In the past, while cleansing and doing without my daily java, I've been a big ole baby. I used to say that you'd have to pry coffee from my cold dead hands before I'd give it up. But this time around, giving up coffee has been one of the easiest parts! Why? I have found a perfect alternative —Hot Cacao!
You see, I listen to Jasmin Singer and Mariann Sullivan's podcast, Our Hen House, pretty much religiously. Months ago, I remember Jasmin raving about the couple's swap-out of coffee with raw cacao powder mixed with hot water. It didn't sound that great. It sounded bitter and not nearly as awesome as coffee.
But when embarking on the Thrive Forward cleanse, I decided to give it a whirl. In the past, while cleansing, I've tried to use hot tea to replace coffee. But that's just a joke! Hot tea is fine, but it's no coffee replacement. So anyway, I boiled some water in my kettle, filled up my mug, and stirred in one tablespoon of Nativas Naturals Raw Cacao Powder. I took a drink, and it was, indeed, very bitter.
But then again, coffee is bitter when taken black, right? So I did what I do with my coffee and added a teaspoon or so of agave nectar. Voila! It was delicious. Just like a hot cocoa made with very dark chocolate. But would it give me the energy boost I needed to get me through a morning of editing and reporting at the office?
Yes, it did! Unlike with hot tea, I actually felt awake after drinking the raw cacao. But not overly awake, like jittery coffee. Just alert and not sleepy anymore. It has the bitterness, which tea fails at. And it keeps me awake.
Will I give up coffee forever? NO WAY! But I like this beverage so much that I might just make it my new morning brew after the cleanse is over. And then coffee can be more of an occasional treat. Only time will tell, but I may have broken my coffee addiction. Maybe.
I can't even believe this! Gonna have to try it myself. Good Gawd, I could use a cleanse.
ReplyDeletesuper cool! I"m stoked to know about this! I love coffee too (though I'm not reliant on it.) I'm right there with you that tea is simply not a replacement. But this looks hearty and fun and tasty. Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteLOVE the mug!
ReplyDeleteMy dad and I are talking about doing this cleanse together. Do you have any starter recommendations of things to buy such as food or cooking things?
ReplyDeleteDestiny, I would definitely recommend getting some Vega One protein powder for smoothies, and get some hempseed oil (it's high in omega-6 and 3 and it's used in many of the Thrive recipes).
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! I don't drink much coffee- I'm more of a tea girl (don't laugh!), but I'll have to give this a try.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great tip! I ended up doing the Crazy Sexy Diet plan at the same time as you last totally by coincidence and now I think I'm going to see what Thrive is all about. This is great to know!
ReplyDeleteI thought I had kicked my coffee habit, but then the cold weather came and I jumped off the wagon as fast as I could! This sounds like a great replacement though- totally giving it a try!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic idea! I got some Navitas cacao powder recently and have been adding a bit to smoothies, but it didn't occur to me that it would have a bit of caffeine in it. I've been thinking about trying to cut back on my daily coffee habit...
ReplyDeleteCacao, eh? Never would have thought of it, but it has all the right components - caffeine, and chocolate. That's a win in my books! I'll have to keep this in mind, Teeccino is still my fave coffee replacer, but I can't find it around here.
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