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 am planning on giving up coffee for lent (and beyond).. I love my coffee very much.. but with my upcoming roadtrip, it will be too expensive to be reliant on caffeine.. so unless Starbucks wants to sponsor me I am going to give it up.
Of course, I have done this before always to go back.. but this time, I think I’ll make it stick.
I love the taste of coffee – but I NEED the caffeine that comes with it! I’ve read conflicting reports on the effects of coffee/caffeine, but I think it is a total PLUS in my life! I think a caffeine-free herbal coffee replacement is neat – but I’ll stick to my coffee and espresso!
Not sure if you realize that Teechino and many of the other coffee fakes have barley in them. I’ve gotten really sick from them. Hope you do ok.
they addressed the barley issue on their literature. they say their teas are 100% GF.
I am not sure how that is technically possible b/c of the barley involved…
But b/c it was one cup I wasnt effected BUT I have heard of others who are very gluten sensitive being really adversely effected.
I don’t drink coffee. I get told I’m boring because of that fact!!!
I’m a college student… I would not live without caffeine. I usually have one cup of coffee or black tea along with another cup of herbal or non-caffenated tea in a day. Green tea is right in the middle as far as caffeine content, so I drink a lot of that as well. If you like the coffee flavored tea, you would probably like Lipton’s vanilla caramel truffle black tea. Just don’t expect it to be sweet.
I really need to have one cup of coffee a day. That being said, i don’t consider myself addicted because I don’t need to have any more than that. so i guess I’m half addicted, lol
I’m glad you enjoy your coffee and experience no issues from it. I think Teecino is delicious but pricy–I’ve only bought it once.
My husband is just like you–loves his coffee, feels best with morning coffee and gets withdrawals.
I really can’t handle caffeine–I like the taste of coffee ok mostly, but it hits me like an amphetamine. I can’t even handle the caffeine in chocolate very well (although I do indulge sometimes). Jitters, can’t sleep, skin irritation, etc…I’m so glad you don’t have those issues! But I have adrenal exhaustion and hopefully that’s something that will improve with time, so I’ll be less sensitive.
I’ve always been a tea-lover, and especially herbal teas, so I guess it’s lucky that I have that predilection.
love
Ela
I used to be SO addicted, but thank god I am over that phase!
I am caffein-free for the most part. It’s not something I try to do, I just don’t really drink coffee. Sure, I’ll have a small cup (with biscuits!) once in a while, but it’s not something I crave.
I do, however, drink green tea on at least a weekly basis, which does have a bit of caffein.
I’ve never tried Teeccino, myself, but as far as “coffee substitutes” go, I love love love barley tea. In fact, I love it *as* a tea on it’s own accord…not as a “substitute” for anything. If you try it thinking of it as a coffee substitute it’ll probably disappoint, but I love the flavors & smoothness of barley tea.
barley is a gluten grain but i loved barley years ago. i try to be as GF as possible so dont go out of my way to consume things with barley but the tea sounds great!
Great post – I think you have a really good attitude to coffee/caffeine – if it’s not causing you any health problems and you like it then why give it up? x
I may have a small addiction… ;) But mainly, like you I just like coffee. It is part of my morning routine and I’m not from the camp that thinks coffee is bad for you so I have no intention/desire to stop drinking it!
I tried Teecino a few years ago and drank it for a while, but eventually switched back to coffee.
I looooooove coffee. Love it. I’m caffeine-free right now, though because we’re in baby-making mode. The first 2 days were seriously hell. The worst headaches ever. After that it got better. Now we just need to make that baby! :-)
have fun making one :)
I love coffee, when I was younger I didn’t like it at all, but it is an acquired taste, and now I start the coffee maker before I get in the shower in the morning. It is a great pick me up for the mornings, and I enjoy checking emails and drinking coffee. **Another benefit is it really makes your mind sharp-I drink a coffee always before every nursing test I have for college!
Antioxidants, alertness, taste, ritual-it’s good stuff!
Score on the coffee alternative! Never heard of that before – interesting! And lots of good dessert ideas here.
1. Nope
2. Not really, I have 1-2 cups of coffee in the morning then cut off my caffeine intake for the rest of the day. Since cutting back on caffeine, I’ve become hyper-sensitive to it and won’t sleep well if I have it in the afternoon.
3. Na, I’m okay with caffeine in moderation and am interested in recent studies that it’s good for women.
i’m definitely not addicted to caffeine but i absolutely LOVE the taste of coffee! i try and get decaf for the most part but lately i’ve been getting full strength! for various reasons but mostly to boost my mood a little. i work at starbucks but don’t drink our coffee unless i am so ridiculously tired at four in the morning (opening is not that much fun ;)!) plus caffeine seems to really upset my stomach, too. i am in and out of the bathroom if and when i drink coffee!
you know what’s interesting is that starbucks coffee upsets my stomach more so than say the TJ’s blends i brew at home. And I brew them STRONG. I think it may have to do with the beans. Some beans are just more…harsh….on the tummy I think. If I worked there, i would probably build up a tolerance and drink tons of coffee though :)
I love coffee! However, it totally messes with my anxiety levels and can be addictive if I’m not careful! The rest of my family is totally addicted to coffee, so I usually try to watch that.
From what I’ve read, coffee is worse for us than tea, because of the oils in the beans that can become carcinogenic from roasting them at high heat. (which is why I also use coconut oil in most of my cooking, because it doesn’t mutate at high heat like most other oils!!) Since teas don’t have these roasted oils, they are easier on our liver– even if the caffeine is nearly as high, like in black tea.
Since I do love the taste of coffee, and enjoy it on occasion, I just try to balance it out with plenty of alkalizing juices and veggies!