I’ve been a coffee drinker my entire adult life. Even during the variety of cleanses I have tried over the years, to quit drinking coffee was always the hardest thing to do.
Kicking The Coffee Crash
I don’t have anything against coffee if used moderately, and I was by no means a “super” heavy coffee drinker, but two large and strong cups of Americano every morning was starting to wreak havoc on my stomach. Worse, I would notice a distinct “crash” in energy a few hours into the day.
In addition, I am working on purging any sort of addictive behavior as part of my “Zen Master Lifestyle” – the term I am using to describe a great inner change that all of us are capable of.
Tonics, Brews, and Elixirs
Anyhow, I attended a super cool workshop on The Art Of Making Tonics, Brews, and Elixirs. At that workshop I was introduced to a powdered mixture made primarily of Chaga and Cacao.
Chaga
Chaga is known as the King Of Medicinal Mushrooms, and while I won’t go into great detail about all of its miraculous health benefits right here, it is a medicinal mushroom that grows on a birch tree and is known as the substance with the second highest level of anti-oxidants on the planet, according to well known author and health advocate, David Wolfe. It has been used for millenniums by Siberian shamans and Zen Buddhists and has only recently been more widely recognized by Western health practitioners.
Cacao
So which substance has THE highest level of antioxidants in the world? According to many studies that substance is Cacao. Cacao is the main ingredient in chocolate, in case you didn’t know. But most commercial chocolate today is loaded with refined sugar and all kinds of unpronounceable ingredients that are almost certainly unhealthy. Most commercial chocolate contains very little of the actual cacao. In its raw form, cacao has a slightly chocolate flavor but can be quite bitter.
The Elixir That Replaces Coffee
So after the Elixir workshop I picked up this powdered blend which is made of Cacao, Ramon Nut, Chaga, Maca, Roasted Yerba Mate, Sarsaparilla, Roasted Dandelion Root and Guarana. I have to say, it is a powerful combination. I think this beverage still gives me that energy boost in the morning like coffee does but without the crash at the end. I am not a morning person so that boost helps me get going : )
The bonus is that this elixir tastes great! I don’t add any sweetener, I don’t have a sweet tooth, but it has a mild chocolate flavor with a bitterness similar to coffee. It kinda tastes like hot chocolate without the sugar, but the nut and other elements add some interesting character to the overall flavor.
What About Caffeine?
Notably, cacao DOES have some caffeine in it, however, I believe the levels of caffeine are quite a bit lower than your average cup of coffee. My goal wasn’t to eliminate caffeine anyway, but to quit drinking coffee specifically to release my body’s dependency on coffee.
If you are looking for an alternative to coffee that does not contain caffeine, I would recommend just using the Chaga by itself to help you quit drinking coffee. It is also quite tasty, and the medicinal properties of Chaga are simply off the chart.
Take Baby Steps
Now here is the important part. Even though I had this new elixir in hand, I had not yet decided to formally quit drinking coffee. Instead I took a small step and decided I would try this new drink at least ONE day instead of coffee. So I did, and I enjoyed it. I really didn’t miss the coffee.
The Eviction
On Day 2, I physically removed the coffee maker and coffee from my counter top and stored it out of sight. I put my new bag of elixir right there in place of the espresso machine, and I think this had the mental effect of literally removing the idea of coffee from my mind. I believe this was an important step so as to not “relapse” or be tempted to drink coffee perhaps some other time of the day.
Coffee, Until We Meet Again My Old Friend
I believe once I have broken my addiction to coffee, I will be able to enjoy coffee on occasion, perhaps in the afternoon out at a coffee shop. The important part for me was to break my dependency, so I can actually enjoy these special substances, rather than just pour them down my throat automatically because my body needs it.
I hope this info helps YOU to quit drinking coffee. Check out my blog as I discover new ways to enjoy the art of living the Zen Master Lifestyle.
