I never thought I would be the type of person who didn’t drink coffee. It was an integral part of my daily routine for so many years. Every morning, I had coffee. I couldn’t wake if I didn’t have my coffee. Every afternoon, I had a coffee. When I felt tired I had a coffee. When I felt happy, I had a coffee. Coffee. Coffee. Coffee. All the time, for all the reasons.
But about a year ago I went to a workshop with Dr. Robert Svoboda, a wonderful Ayurvedic doctor, that completely changed my perspective on the magic bean juice. He said, “Coffee, when used properly can be a great supplement. But when used incorrectly, it can be a dangerous poison.” Many people rely on coffee as heavily as cocaine addicts rely on their fix to get through the day. He went on to say that the only way we can truly know how we are using coffee, is by paying attention to our consumption habits, and by occasionally removing coffee from our diet for a week or two at a time.
If you feel like crap without the magic bean juice, you’re probably addicted. If you feel no change, you’re using it appropriately.
So I came home and I said to my husband, “I’m gonna stop drinking coffee for a week and see how I feel.” I would love to tell you that it was super easy and that I felt no change. But I did. It was really hard. The first few days I felt like complete crap. Tired. Cranky. Brain fog that just wouldn’t lift. Irritable, and grumpy all the time. But after the first couple of days I actually felt fine. In fact, I felt better than I did when I was drinking the stuff.
And now it’s been just over a year since I had my last cup of coffee.
I don’t feel the need for a coffee in the morning to wake me up. I don’t feel the need for a cup of coffee at 1pm – I don’t even have a mid-day lull anymore. I drink more water. I don’t get that awful “OMG I HAVE TO PEE RIGHT NOW!” feeling that you get when you drink too much coffee. I went from someone who drank 2-5 coffee’s a day, to someone who has completely stopped. And I feel amazing.
So what Can you do to kick the bean?
Try going 1 or two weeks without coffee
This might be hard for some people, but it is really the only way to know how it affects you, and whether or not you are using it as a drug. If you are finding it hard, perhaps initially reduce your consumption to one per day, drinking decaf, or try this dandy blend recipe!
Ground yourself in choosing coffee, rather than coffee choosing you
This was huge for me when I made the choice not to drink coffee anymore. I wanted to be in control of what I was putting into my body, and not make choices based on habit. When I realized that I was using coffee as a drug, rather than a supplement, I knew something had to change.
Try supplementing with a delicious coffee substitute
Dandy blend has been the best thing for me in terms of a coffee substitute. It kinda has that coffee taste, but mostly I just like how creamy an delicious it tastes when mixed with frothed warm almond milk, and all the fixin’s in this recipe.
You can find Dandy blend at your local health food store, or at the link below!
This recipe is super simple, which is one of the reasons I enjoy it so much! It also calls for homemade almond milk, so if you’re not sure how to make it, or require a different type of non dairy milk i’ve got you covered! Check out my article on everything about nut and seed milk to learn how to make your own!
| Cook Time | 5 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 1 1/4 cup Homemade Almond Milk Or dairy free milk of your choice
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 heaping tbsp Dandy Blend
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- honey or maple syrup to taste
Ingredients
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- In a small pot over medium heat, heat your almond milk to your desired temperature. If you have a milk steamer like I do, you could also heat your milk with a steamer.
- Once the milk is heated, add all ingredients to a blender, and blend on low/medium for about 15-20 seconds so all ingredients blend together nicely.
- Pour and serve into your favourite mug!
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