For some people coffee works really well.
But for a lot of us, especially if you suffer with any form of anxiety or tend to get stressed throughout the week then too much coffee can impact your cortisol levels and contribute to the effect of stress on our bodies.
Sorry! I know that’s not what you wanted to hear. But seriously I see so many of my clients actually increase their energy levels and feel so much better when they reduce their coffee consumption or sometimes cut it out all together.
I know that I feel so much more awake in the morning if I’m having lemon with hot water instead of coffee first thing. But having a coffee is warm and comforting so I have added below some recipes for some latte alternatives you can make at home or try ordering these out at a cafe. I had an awesome beet latte at a cafe here in Perth last week and there are more and more places offering different coffee alternatives and milk choices.
Maca Latte
Maca is a superfood that is great for boosting energy, helping to balance stress and regulate hormones. You can make a yummy hot drink using maca as an alternative to coffee or tea and it also makes a great snack especially if you team it up with a few cashews and half a green apple.
- 1 teaspoon maca powder
- 1 cup of almond milk or coconut milk
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey – optional if you like it a little sweet
You can also make it with 1/2 cup of green or black tea and 1/2 cup of nut milk and it gives it a different flavor to mix it up. Or add an additional teaspoon of raw cacao to make a hot maca choc.
Turmeric Latte
Turmeric is an awesome anti-inflammatory and such a super food! Great to add into everything you can. I add turmeric powder to my scrambled eggs, my stirfrys, soups and more. But don’t go overboard with it. A little goes a long way! I once completely ruined a perfectly good pumpkin soup by adding far too much turmeric. It was almost inedible haha! A turmeric latte is a warm comforting drink that is soo good for you! Here is how you make it:
Just heat up in a saucepan and stir:
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of raw honey to taste
Hot Chocolate
This is a super easy, yummy warm drink for when your craving chocolate!
Simply add to a saucepan on low heat and stir:
- 1 cup of your milk of choice. Coconut milk works really well and so does organic cows milk if that works for you.
- 1 heaped teaspoon raw cacao
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon raw honey or maple syrup to taste
Beet Latte
So beet lattes look really pretty and actually taste really good! Now full disclosure I haven’t actually made one of these myself at home but I am totally going to try this recipe below that I got from Mind Body Green. I have had one at a little cafe near me though. They had so many yummy coffee alternatives I was so excited haha!!
So how do we make these pretty pink drinks?
For this one you will need to blend together:
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tablespoon raw honey (I would start with just a teaspoon and see, easy to add more later)
- 1 medium beet, peeled and cooked. They recommend roasted but I think I’m going to try steamed and see how it tastes. I also think for one cup of milk 1/2 beet might do. I’ll report back soon!
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
Then once blended add to a saucepan, heat and serve!
Matcha Tea Latte
Now this one is super easy and yummy and I love that it’s pooping up in more and more cafes!! If you do order one in the cafe however and don’t like them too sweet make sure you ask for no added sugar or honey or just a half serve because some of them I have had are way too sweet and so now I ask for them without sugar or honey!
Now if you have a bamboo whisk or any whisk at all that is awesome but you can totally make this without fancy equipment too.
Just take 1 teaspoon of matcha green tea powder and add it to a large mug (as you are going to need to stir it) or a thermos or glass bottle where you can shake it. Add 1/4 cup hot water and either stir well or shake until you get more of a green paste. Then heat up 1/2 a cup of coconut milk and add it to the green paste along with some honey to taste if you like it a little sweet. So all you need is:
- 1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder (find out the benefits of matcha and how to use it here)
- 1/4 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon of honey or to taste
I hope these have given you some different alternatives to try as you start to reduce coffee.
To your health
P.S. If you are struggling to lose weight or meet the health goals you want despite doing all “the right things” click below on my new free quiz to find out whats holding you back and what you can do about it. It may not be what you think 🙂
