Alternative to coffee?
October 21, 2013 12:31 PM Subscribe
I am quitting coffee; too intense on my stomach. Is it the caffeine? Does caffeine in tea operate differently? Looking for some good alternatives, besides the usual Green Tea. But getting a health benefit is always good.
If you're looking for something to ease stomach pain, I'd suggest ginger tea or peppermint tea (both caffeine free).
posted by okay-quiet-time at 12:35 PM on October 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by okay-quiet-time at 12:35 PM on October 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
Yerba mate?
posted by oceanjesse at 12:44 PM on October 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by oceanjesse at 12:44 PM on October 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
All teas are generally accepted to be easier on the stomach than coffee, and this is borne out by my own subjective experience. Like Admiral Haddock, I always understood that the common explanation for this was how acidic coffee is, but I don't know if there's any scientific backing to that.
Anyway, even regular black tea goes much more easily on me than coffee. It's still got caffeine in it, but it's less strong than coffee - I don't know if you're attempting to cut caffeine out entirely, but if not, it might be worth trying out English Breakfast Tea or Earl Grey for a bit and seeing how that treats you.
(Don't put milk in the Earl Grey or I will cut you)
posted by spielzebub at 12:45 PM on October 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
Anyway, even regular black tea goes much more easily on me than coffee. It's still got caffeine in it, but it's less strong than coffee - I don't know if you're attempting to cut caffeine out entirely, but if not, it might be worth trying out English Breakfast Tea or Earl Grey for a bit and seeing how that treats you.
(Don't put milk in the Earl Grey or I will cut you)
posted by spielzebub at 12:45 PM on October 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
Anecdata: Coffee makes me vomit sometimes but I've never had that problem with tea.
posted by Jacqueline at 12:46 PM on October 21, 2013
posted by Jacqueline at 12:46 PM on October 21, 2013
Is the keeping-me-awake part what you want out of your drink? Because my suggestion is to buy caffeine pills and split them. Then you can drink water or tea or orange juice and still have the boost.
(this was the solution I arrived at after trying to learn to like coffee)
posted by royalsong at 12:47 PM on October 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
(this was the solution I arrived at after trying to learn to like coffee)
posted by royalsong at 12:47 PM on October 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
Caffeine does mean things to my stomach too. If you think it's the caffeine that's bothering you but you like coffee, you can drink half-caff. That's what I do. I brew my own at home (just use half decaf grounds and half regular), but most places are more than happy to pour me a cup of half of each. (The exception being Starbucks, where they always seem baffled that I ordered a plain coffee and that want something with LESS caffeine. Decaf? Isn't that like unicorns?)
I can handle teas better. Most caffeinated teas (as in, those made with actual tea leaves) seem to have less caffeine than a cup of regular coffee, but that varies. Herbals teas are, of course, naturally caffeine-free.
Some good resources on caffeine and tea -
Caffeine & Tea
Caffeine content of tea
posted by geeky at 12:55 PM on October 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
I can handle teas better. Most caffeinated teas (as in, those made with actual tea leaves) seem to have less caffeine than a cup of regular coffee, but that varies. Herbals teas are, of course, naturally caffeine-free.
Some good resources on caffeine and tea -
Caffeine & Tea
Caffeine content of tea
posted by geeky at 12:55 PM on October 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
Yep, cold-brewing helps: way less acid.
I used to get Unhappy Tummy from drinking cheap-ass office coffee. On the weekends, my expensive coffee brewed at home -- i.e., better beans and enough of them -- was fine. I started doing cold-brew a.k.a. cold-press coffee and my tummy is happy now.
I can now go buy a cup of coffee uring the day from a local place or even a Dunkin' Donuts without fear, but the office coffee still makes me feel nassssty.
I put about 3/4 of a cup of grounds in my quart-size Bodum press pot and fill it with cold water. It sits in my fridge overnight, and I drink a cup in the morning and a cup for the road on each of two days. (Dilute a little with water.) Cold or hot, it's awesome and gentle. Yay!
posted by wenestvedt at 1:02 PM on October 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
I used to get Unhappy Tummy from drinking cheap-ass office coffee. On the weekends, my expensive coffee brewed at home -- i.e., better beans and enough of them -- was fine. I started doing cold-brew a.k.a. cold-press coffee and my tummy is happy now.
I can now go buy a cup of coffee uring the day from a local place or even a Dunkin' Donuts without fear, but the office coffee still makes me feel nassssty.
I put about 3/4 of a cup of grounds in my quart-size Bodum press pot and fill it with cold water. It sits in my fridge overnight, and I drink a cup in the morning and a cup for the road on each of two days. (Dilute a little with water.) Cold or hot, it's awesome and gentle. Yay!
posted by wenestvedt at 1:02 PM on October 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
Coffee got to where it killed my stomach so I had to quit too. Tea never bothers my stomach, plus it usually has less caffeine anyway.
posted by COD at 1:11 PM on October 21, 2013
posted by COD at 1:11 PM on October 21, 2013
Teas I like because they have a full-bodied flavor are oolong and puerh. They are both traditional Chinese style teas, puerh has a ton of caffeine as far as my body can tell. Oolong is supposed to be good for digestion. If you have a Taiwanese bubble tea place near you, you can try different varieties perhaps, with or without sweetening.
Earl Grey and English Breakfast are sometimes too flowery smelling for me so don't be bummed if you find they are too aromatic for you.
posted by spamandkimchi at 1:21 PM on October 21, 2013
Earl Grey and English Breakfast are sometimes too flowery smelling for me so don't be bummed if you find they are too aromatic for you.
posted by spamandkimchi at 1:21 PM on October 21, 2013
Be sure -- whether coffee or tea -- you avoid drinking it on an empty stomach. I've had gut-wrenching episodes when I did that. Believe it is also due to the acid...
posted by xiaolongbao at 1:21 PM on October 21, 2013
posted by xiaolongbao at 1:21 PM on October 21, 2013
I recommend Morning Thunder to lift the brain fog-- black tea and South American maté. The chart on the linked page shows that it contains 40 mg of caffeine.
Yerba maté on its own contains three xanthines: caffeine, theobromine and theophylline. Should be brewed in hot, but not boiling water, to avoid bitter flavor. The combination of caffeine with theobromine provides
Yerba maté on its own contains three xanthines: caffeine, theobromine and theophylline. Should be brewed in hot, but not boiling water, to avoid bitter flavor. The combination of caffeine with theobromine provides
the promise of a “clean” caffeine-like buzz, free of jitters and unpleasantness... Drinkers report being in control of their wakefulness; they can stay up for hours, alert and on their game, but sleep is always right around the corner – if they want it. Basically, yerba mate is supposed to give you energy without the negative side effects. http://www.marksdailyapple.composted by ohshenandoah at 1:53 PM on October 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
When I worked at a Planet Organic in London we made this delicious roasted barley drink with steamed vanilla soy milk. It's so good! If you don't like soy it may taste good with regular milk too. I don't think it has caffeine in it, but it's probably got health benefits.
This is something similar (and they sell this at Whole Foods). http://www.amazon.com/Pero-Coffee-Substitute-Instant-Beverage/dp/B0027049E4/ref=sr_1_2?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1382388844&sr=1-2&keywords=barley+coffee
Otherwise, Yerba Mate, various kinds of green tea (just make sure you brew properly, and know that most kids of green tea in the US are crap), black tea, or white tea.
posted by Blitz at 2:01 PM on October 21, 2013
This is something similar (and they sell this at Whole Foods). http://www.amazon.com/Pero-Coffee-Substitute-Instant-Beverage/dp/B0027049E4/ref=sr_1_2?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1382388844&sr=1-2&keywords=barley+coffee
Otherwise, Yerba Mate, various kinds of green tea (just make sure you brew properly, and know that most kids of green tea in the US are crap), black tea, or white tea.
posted by Blitz at 2:01 PM on October 21, 2013
I love sipping coffee in the mornings while waking up...of course, and unfortunately, with flavored creamer. I tried not sipping one morning the result was a crashing headache. So, I am back on the brew. I've tried other caffeine sources, but nada. Postum...uck. Tea...ummp.
It's a drug, I'm addicted. I always drink on an empty stomach, so wow...I need to make some changes..maybe. I've not yet tried Yerba Mate...
posted by mwleander at 2:01 PM on October 21, 2013
It's a drug, I'm addicted. I always drink on an empty stomach, so wow...I need to make some changes..maybe. I've not yet tried Yerba Mate...
posted by mwleander at 2:01 PM on October 21, 2013
When I worked at a Planet Organic in London we made this delicious roasted barley drink with steamed vanilla soy milk.
This is called orzo and it is indeed delicious.
posted by smoke at 2:22 PM on October 21, 2013 [3 favorites]
This is called orzo and it is indeed delicious.
posted by smoke at 2:22 PM on October 21, 2013 [3 favorites]
I can't drink coffee either, and it's not the caffeine, as I've been able to drink energy drinks with equivalent caffeine without any problems. I typically prefer some type of mate tea, with a recent favorite being Mate Vana from TeaVana. If I'm getting something from somewhere out and about I typically get a chai latte.
posted by bizzyb at 2:28 PM on October 21, 2013
posted by bizzyb at 2:28 PM on October 21, 2013
If you're near a Trader Joe's, they have a low acid kind of coffee. I, too, suffer from stomach troubles from certain coffees.
posted by feste at 3:39 PM on October 21, 2013
posted by feste at 3:39 PM on October 21, 2013
Brewed coffee sometimes (very rarely) bothers my tummy but espresso never does. I also don't drink crap coffee. Try not drinking crap coffee yourself.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 4:07 PM on October 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by ethnomethodologist at 4:07 PM on October 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
Yeah, I find there is a lot of variation among coffees. Anecdotally, I get bad stomach from Central American blends but not from Indonesian ones... which may be a function of how much they are usually roasted? Lighter roasts (which have more caffeine) are worse for me than dark roasts (which have less). I have no idea what the scientific basis for this might be, but just reporting it in case it's useful.
Different brewing methods also can reduce acid - cold brewing and Chemex are two methods that produce coffee with much less acid taste.
posted by LobsterMitten at 6:28 PM on October 21, 2013
Different brewing methods also can reduce acid - cold brewing and Chemex are two methods that produce coffee with much less acid taste.
posted by LobsterMitten at 6:28 PM on October 21, 2013
I'm guessing it's the acid in the coffee, I have the same problem (also with a lot of other foods). Cold brewing definitely does help - I had a Toddy and it was great - although it may still be be too much acid. Tea doesn't bother me although it doesn't wake me up nearly as much.
posted by radioamy at 7:11 PM on October 21, 2013
posted by radioamy at 7:11 PM on October 21, 2013
In my experience, cold brewed coffee hasn't been a whole lot easier on my stomach than regular BUT it is very convenient and it's worth a shot.
I let 4 cups of water + one cup of your preferred ground coffee brew at room temperature for 12-24 hours. I mix it about half and half with milk for iced coffee, your mileage may vary but I certainly wouldn't drink it straight.
I find that I feel MORE caffeinated with a cup of this than anything else. The recipes I read said it will keep for about a week, but my small batches never last that long. So good and easy that I'm thinking of bottling it for gifts for the holidays.
posted by rubster at 7:47 PM on October 21, 2013
I let 4 cups of water + one cup of your preferred ground coffee brew at room temperature for 12-24 hours. I mix it about half and half with milk for iced coffee, your mileage may vary but I certainly wouldn't drink it straight.
I find that I feel MORE caffeinated with a cup of this than anything else. The recipes I read said it will keep for about a week, but my small batches never last that long. So good and easy that I'm thinking of bottling it for gifts for the holidays.
posted by rubster at 7:47 PM on October 21, 2013
If you're been relying on coffee to wake up in the morning, try taking a really cold shower. It's an instant OH DEAR GOD wake-up, and you're motivated to keep the shower short.
Then warm up with a Yerba Mate.
posted by dws at 9:40 PM on October 21, 2013
Then warm up with a Yerba Mate.
posted by dws at 9:40 PM on October 21, 2013
I quite like Roastaroma Herbal Tea by Celestial Seasonings. It's meant to be very coffee-like and I find it satisfying in the same way.
posted by QuakerMel at 8:41 PM on October 22, 2013
posted by QuakerMel at 8:41 PM on October 22, 2013
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posted by Admiral Haddock at 12:34 PM on October 21, 2013 [6 favorites]