I recently won a single bag of Teeccino from Faith’s Give Away
If you’re not familiar with Teeccino, it’s caffeine-free herbal coffee.
“It’s a blend of herbs, grains, fruits and nuts that are roasted and ground to brew and taste just like coffee.” source
Now, I don’t know if I’d go so far as to say it tastes just like coffee, but it’s definitely more coffee-like than tea-like, which for me, was a bonus.
I only tried one cup, of one flavor, the French Roast. The taste was bold, a little bitter like coffee is, and hearty.
I will admit, however, that I do like the blast of caffeine that coffee delivers and so not only is the Teeccino not exactly coffee in terms of taste, it’s not coffee in terms of caffeine levels. Meaning, it has none. If you can get past the caffeine issue, I think the taste is fine.
The Teeccino people suggest weaning off coffee by using 3/4 coffee to 1/4 Teeccino and then reducing your coffee intake and increasing your Teeccino intake until you’re caffeine free.
I am certainly not caffeine free. And have no intentions of becoming so.
I love coffee and recently did a big Coffee Reviews post where I reviewed a dozen coffees.
Like Smores Coffee
And reviewed a few of my daily go-to coffees
Coffee Review Post HereAnd not only do I enjoy caffeine, but if I can combine it with milk and sugar, even better.
Here’s my homemade Vegan Caramel Macchiato recipe
From my last post on Fat Tuesday, it seems most of you are not going out. It is a Tuesday after all.
I loved hearing about your crazy stories and shenanigans. However, most of you said you’re much more into being home-bodies than life-of-the-parties. Interestingly enough, it seemed that many of you would rather be at home watching movies on the couch or creating something in the kitchen than out amidst chaos. I can’t argue with that.
Dessert: Let’s stick with a caffeine theme.
If you don’t love coffee, but still love chocolate which has caffeine, you could try my Vegan Guiltless & Fast Hot Cocoa Recipe
And if you love chocolate and coffee, you can have both with Vegan Chocolate Chip Coffee Softserve
Questions:
1. Have you ever tried Teeccino? Thoughts?
If you’d like to try Teeccino, I’ve got the hookup for you. “Sign up for their newsletter and get a free Teecino tee-bag in the flavor of your choice.”
2. Are you addicted to caffeine?
No shame in saying, yes, I am. I get headaches if I go longer than 24 hours without a cup of coffee, and my brain and thinking isn’t as clear or sharp if I am caffeine-deprived. And yes, I get a little cranky without some caffeine in my system. I don’t “have to have” coffee in the morning, but after 24 hours of being caffeine-free or not having any cofee, I do really begin to miss it and want it.
3. Would you like to be caffeine-free?
No, I really don’t care and have no plans to become caffeine-free.
Why would anyone want to be caffeine-free?
Well here are a few pros and cons from this site:
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- Pro: Energy
- Caffeine’s most obvious benefit is that it can impart increased energy and improve mood. Those who only consume caffeine infrequently get a better boost than those who consume regularly.
Con: The Jitters
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- Drinking too much caffeine can cause the user to feel nervous and may interfere with sleep. Caffeine, even in smaller doses, can worsen symptoms in those prone to anxiety or panic attacks.
Pro: Memory Boost
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- The Mayo Clinic reports that various studies have shown that caffeine can temporarily boost performance on memory tasks. Long term, caffeine consumption may help decrease the risk of Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s and other related memory loss problems.
Con: Caffeine Withdrawal
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- Regularly consuming multiple servings of caffeine per day can lead to dependence. When you discontinue using caffeine, you may experience headache, fatigue and irritability for a day or two.
Pro: Antioxidants
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- The antioxidants that accompany caffeine in many drinks such as green tea and coffee, are linked with health benefits. These antioxidants may help reduce inflammation in the body and lessen the risks for cancer and heart diseases.
Con: Digestive Tract Problems
- Caffeine can cause or worsen digestive tract problems such as upset stomach and acid reflux.
As with anything in life, it’s a mixed bag and one study will come out saying a glass of red wine is good for you, another will say no, avoid alcohol entirely. Same with caffeine.
Or like in my Zodiac & Astrology post, if you look hard enough for reasons or signs, you can always find some data or study or information that will support/refute your own personal bias.
It’s a balancing act and moderation for me. A cup or two of coffee a day is what I have, and I set two cups as my daily limit. Period. I enjoy my cup or two, but when that’s done, I’m done.
And I will always reach for coffee over tea. I just love the taste of coffee. Tea is nice, I like it. Coffee is wonderful, I love it.
Where do you stand with caffeine? Is tea any “better” than coffee in your opinion?
I just got my sample yesterday! I can’t wait to try it- I got the pumpkin spice. I love the flavor of coffee. I’m now caffeine free (due to the baby), but assuming I will probably resume moderate coffee drinking after the baby is born/breast feeding is done. I hope you have a great Fat Tuesday ;)
you and pumpkin are such a winning match :)
and when i was pregnant i HATED coffee and caffeine. Nursing, that was a different story. I was so exhausted and sleep deprived as a new mom, I had some coffee. I nursed for years so going caff-free for years just wasnt going to happen :)
Good post – I like that you have no intention on giving up coffee and stand by it 100%! I gave up daily caffeine about 1.5 years ago – but lately, I’ve been indulging in a cup or two every now and again, only to realize, it just doesn’t like me as much as I like it! i.e., horrible heart burn. So – It kind of goes, ‘I miss it, drink it and then I remember why I gave it up’
In comparison, between tea and coffee, I think tea (as long as it’s a high grade herbal tea) is better than coffee mainly because it’s less acidic (for digestive purposes). Now, with that being said, there are some teas that can cause digestive issues just as much as coffee (usually lower grade leaves though), so then I’d say they are equal.
Found your blog and love it =) I’m horrible with caffeine…I could drink coke zeros all day long and xyience energy drinks all the time, but when it comes to coffee I don’t like it unless it has loads of sugar in it. I would much rather grab for my zero calorie drinks that offer the same caffeine benefit =)
I’m 100% a tea person over coffee. I love the taste of coffee, but it wreaks havoc on my digestive system. It’s funny because most of the time I have a stomach of steel, but coffee? Yeah, I know first hand about it’s laxative properties, sorry if that’s TMI…
Honestly, caffeine doesn’t affect me much. I drink a LOT of tea (iced and hot) throughout the day, and Coke Zero a few times a week (generally on weekends/when I’m out to eat if I’m not drinking), but unless I really go to town on it with dinner I’m fine. My body doesn’t react to much…EXCEPT coffee, of course haha!
Oh, I *should* give up caffeine…but I love it so! Any time I “quit” coffee…I’m always back on it after a week or two!
Have a great Tuesday, girl!
i have tried teeccino…and the bag still sits in my cupboard…i did not like it at all…it was yuck!
i love coffee…the stronger and bolder the better, you know the kind that can grow hair on your chest?! might be the italian in me…haha!
I haven’t ever tried Teeccino, sounds perfect for those days that I can’t decide whether coffee or tea sounds better, ha. Although I agree with you, sometimes when I’m drinking tea or coffee, I really want the caffeine behind it.
Interesting, I don’t think I’ve seen Teeccino. The only caffeine I really do is coffee in the morning. Just one cup. I don’t drink a lot of hot tea (makes me pee too much) and mostly just drink water otherwise. My coffee drinking in the mornings is mostly just habit, something to do, a routine at work.
My colleague is a huge fan of Teechino–I don’t love coffee, but it sounds like a good alternative.
I know that I may be one of the very few who has had this kind of reaction, but I can safely say that I’ll be trying to avoid caffeine for the rest of my life. I was drinking coffee for years and years, and steadily became more prone to anxiety and panic attacks. It got so bad that I would wake up already stressed out. I’d tell myself I had nothing to be stressed about, but it never made any difference. I had no idea what was going on. I also, for about 5-10 years, have had very irregular and excruciatingly painful periods. Weirder symptoms began — I started losing my train of thought in the middle of my sentences. I attributed this to social anxiety, but realistically thought, “Why can’t I talk?”
Finally, a friend started joking with me that I needed to quit caffeine, because all I ever wanted to drink was coffee. I began to research the topic and found some pretty horrendous stuff about what caffeine can do to the body (including the memory thing!). One day I just decided to be done with it. I got the typical headache (about 3 days straight). Within a matter of days, I had my period, and my face broke out like mad (hormone revenge?). Since then, I’ve gotten my period ever month to the predicted day — unheard of for me. My anxiety very slowly started to melt away and I started to have calm mornings and less of the impending doom feeling. I started being able to TALK, the way I knew I should be able to.
Again, I know I must be different than other people. I was certainly having more caffeine than them, and I have a terribly addictive personality. I also tend to be more sensitive to things in general; however, it still does make me nervous seeing so many people complaining about their stress level and then reaching for cup after cup of coffee.
If anyone has the capability of moderation, please exercise it when you have food or drinks with caffeine. I think our culture regards it as less dangerous than it actually can be.
sounds like your reaction to coffee is similar to what my reaction to certain foods are or for people with severe food allergies when they eat their allergens….awful!
Glad you figured it out and made changes!
Hmm, as always, I love your approach. If you have no problems with caffeine, why give it up? It’s one of life’s joys!
My boyfriend is one of those people who can have 8 cups a day no problem – and drink a half french press, go straight to bed and sleep like a baby, haha! I am one of those people who do better without – but I recently had to give up tea (in my epic quest for a nutritional path, blabla, same-same) and I switched to one espresso per day as an experiment – it lasted for about a week and I enjoyed every. single. black. delicious. one of them, hahaha :-) It pretty much ended in disaster though, but I think I’ve settled with a scheme of some teas, the occasional cup of home brewed decaf and an indulgent espresso once in a while – YUMMY!
I haven’t tried teecino, but I was desperate for a warm drink and made some dandelion root “coffee” some time back – at the time I actually thought it tasted ok, which I think is more of a testament to what a week of no warm liquid stimulants will do to you rather than the taste of the “coffee”…
I can also do this “one of those people who can have 8 cups a day no problem – and drink a half french press, go straight to bed and sleep like a baby”
I can also eat sugar, chocolate, carbs, fat (I do it all the time!) and go straight to bed. I sleep better i think :)
I have never tried it before…I LOVE my coffee. I like it strong enough to almost put hair on your chest. I only drink two cups a day, so I am ok with that. I think everything in moderation, besides…I don’t really drink alcohol, so I figure coffee is my rebellious thing. I am a party animal like that!
I’ve tried teeccino and I’m not crazy about the flavor. They sent me a variety of their flavors to try and one or two were ok…but I’ve found that an herbal mixture called Dandy Blend is way better as a coffee substitute. Plus it’s cheaper.
However…nothing really compares to the real thing! I was addicted, and over the past month, I quit drinking coffee. Green tea and dandy blend fill in…but I did have a cup of coffee on the weekend and it was just awesome. I could have easily begun my habit again. If it weren’t for adrenal fatigue issues…I’d be all over the coffee right now! I’ll just have to dream about it and drink on the weekend!
have heard of Dandy but have never tried it. Thanks for the rec!
I’ve never tried Teeccino! Sounds interesting, though!
Like you, I don’t really feel like I need to be caffeine free, though. I don’t think I overdo it, and I don’t think I rely on it. I simply enjoy a cup or so in the morning and maybe one later in the day, though by then it’s preferably decaf. I do sometimes get heartburn if I drink too much in the morning, and I’m fine with a cup anyway. I basically want something warm to drink that’s not tea, and good coffee is it :) And so I’ve decided to go with the research that says a cup or two a day is good for you :P
Have you ever tried Green Mountain Coffee Roasters? I am in love with them. They’ve turned me into a coffee snob! And sort of proud, too, being that one of their warehouses are right next door :P
Definitely a caffeine addict. I’m drinking a cup of espresso roast coffee as I type. So many cultures and countries drink coffee, I can’t believe that it’s as bad as some people like to say it is. I drink around 2 cups of coffee a day. I’ve tried Teeccino before. Not bad, but I didn’t think it tasted anything like coffee. To my taste buds it was more like strongly flavored tea. But since I like dark roast coffee, even regular coffee tastes weak and watered down to me.
oh Averie you KNOW I love my coffee, it is my one vice and I will never give it up (ever!) unless something crazy happens and I can no longer have it. But I enjoy coffee so much. I have never tried that teccino stuff but heard of it! I totally want to try it! I just clicked to get the free sample but they are all out (boooo) Ill keep checking back to see if they get more in stock because I would be so interested in trying it!
I do love tea as well, but i don’t really compare the two, to me they are two completey different drinks! I like tea for different reasons than I like coffee!
Hi Averie! I go back and forth between LOVING a good strong coffee and feeling like I need a break from it. When I do need a break, I use Enfusia’s Yerba Mate tea which has mattine in it and gives me enough energy without making me anxious or jittery (I love refills!) Thanks for a great post!