Is coffee friend or foe? According to the headlines regularly splashing across wellness sites, the pendulum seems to swing with some frequency. On one hand, a growing body of research shows a wide-ranging host of potential health benefits associated with the drink, including lower risks of cardiovascular disease and cirrhosis. On the other, there’s talk in alternative-medicine circles that a cup (or two or three) can stress out your adrenals and shift sleep patterns.
There’s an empty cold brew—delicious, gone too soon—next to this coffee drinker as I type, and yet even I can recall fruitful breaks from the habit; a few days after the fog subsided, I remember waking up clearer-headed and more even-keeled, the sine curve of energy spikes and dips noticeably smoother. Flirting with the idea of another break, I cast around for inspiration and asked a group of herbalists, wellness gurus, and chefs for their favorite alternatives. Between an almond milk smoothie fortified with skin-boosting probiotics and a bottled tonic spiked with fulvic acid and adaptogenic herbs, here are seven new ways to jump-start the morning, one for every day of the week, from a few of our favorite experts.
1. Lulu Luchaire
Cofounder of Torii Labs, Los Angeles
The drink: A full glass of water to rehydrate, followed by Torii Awake—her line’s bottled tonic, formulated with fulvic acid, organic goji and ginger juices, and adaptogenic herbs (rhodiola, eleuthero, and schisandra).
The how-to: “I take it out of the fridge, give it a good shake, and drink it straight from the bottle; I feel like the gesture is associated in my brain with that morning kick we are all looking for,” says Luchaire. While the tonic “helps me start my day energized and focused,” she explains that it also makes a nice substitute during another type of break. “Sometimes when I do my dry month, I have a Torii Awake in a whiskey glass with a big ice cube. It is the best alternative to alcohol and has a real punch to it and little sugar content.”
2. Kerrilynn Pamer and Cindy DiPrima
Founders of CAP Beauty, New York City
The drink: Elevating Hot Chocolate. “Cutting out coffee can be hard,” the two admit, who devised this warming tonic to “activate the brain and keep you going all day.” They offer a primer on the potent ingredients: “Mucuna pruriens lifts the mood, cordyceps enhances mental power and stamina, and astragalus maintains energy levels and whole-body function.”
The how-to: Pamer and DiPrima’s nourishing recipe, below, is powered by superfood supplements stocked at their West Village apothecary.
1 T raw, organic, and biodynamic cacao
1/2 tsp. mucuna pruriens
1/2 tsp. cordyceps
1/2 tsp. astragalus
Pinch of pink Himalayan salt
Pinch of raw dried vanilla or splash of organic vanilla extract
1 to 2 T coconut butter
8 oz. hot water
1 T raw honey (if desired)
Add ingredients to a blender, and blend until smooth, creamy, and frothy.
3. Cortney Burns
Co-chef of Bar Tartine, San Francisco
The drink: Breakaway matcha. “I’ve been off coffee for a while now, so this matcha is my daily ritual,” explains Burns, who runs the celebrated Bay Area restaurant alongside Nick Balla. “I make it for myself when I get to work in the morning. It turns my brain on, cranks up the ketones, and gets me ready for a full day.”
The how-to: “I like to drink it with Brain Octane oil, coconut oil, cinnamon, and vanilla,” she says; she also might add in collagen and a tablespoon or two of grass-fed butter. If a blender isn’t handy, no problem. When she’s on the road, she just “shakes like hell in a thermos!”
4. Carla Oates
Founder of The Beauty Chef, Sydney
The drink: “I live on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, so I start my day with a walk or run along the beach. When I return home, I whip up a smoothie,” says Oates, whose line of probiotic powders and tonics have taken off across wellness circles. “It’s jam-packed with nutrients that feed my skin from the inside, and gives me a huge energy boost.”
The how-to: Loaded with antioxidants, omega-3s, and gut-friendly superfoods, this GLOW, Blueberry, and Cinnamon smoothie is refreshingly simple and serves two.
2 cups frozen blueberries (you can also use fresh, but frozen berries will chill the smoothie)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 banana
2 tsp. The Beauty Chef Glow Inner Beauty Powder
2 tsp. chia seeds (ideally, soaked overnight or for at least one hour)
2 cups almond milk
Mix everything together well in a blender.
5. Mo Clancy
Founder of Seed + Salt, San Francisco
The drink: “For years, I have a parsley-thyme-lemon tea prior to my yoga every morning,” says Clancy, whose plant-based, gluten-free café puts an elevated spin on clean eating. She calls out the herbs’ antimicrobial properties, as well as lemon’s vitamin C. “The entire experience puts me in a nourished and happy space for the day!”
The how-to: “I take a handful of organic parsley and thyme and throw them in my beautiful Lynn Mahon ceramic mug with warm water and one-half squeezed organic lemon,” she says. Simple as that.
6. Adriana Ayales
Herbalist and founder of Anima Mundi Apothecary, Brooklyn
The drink: Get High Morning Tonic, an “exquisite [coffee] alternative that actually boosts my body and mind,” says Ayales, whose book Healing Tonics debuted earlier this month. She credits chaga with stimulating the immune system and another adaptogen, maca, with an energizing effect, while green coffee helps increase focus.
The how-to: Ayales developed this warming, balancing herbal drink as a gentler stand-in for her onetime coffee habit.
2 T chaga powder
2 tsp. green coffee bean powder
1 tsp. maca powder
12 to 16 oz. boiling water
Stevia, honey, or your choice of sweetener (optional)
Almond milk, or your choice of milk (optional)
In a French press or large teapot, add the herbs and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain the herbs and enjoy! If you’d like it extra strong, simmer in a pot for 10 to 15 minutes.
7. Lauren Dodge and Brooke Rewa
Founders of Pure Potions, Los Angeles
The drink: “I’m obsessed with the Latte Elixir recipe we created,” Rewa says of her go-to morning drink, which can be made with any of the line’s three herbal powders. (Her favorite is Beauty; Dodge prefers Longevity, which she blends into an avocado-berry smoothie.) For Rewa, the warm tonic is both indulgent and deeply nourishing. “The frothy rose-cinnamon flavor makes me feel like I can take a deep breath and start the day with a clear mind,” she says.
The how-to: Healthy fats and a well-rounded blend of herbs make this a potent wake-up elixir.
1 T of your favorite Pure Potion
1 tsp. coconut oil
1 tsp. hemp seeds
1 date
8 oz. hot water
Put all ingredients in a blender, and blend until creamy and frothy.
The post Trying to Kick Coffee? Here Are 7 Alternative Ways to Fuel Your Morning High appeared first on Vogue.
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