3 Alternatives to Coffee

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Few morning brews match coffee's punch. But if you are hoping to ease up on the jitters, Jody Villecco, Whole Foods Market nutritionist, gives the scoop on three alternatives:

HERBAL COFFEE (such as Teeccino)

MAIN INGREDIENT: Chicory root.

BUZZ EFFECT: No caffeine—but fans insist it gives a "natural" alertness.

FLAVOR FACTOR: Tastes like classic joe, but slightly sweet and smoky.

HEALTH BOOST:Chicory's got inulin (a digestive aid) and heart-friendly potassium.

YERBA MATE (such as Guayaki)

MAIN INGREDIENT: South American holly tree leaves.

BUZZ EFFECT: Less than half the caffeine of coffee.

FLAVOR FACTOR: Evocative of herbal medicine.

HEALTH BOOST: Antioxidant levels akin to green tea, plus potassium.

MATCHA (such as Morning Matcha)

MAIN INGREDIENT: Green-tea leaves ground into powder.

BUZZ EFFECT: Half as much caffeine as regular coffee.

FLAVOR FACTOR: Similar to steeped green tea, but kicked up several zillion notches.

HEALTH BOOST: Three times the antioxidants of the bagged variety, which means extra protection from cancer and heart disease.

More on Diet & Fitness:

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.

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1-9 of 9

Saturday, August 08, 2009 7:05:00 PM

the same can be said of coffee. for every study that indicates some benefit, two indicate some harm. who benefits from this surfeit of information? the people who purvey coffee. that said, i enjoy both beverages, so i guess everyone in this equation profits.

Sunnihoney

Saturday, August 08, 2009 5:21:22 PM

I stopped drinking real coffee a little over a year ago, first religious and then health reasons. I found the Teeccino website and have really enjoyed their product. My cardiologist approves of it and it does not give me palpation s. It comes in different flavors and I can drink it anytime during the day. If you are trying to kick the caffeine habit and still want to enjoy a hot morning beverage, I would recommend this brand.

theprofessoryyz

Saturday, August 08, 2009 4:44:03 PM

I am all for healthy alternatives. That being said, there are no reputable SCIENTIFIC studies (unbiased) that show any benefit whatsoever from green tea. In fact there are many that show no effect. Get wise folks, the people who push the benefits of green tea are wishful thinkers and growers of green tea.

Slim Xtreme is great jitter free energy

Saturday, August 08, 2009 4:16:11 PM

Sorry everyone, this article just got me excited about this stuff called Slim Xtreme that I'm taking and thought it would be great to share it with everyone.

I have been using SX for 3 months now and I am loving it! I didn't need to lose a lot of weight, just that left over baby fat that a million sit ups and cardio can't get rid of. So far I lost 24lbs and 6 inches of my waist and the best part about it is that I finally feel like a sexy woman again!!! Slim Xtreme lasts for over 12 hours, the energy is smooth and clean and definitely does NOT make you feel jittery, it eliminates my appetite (Ha, I look at food that normally I love and have no urge to eat it), and Im always in a good mood. If you want jitter free energy and results this is for you. check it out at www.powerofsx.com

jenn2

Saturday, August 08, 2009 11:54:04 AM

Another coffee substitute that I love is Dandyblend. I've only been able to find it online at http://www.dandyblend.com/ but it's delicious! I use a lot more than a teaspoon and it's like a rich espresso. No caffeine jitters and plenty of healthy herbs and roots. I put it in my protein shakes for flavor too.

dfndrofinnocentcmtrs

Saturday, August 08, 2009 9:34:36 AM

okay, hub67, I have a few suggestions for YOU:

1. take a deep breath

2. calm down

3. if 1 & 2 are not possible, remove your keyboard from your computer so you aren't tempted to use it.

djluster was obviously trying to offer more healthy alternatives to foods that are addictive and can be unhealthy. because other people might be interested in that.... Because they were reading an article on healthy alternatives. This post was very much pertaining to the types of things other readers of this article would be interested. I don't know why this makes you so exceedingly angry but maybe you should stop suggesting AA sessions to innocent, helpful people and attend some anger management courses instead.

kenneya

Saturday, August 08, 2009 5:39:37 AM

THANK YOU, MSN! I'm almost 5 months pregnant and have been craving good coffee, but even the smallest amount makes me so jittery I feel like I want to jump out of my skin! I'm definitely going to try to find these in my local food co-op stores!

buddaron

Saturday, August 08, 2009 5:30:16 AM

please be very careful of the food, especially the food in this country. I work in the industry and I can tell you

It's not healthy and yes it is TOXIC!

The food industry is motivated by greed, Corruption!

Hub67

Saturday, August 08, 2009 5:13:20 AM

djluster ... and those who post off-subject:

I'm trying to figure out which of the following categories you are in:

1. Complete idiot

2. Illiterate

3. fell asleep in reading class

4. a little slow

5. Drunk

This is a article about COFFEE! Where do you see anything about alcohol? Quit posting you "junk" on every article on MSN.com. Or at least find an article that is based somewhat on your posting.

A few ideas for you:

1. Get a life

2. Put the crack pipe down

3. Go to an AA meeting

4. Take your children to the Zoo

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