the body, including to the brain, which helps us feel more awake and invigorated. The addition of lemongrass and spearmint essential oils in this tea offers uplifting benefits, as both are traditionally used in aromatherapy for awakening the mind and lifting the spirits. The final burst of power comes from ginseng, a herb with adaptogenic properties, meaning it helps the body to adapt more easily to stress and challenges, by helping to balance our stress response.

This expertly crafted blend celebrates several of nature’s most powerful plants for helping us feel awake and positive, without containing any caffeine or other stimulants. So, for a fruity and vibrant way to energise your day, Morning Berry could be the perfect addition to your morning routine. A naturally awakening drink to substitute your morning coffee for.

With such a range of amazing benefits, herbal teas can be a powerful addition to your daily routine, helping to gently awaken your body while supporting balanced and sustained energy, so you can keep on shining all day long.

2. Green tea & matcha If you’re not ready to give up your caffeine fix entirely, then green tea or matcha could be the perfect coffee alternative. Green tea comes from the same plant as black tea, but it is processed differently, meaning it retains more antioxidants and beneficial compounds and more of its natural green colour. Matcha is a powdered form of green tea, grown in shadier conditions, which causes it to produce more chlorophyll to capture the light, giving it an even more vibrant green colour. Because it is powdered, you consume the whole tea leaf when you drink matcha, whereas other green teas are made by brewing the leaf in water. As both come from the tea plant, green tea and matcha do contain caffeine so can give you a boost, but there is less caffeine in tea than coffee, meaning the effect is not so intense. However, caffeine is not the primary compound in green tea and the real beauty is in the other compounds it contains, such as l-theanine. L-theanine is almost exclusively found in black tea and green tea and it has been shown to have a relaxing effect on the brain, by increasing production of calming and feel-good neurotransmitters. This helps to counter the stimulating effect of the caffeine, leaving us with a more balanced sense of alertness and improved ability to focus.

Green tea, especially matcha, is also rich in another compound called EGCG (epi-gallo-catechin-gallate). EGCG has similarly been found to improve cognition and attentiveness and promote a sense of calm, by enhancing calming brainwaves. These unique benefits may make green tea the ideal drink for the hectic, modern world.

Green tea and matcha can be found together in our Supreme Matcha Green tea, a smooth and invigorating cuppa to ignite your inner spark.

3. Ginger

Fiery ginger makes a fabulous morning tea, thanks to its warming and stimulating properties. Ginger is widely used across the world as it can support us with so many different aspects of our health.

The warming sensation that we experience when we consume ginger is down to its ability to gently increase our blood circulation, helping to carry oxygen and nutrients around the body and carry waste away from the tissues. This effect can help us feel warm and invigorated throughout the body, while the improved blood flow to the brain helps us feel more awake and alert.

Ginger is also wonderful for the digestive system, which plays a key role in how energised we feel. Firstly, ginger’s spicy taste helps stimulate the release of our digestive juices, which we need to effectively break down our food and absorb the nutrients, so we can get the most from our meals and avoid any feelings of heaviness or discomfort. This can be especially helpful if we’re eating early or on-the-go. Secondly, by improving blood flow to the gut, ginger can help gently awaken the muscles in this area and stimulate a bowel movement, so we can start the day feeling lighter and more comfortable.

With so many benefits in this caffeine-free cuppa, why not try starting your day with some spice? Our Three Ginger tea is a delicious blend of ginger, turmeric and galangal to kickstart your morning.

So why not try switching out the coffee for a vibrant and refreshing boost as you discover the perfect herbal teas to energize your day. Try our invigorating Morning Berry blend, bringing you a delightful combination of flavours and wellness benefits for a truly rejuvenating experience.