What to Do When You Have to Give Up Coffee

What if you had to get off of coffee?

No friggin way!

That’s what I said to my holistic nutrition doctor, when he said, “You have to stop drinking coffee”.

So let me be clear before I tell you the rest of the story.  I’m not trashing coffee or telling you to stop drinking coffee. I love coffee.

There is something about the ritual of every morning. The smell. The being served coffee in bed on the weekends :-). That is all cool.

 But it didn’t stop there for me.  I found myself with a cup of coffee in my hand all friggin’ day long. Morning into the afternoon into the evening.  I would be the first to tell you that I was not addicted, because I thought I could stop whenever I wanted to, however, I didn’t stop,

until…

my blood work came back showing adrenal fatigue and gut issues that were obviously not helped by my obsessive consumption of caffeine. Too much of anything is just too much.

These results didn’t sit well with me as I am super conscious of what and how I eat. So my “no friggin’ way” turned into “okay” once I had clear evidence in my face.  In my face also was the fact that I was being abusive with coffee, not using it as a treat or something very special.

My “okay” then turned into, “I am officially choosing to not drinking coffee”.

It’s been 4 months now and I am good with my decision because I’ve found new things that I love to fill it’s place…

So many of you have been asking me how I did it. So here the big reveal.

 How did I stop drinking coffee?

I must say that the Universe helped me out here. I wound up with a lovely little cold simultaneously coming along as I made my decision to stop.  Losing my appetite and taste bud ability for 3 days, gave me the opportunity to stop right there. Already feeling crappy, I barely noticed the caffeine withdrawal added on top of it. However, I don’t recommend catching a cold to stop your coffee addiction. You can eat more greens and start with a substitution of something warm and yummy to replace it. Stay steady and you’ll get thru it nicely.

What’s a good replacement ?

Let me warn you first.  Ignore the word “mushroom” if you have a preconceived notion that mushrooms are yucky or you don’t like them. Trust me you don’t taste any mushroominess in these lattes. You do however feel the health benefits of these medicinal babies throughout your body after you sip one down.

So here’s what happened. I accidentally came upon this most amazing product as I was ordering my coffee one day at the Whole Foods coffee bar. I saw a little envelope that caught my attention, purchased it and took it home. I had forgotten about this little packet until I was looking for a substitute and then I did my taste test and research.

Four Sigmatic is a superfood company founded by a group of Finnish Funguys. They use functional mushrooms and adaptogens by incorporating them in mainstream products like coffee, tea and cacao. Founded in 2012, they came to U.S. in 2015.

The company is super cool and the products are superfood. They have many products and I haven’t tried everything. Yet.  I am sharing the Latte collection that I personally have tried.

Not an addiction but an addition.

I’m pretty certain you’ll be a fan even before you taste it. Once you know the health and beauty benefits it’s a no brainer.  You’ll not just want to use these products as a replacement but to add them as a standard in your diet.

Here’s my opinion.

This one I love love love… my fave hot chocolate. So so dreamy and with benefits like reduced stress and relaxation, what’s not to love!

I’ve mixed it with water and also tried almond milk. The almond milk version is super decadent. Your nightly ritual is about to get an upgrade with this hot cacao mix of reishi.  Reishi is one of the world’s most studied mushrooms that’s been shown to help support sleep and occasional stress. Reishi is so esteemed that in ancient scroll paintings, it’s often depicted as the “bridge between Earth and Heaven”.

Other nicknames for this regal fungi include “mushroom of immortality,” “mushroom of spiritual potency,” and “rule of herbs”. I mean, come on… it’s a drink fit for a Goddess.

This one is my 2nd fave as I can go anywhere and have a green matcha latte with absolutely no fuss… All I need is some hot water and I’m good to go.

This one is great for hanger pains…either before or after meals. 

The mix is ceremonial grade matcha with smooth coconut milk, gut-supporting maitake mushrooms, and superherb moringa. You just add the hot water.

No judgement here!  If coffee is working for you, really honestly working for you, do coffee. And if you’re unhappy with your coffee relationship for any reason, change it up.  Either stop altogether or cut down by adding some of these gorgeous options into your drinking repertoire.

What’s the magic?

The magic is in the mushroom……

REISHI for stress and sleep – if you have occasional stress and difficulty sleeping, reishi mushroom can help you relax and get a good night sleep.

CORDYCEPS for energy and performance – cordyceps is an adaptogen, not a stimulant, so it helps you produce and maintain steady energy levels. Where coffee can give you an energy spike, followed by a crash; cordyceps, on the other hand, helps your body produce its own energy.

CHAGA– antioxidant properties – chaga mushroom can help support immune functions. It is called the king of mushrooms. You’ll find growing naturally in the wild and it has antioxidant properties.

LION’S MANE-brain & nervous system – lion’s mane is an all-natural cognitive enhancer. It has been shown to support memory and concentration.

Here are my 4 top reasons to drink mushroom lattes.

Health – Medicinal benefits of mushrooms are too many to name for this short blog post (see above as a start) and check out Four Sigmatic website for more info on how mushrooms support and enhance your health.

Beauty – Beauty from the inside out is what mushrooms can offer you. This golden latte with shiitake mushrooms and turmeric will have your skin glowing. One of the most underrated mushrooms for skin, shiitake has been used for centuries to support full body wellbeing.  Paired with turmeric’s potential antioxidant properties, this delicious mix supports the skin. Cozy up with a cup, and your inner glow might have you skipping right past the makeup department. 

Deliciousness – Yum ! There are many different flavors so you’re best to experiment and see which one flavors you prefer. I love the chocolate latte. It definitely feels like a warm hug.

Ease – Take the packets with you and at anytime of the day, or most anyplace you are, you can find a cup of hot water to mix it with. Since these lattes are filling, they’ll sub in nicely as a snack or pick me up.  I even made myself a chocolate chai latte on the plane ride to Sedona.

Enough said. Let your tastebuds do the talking.

Four Sigmatic is chock full of yumminess.  The Funguys at Four Sigmatic have made consuming mushrooms and superfoods delicious and super easy to do with their with their cacao’s and elixirs. Simply add products to  hot water, mix into your smoothies, shakes, add to one of your favorite recipes or try their recipes.

I haven’t gotten around to whipping up any recipes yet, but this recipe is a keeper and next on my list. Reishi Cacao Taco’s.  I mean seriously  !!!!

CLICK here & search under recipe tab for Reishi Cacao Taco’s

I’ll keep you posted on the results.  And please keep me posted on yours. Share with me what you think of these wonderful new lattes and elixirs and how you are using them.

Happy sipping!

Psst. You know how that I only promote products I love and use myself.  Because I am a raving fan of Four Sigmatic, their message and their products, I want to share what I discovered with you. Just so you know, I have partnered with Four Sigmatic to spread the word and I do include an affiliate link in this blog.