I've been off caffeine for a year now and off decaf coffee since I went raw two and a half months ago. I don't know if I just miss holding the warm cup or what...and I'm thinking the winter time is going to be a challenge for me. Do any of you have a coffee alternative? I know the health food store sells something...I haven't really looked at it. I'm not much of a tea fan, but was thinking there must be something warm I could drink...sweetened with agave and almond milk? Any suggestions?

rooibos
it's a tea
but tastes like medjool dates
or amazing honey
in a cup
and the color is so soothing

that's my vote!

peace-

I love Teechino. It's a coffee alternative you brew in a real coffee machine like regular coffee that tastes divine.. It comes in many, many flavors and a few raw restaurants where I live serve it on their menus which is how I got into it. Check out their web site. I think it is Teechino.com

It is made from carob, nuts, fruits and natural extracts.




peace
love
joy
i breathe in
i breathe out
Bikini

Can you buy these at places like Whole Foods, Trader Joes, etc. or do you have to order online?

Whole Foods carries the coffee alternative Teechino (it comes in cans, and is usually placed near all the regular ground coffees) and it also has many varieties of Rooibos Tea from different companies.

My personal favorite flavor Teechino is the "Vanilla Nut" with my second best fave flavor is "Java". The whole company line is completely caffiene and coffee free. You can order a mini sampler pack of all their major flavors online. I did it once and it was great. They came in single use little packages.

Rooibos is an herb used like a tea leaf. Celestial Seasonings has one of my favorite Rooibos based teas - African Safari Spice. It's complex and spicy and super delicious iced with a touch of agave.


peace
love
enjoy!
i breathe in
i breathe out
Bikini

...one more thing on Rooibos tea..
You can buy the Rooibos tea grounds loose by the pound in many gourmet tea and coffee and specialty grocery shops. I have used it to make a caffiene-free all from scratch iced chai tea that was out of this world! Find your favorite chai recipe using black tea and substitute the black tea for Rooibos. I sweetened it with agave and sold it in a cafe in my hometown. mmmmmm....I can still remember it now. Totally addictive with a shot of rich almond milk.


peace...
Bikini

yum-
great ideas bikini!!!

i liked the african celestial seasonings one
but generally i only like my rooibos loose.

it's not that expensive
and the teabags do affect the flavor to me

hm,
now i'm contemplating rooibos chai
yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

peace-

I think I'll try the teechino first. I'm not much of a tea person. Thanks!

You could try decaf cold pressed coffee which is still coffee (but you can make the decaf) and it's much less acidic. Cafe Gratitude serves this. You make it cold pressed then you can warm it in a microwave or on a stove gently.

There is info on it here:
[www.toddycafe.com]

Otherwise, there are things like warming hemp or nut milk and adding raw chocolate powder...not coffee I know, but it's warm and soothing and comforting.

Cheers!

Kristen Suzanne
--
www.KristensRaw.com
www.KristensRaw.blogspot.com

Okay...I just got back from the market and got the African Citrus Mango tea and the Teechino. I figure I'll just out there and try both. If I don't like the tea, my daughter loves tea...and oranges...and mangos. I got invididual packets of the Teechino in 4 different flavors to try. I'm excited. I need to get me a nut bag. I tried using cheese cloth and it didn't work very well.

Does anyone know nutbags can be purchased or do you have to order online. They didn't have them at Mother's Market where I generally shop.

islandgirl,

i have mostly found nut bags online but occasionally good, well stocked, old school health food stores and/or raw food restaurants sell raw food accessories and supplies. You might want to try calling around your area and asking the managers. A high end gourmet housewares store might sell them too under the name "fine mesh bags for cooking (food)" or something to that effect. You don't want cheesecloth sacks and you don't want them to show you lingerie bags.

i know the company Sun Organic Farm sells a nut bag online that is good quality. they are located in california and sell a lot of raw foods and goods.

....let us know how you liked the Rooibos tea and the Teechino. i hope it goes well!


peace
love
more joy
i breathe in
i breathe out
Bikini

I dont know if this is raw or not (maybe someone can tell me) but I use this sometimes.

[www.avogel.ca]


You have to make the colour darker than what you would normally make a coffee or it will taste weak.

Oh, I just read on the website that it is roasted..so I guess it is not raw.

Well, I just had my first cup of Rooibus tea, sweetened with a little agave. It was good and I think, as a non-tea drinker, I could actually acquire a taste for it. I will try the teechino as a treat sometime today. Thanks for the info on where to get a nut bag!

yeah!

glad you like the rooibos-
i think it's different from tea in it's fullness and roundness...

and so glad you've got a couple of options to experiment with-

I am not so concerned as to whether the coffee alternative tastes just like coffee, but that it has some kind of distinctive taste/aroma that goes well with nut milk. Coffee with milk and sweetener, either hot or cold, is something I am transitioning away from. The first step was nut milk instead of cow's milk and agave or honey instead of Splenda. (I'm sorry. Would that be a curse word on this forum?!)

The next step is to find something that I know will not be acidifying to my body like coffee is (I am assuming it is). Has anyone looked into alternatives that are alkalinizing?

I found cacao drinks (cacao, maca (for the malt taste), agave, nut milk) were superb in getting me off of cola and coffee. Also, you can use the blades on your blender to warm it through (run it for a little while, and you'll find they'll heat up the liquid slightly).

I saw a recipe somewhere for a nearly-raw Yerba Mate latte- it might been on gliving.tv. It looked quite nice, and would probably be a good transition drink. I think they had notes with it how to make it completely raw.

hi

hey islandgirl..
how did you like the teccino herbal coffee?

peace
joy
i breathe in
i breathe out
Bikini

I enjoyed the vanilla nut....both the flavor and the aroma. To me, it tasted the most like coffee. The hazelnut for some reason tasted to me like mushrooms. I haven't tried the mocha flavor yet. It's been too hot! I just got my nut bag and want to make some almond milk for my next taste test. I think it will be great for this winter

kola nut

roasted dandelion root (not raw)

Hi.

I used to drink up to 2 liters (1/2 gallon) of regular (strong) coffee every day before I started to eat raw (blending everything into a 3+ HP mixer).

After about 5 months - and even less (of getting rid of the toxins, extra fat and some other kinds of unhealthy ingredients from the junk food) of eating raw, I just don't drink coffee no more.

You know why? Not because I decided to not drink coffee no more, but because I'm not tired no more, I have too much energy. I don't drink coffee because I don't need it and even my body does not beg for more caffeine no more. I guess I have my natural instincts balanced now, my system seems to let me know v. accurate what I need and also is letting me know if I am doing something wrong.

I lost about 41 "extra" pounds in 5 months and now I am just 4 pounds over the "healthy weight limit" indicated by my doctor.
At 42 yo, I started to like the way I look into the mirror (I'm not a narcisist :-) . No more hanging stuff or sticking out "love handles", and I can't describe how my self-esteem is boosted when I hear so many times colleagues (women) making + remarks about the way my body is now.

I can tell that I have colleagues starting or considering to follow this healthy lifestyle having me as + example of success in getting a better health, because they can see the reality - it is not watching a commercial, its real, they know the way I was and can see the way I am - no tricks allowed.

Starting to eat raw is just triggering so many + changes in our bodies - too many to mention or explain, not to mention that we are not aware about many of them - we just feel good, but we know why, don't we?

Pls. excuse my English - foreigner.

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