Roasted Chickory root.

Rolande

For the taste? Or the caffeine?

As products go, coffee is the "100% natural, roasted seed of a tropical tree, used for centuries for its invigorating properties" ... sounds like it's perfectly herbal to me.

Thank you guys. No, I don't have any problem with its taste nor with caffeine. In fact I like coffee very much but it really has a bad effect on my nerves and makes me get easilly stressed...

Dandelion roots, roasted, make a substitute for coffee. Also roasted hawthorn (may) berries, chicory roots, milk thistle roots, carrot seeds, okra seeds, cleavers seeds, ephedra seeds, fennel seeds. Since I don't drink coffee myself, I can't tell you how satisfactory any of these is as a coffee substitute. During World War 2 in Germany, I think they used acorns to make 'ersatz coffee'.

Zelda, I would think that if coffee is having an effect on your nerves, you have a problem with caffeine. But that's just MHO.

Rolande

How about green tea? Good antioxidant, lower caffeine contont, etc. Lynn

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Yes, it seems I do have a problem with caffeine. But I can't find any good to get started in the morning. Green tea is really nice and gentle but doesn't wake me up. I' m going to try Daisyduckworth's suggestions one by one. Thank you a lot guys!

I would suggest that if you need 'waking up' in the morning, drugs like caffeine are not the answer you're looking for. Instead, look at how well you are sleeping. It's possible you might have sleep apnoea without knowing it, which means you may be deprived of enough oxygen, making your sleep shallow and unrefreshing, as if you haven't had a long-enough sleep. A good healthy breakfast should wake you up sufficiently after a good night's deep sleep. Talk it over with your doctor on your next visit.

I find that dandelion roasted roots to a golden brown then grind use like instant coffee. What I find is that the dandelion tea actually brings me up without the huge let down that coffee has on me.

I quit drinking coffee over 6 years ago because I like it too much, even decaf. What I found out was that my shakes went away that wasi nterfering with my art work ( I like to paint) and I was more irratated at times than now. I can wake up and not have that withdrawl of coffee and the need to drink coffee to "wake up".

And decaf...ether is used to extract the caffiene and even pure water decaf methods use chemicals in the ezxtraction process after soaking the beans. And of course, its never 100% free anyways.

I just love the smell of fresh roasted coffee...but have switched and am satisfied with using dandelion roots instead.

Dandelion root is actually a food and not a medicinal herb in the sense that it has more nutrients in it to help you although it is also a duretic.

And you should never drink more than 1 cup of coffee a day anyways or at the very most 3 cups, its nutritional values are not great, if any beneficial nutrients are in coffee. Infact I believe that coffee depletes your system more than feeds it. I believe that excessive coffee drinking can lead to numerous diseases if intake is not moderated.

I do miss that addictive aroma of fresh brew coffee, but I am too aware of how it effects me. My brain is more relaxed and better rested when not under the influence of coffee. My mind feels like being a child again, that wake up fresh feeling!

try eating an apple in the morning. wakes me up more than coffe does.

Just curious, how do you go about making the dandelion coffee? I love my coffee in the mornings, and need to decrease it. I am interested in trying this. Thanks, Trudyjean

ok......... try some ginseng tea instead. works like cofee but i find it lasts longer, helps my stamina. do not however take caffeine and ginseng together.

that doesn't work try black tea, more caffeine and easier on the body than cofee caffeine. some sort of chemistry explanation that I don't remember.

Or it may be that your getting the shakes because your deprived of protein. ie. not eating breakfast in the morning and just going cofee. the shakes may not be a reaction to caffein but is your bodies way of telling you, you need better blood sugar or eat darn it. I get that sometimes if i'm dumb enough not to eat when i'm hungry:)

I have heard good things about an herbal coffee substitute called teecino. Brews up like coffee and comes in several flavors. Have seen it at Whole Foods.

Here is a link that might be useful: Teecino