Posted 1 year ago
Healthy Coffee Alternative to Support Holiday Stress
For many people, the holiday season is a time filled with stress, anxiety and tension, all leading to fatigue. The numerous parties, shopping and social commitments can be energy-zapping and result in disconnect. Before reaching for that coffee to get you through the day consider this… The recommended daily maximum of coffee is 3-4 cups, which is 400 milligrams of caffeine, and for the average person, drinking coffee can be healthy in moderation. But drinking more than the daily recommended level of coffee (or any at all, for those sensitive to caffeine) may result in some adverse health effects that are consistent with a caffeine “overdose.”
Those effects can include:
Weight gain: Caffeine in coffee can increase the level of your stress hormone cortisol, and elevated cortisol may cause weight gain.
Low energy: Caffeine stimulates the body’s adrenal system, which boosts energy for a short time but then crashes it to leave you fatigued.
Mineral deficiency: Caffeine affects iron absorption in your stomach. It also reduces your kidneys’ ability to store calcium, zinc, magnesium and other important minerals.
Disrupted sleep: Caffeine stays in your nervous system for four to six hours, so even if you feel fatigued when you go to bed, the caffeine can still disrupt your sleep.
5 Healthy Alternatives to Coffee
Matcha Green Tea Powder
Matcha green tea powder is the whole green tea leaf stone ground into a fine powder. To drink matcha, dissolve the powder into water to create a tea packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
Matcha is an excellent alternative to coffee. A two-gram serving of matcha (a little more than half a teaspoon) contains enough caffeine to give you an energy boost, but the amount is only a fifth of the caffeine in a standard cup of coffee.
Additionally, the caffeine in matcha is delivered slowly to your body over a period of six to eight hours. As a result, matcha delivers long-lasting energy that does not leave you with the “jitters,” energy slumps or sleepless nights.
Matcha also contains the highest natural concentration of the amino acid L-theanine. L-theanine promotes alpha waves in the brain, which enhance concentration and boost dopamine to improve memory.
There are many more incredible matcha health benefits, including its ability to support the immune system, boost weight loss and deliver cancer-fighting antioxidants.
Water
If you feel tired, have a headache or find it hard to focus, then you may actually be dehydrated. The majority of people make the mistake of drinking water only when they feel thirsty. Thirst, however, is one of the last symptoms that appears as a result of dehydration — and usually only after fatigue the fatigue sets in. When lacking adequate hydration, science has proven that your body will not perform at its best.
Aim for 2 Liters minimum a day. Try infusing your water bottle with natural flavor from fresh produce, like watermelon, cucumber or ginger.
Green Smoothie or Green Vegetable Juices
Introducing more greens into your diet can dramatically boost your energy levels because of all the nutrients and antioxidants they contain. Just half a cup of spinach in your smoothie is a rich source of iron that can protect against anemia, a condition that is relatively common among women and another cause of fatigue. A daily green juice can also protect your cardiovascular health. One study showed that consuming 300 milliliters of green juice daily for six weeks reduced bad LDL cholesterol by 9 percent.
When making your green juice or smoothies, make sure that 95 percent of the blend contains vegetables rather than fruit to keep the total sugar level low. For a bonus energy kick, you can also add in a superfood supplement like spirulina, barley greens or matcha green tea powder — all of which make healthy alternatives to coffee.
Yerba Mate
The herbal beverage is made from the leaves of the yerba mate plant that has been picked and dried in a similar way to tea leaves. The drink is then produced by steeping the leaves in hot water.
The taste of yerba mate is similar to brewed green tea leaves, and it’s also said to deliver a buzz like coffee but with added focus, fewer jitters and less of an impact on sleep. One serving of yerba mate contains around three-fourths the caffeine of a cup of coffee, but it also delivers amino acids and nutrients.
Protein-Based Smoothie
Protein is critical in providing energy to your body, and published studies show that protein boosts alertness and concentration by exciting the brain chemical orexin into production mode.
To help supply your body with sustained energy, try adding a protein-based smoothie into your day. Green vegetables have minimal amounts of protein, so to really boost the protein power, try adding in chia seeds, nut butter, hemp or a high-quality powder supplement, like collagen or protein powder made from bone broth.
Super Charge with Ka’Chava
Energy: Iron, B-complex vitamins, vitamin D, and other nutrients in Ka’Chava play a critical role in the conversion of food to energy.
Immunity: Vitamin C, D, B6, B12, Vit A, Selenium, Probiotics, Zinc help create new immune cells, protect existing immune cells, and ward off various ailments.
Digestion: Probiotics, digestive enzymes, fiber and other gut-friendly nutrients in Ka’Chava help regulate digestion and keep your microbiome happy. These great nutrients helps feed good gut bacteria, banish bloat and ease intestinal inflammation.
Mental health: Too little vitamin D, magnesium, and other nutrients can drive depression and disrupt your focus. Ka’Chava can optimize the production of hormones and neurotransmitters essential for good sleep, like melatonin, serotonin, and GABA.
Muscle growth: Protein, iron, electrolytes and other nutrients aid in muscle protein synthesis, stamina, hydration, and recovery.
Healthy weight: Ka’Chava’s unique blend of nutrients and satisfying ingredients boost satiety and support a healthy metabolism, without deprivation.
Appearance: The omega-3s, vitamin E, vitamin C and other nutrients in Ka’Chava can help brighten your skin, strengthen your nails and give your hair a little extra luster.
Sleep: Helps support relaxation and optimize hormones and neurotransmitters related to sleep quality.
Stress: Ka’Chava contains stress reducers such as adaptogenic mushrooms, selenium, and B-complex vitamins help promote calmness and regulate levels of the stress hormone and cortisol.
Heart: Fiber, folate, omega-3s and more have been shown to play a vital role in normal heart and blood vessel function.
Joints & Bones: Bone building nutrients that build strong bones and support healthy joints while keeping it dairy free.