We all love our caffeine fix in the morning but if you’re looking for a change, maybe something a bit healthier (juice, anyone?) then try one of these five alternatives to that daily java.
Citrus Water (still or sparkling)
Your body constantly needs hydration to feel its best, especially when you first wake up, so an ordinary glass of cold water with lemon can wake you up in the morning with a jolt of citrusy freshness just as well as a cup of hot coffee can, and it’ll leave you feeling cleaner and brighter, sans the caffeine buzz. Citrus fruits are high in vitamin C, an antioxidant that promotes a healthy immune system, and lemon has even been shown to aid digestion. Drink your citrus water still or, for a snappier taste, sparkling.
Coconut Water
Found in the center of young green coconuts, coconut water is super hydrating – it’s almost all water (and only a bit coconut). It’s refreshing and delicately sweet, and it’s full of natural electrolytes like potassium, along with other essential vitamins and minerals like magnesium and calcium. Plus, while you drink it you can pretend like you’re swinging beneath turquoise skies on a hammock strung between two palm trees on a tropical island.
Pomegranate Juice
Pomegranate juice is chock-full of antioxidants, which make it anti-inflammatory and a huge aid to your immune system. It contains the essential vitamins C, E, and K, and it’s even considered the most heart-healthy juice by helping to reduce cholesterol build-up and improving artery blood flow. Check the label when you buy it to make sure you’re drinking 100 percent pomegranate juice, with no added sugar that’ll make you crash.
Green Tea
Tea, with its lower and less addictive caffeine content, is a smart alternative to coffee. Green tea, in particular, is one of the healthiest drinks out there; it’s full of catechins, antioxidants that help prevent cell damage and even many chronic diseases. But, on a day-to-day basis, green tea’s caffeine, antioxidants, and water help you liven up, feel great, and even burn calories a bit faster. Drink it iced in the summer to stay cool, or keep it hot – its mild, flowery taste pairs great with a shady porch and fresh fruit on a summer morning.
Ginger Tea
Ginger is best known for its digestion benefits, perhaps first introduced to you during a bout of the stomach bug in elementary school and paired with saltines. But ginger tea has more benefits than ginger ale – along with relieving nausea, it improves digestion, relieves congestion, helps blood flow, and alleviates stress. The next time you wake up with a stuffy nose and a cough on the day of that big presentation, put on a soothing jazz Spotify playlist, do some mild stretches, and brew a hot mug of ginger tea.
The North Shore has several healthy eateries where you can enjoy one of these five coffee alternatives. Here’s a few we’ve rounded up:
Sol Bean Café
?Sol Bean Café in Middleton’s vision statement is, “To create a thriving business based on the values of connection, health and wellness so that all beings may thrive and be happy.” Using only the finest ingredients, this little café creates food in a loving way—offering up breakfast and lunch, including an array of smoothies and fresh-squeezed juices.
Life Alive
Life Alive in Salem makes healthy eating possible in a busy world. The organic café offers up grain-based meals, salads, grilled wraps, and fresh juices and smoothies. It even has its own coffee substitute—the Dandi-Blend, a mix of dandelion, beet, and chicory roots. It tastes like coffee but detoxifies! Plus, it’s great for you.
Eat Well Kitchen
Eat Well Kitchen Marblehead is the place to go for clean, simply good food on the North Shore. It serves healthy fresh food to go, including smoothies, wraps, salads, and fresh pressed juices.