Alternative morning tea without caffeine or tea

November 10, 2016 2:54 PM

I've been drinking herbal tea (without green or black tea) for a while, and recently have been adding Chaga and Lion's Mane mushroom powder to my base herbal tea. It may be my perception, but I seem to be getting a nice brain state from this combination. What are some other teas I could be drinking in the morning that will make my brain happy and energized, yet don't contain traditional (black or green) tea or caffeine?

I suppose this is really a question about soft nootropics, on one level.

posted by mecran01 to Health & Fitness (14 answers total)

Adagio has some lovely herbal tea blends, and some of their fandom blends are herbal - or you could design your own blends through them.

(I love Adagio's teas, but don't think I've tried any of their herbal-only blends. Can happily recommend Bone Daddy, Warm Hugs, and East Spice of Ix, though.)
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 3:20 PM on November 10, 2016 [2 favorites]

What about mate? I like it.
posted by Nyx at 3:43 PM on November 10, 2016 [2 favorites]

Rooibos.
posted by Stewriffic at 4:06 PM on November 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

Bitter and very "planty," kratom is not exactly delicious, but it is an interesting herb. It is energizing in small doses and pain-relieving and soporific in larger. I mention it in the name of completeness, but it may be more psychotropic than what you are looking for.
posted by thebrokedown at 4:38 PM on November 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

I love a strong nettle infusion for this purpose! Very green tasting, but I've come to love the taste, and it gives me a lot of energy with zero jitteriness.
posted by Knicke at 4:48 PM on November 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

Miso soup (basically buy a tub of miso), or instant Miso Cup.
posted by amtho at 4:57 PM on November 10, 2016 [3 favorites]

I drink peppermint or spearmint in the afternoons to clear my head.
posted by defreckled at 6:11 PM on November 10, 2016 [2 favorites]

Yes, peppermint tea definitely has some kind of stimulant effect - like a mild version of caffeine, without the side effects. A lot of the supposed effects of herbal teas are made up, but I'm pretty sure peppermint actually does something.
posted by A Thousand Baited Hooks at 7:03 PM on November 10, 2016

Lemon balm has a proven nootropic effect. Rosemary has a nootropic effect and can be made into a tea. Sage as well. And turmeric.

These teas (or "tisanes") have health benefits: hibiscus, chamomile, echinacea. A few strands of saffron can make a healthy caffeine free tea.

Oh, and ginkgo and gotu kola can also be consumed as teas.
posted by Schmucko at 9:00 PM on November 10, 2016

Ginseng and ginkgo teas.
posted by deinemutti at 9:03 PM on November 10, 2016

Best answer: May I point out that you can purchase mushroom supplements: this is intended to augment the above tea recommendations, but also promote the health effect you're looking for. If you see these supplements as expensive, though they'd work out to maybe 60 cents per day, my local natural health store puts them on sale nearly every three weeks and takes $20 off the regular price, so look out for that.
posted by aralymn at 9:19 PM on November 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Cold-brewed chocolate.

Grind cacao nibs as you would coffee, steep for 24 hours, filter. I like to mix the resulting brew with coconut milk and honey, but you can dress it up however you like.
posted by Eikonaut at 10:32 PM on November 10, 2016

Mate is super duper caffeinated just as a warning.

Cayenne has a little kick.
posted by en forme de poire at 11:46 PM on November 10, 2016 [2 favorites]

Sage, peppermint and lavender is one of my favourite combinations.
posted by goo at 2:22 AM on November 11, 2016 [1 favorite]