Don’t get me wrong! I love my chai tea! I love my sugar! Both are stimulants & affect the adrenals and if long term use persists they can drastically weaken our adrenals. That’s why my motto- as challenging as it may be has always been “everything in moderation-even moderation”. My husband is a wise man and when we first started dating, he would do intense cleanses/fasts during lent. They’d be different every year, but one year it was a 5 day fast. No joke -like a total fast- he only drank water. I was like holy crap- that’s hardcore. But what intrigued me the most was the reason he told me he liked to do it. He wasn’t necessarily coming from a strict health standpoint, although that was important to him too, but he was coming from a standpoint of knowing what his “crutches” were and wanting to reign them in. He told me he never liked noticing when he was really reliant and dependent on anything- especially substances like sugar and coffee. So he would take time every year to tune into those “crutches” whatever they were and take a break from them -cold turkey. How brilliant I thought. And so already having done cleanses specifically for health purposes, I went on from there with another perspective on why taking breaks from our “crutches” is so important- to remind us that we don’t need them- that our body is an incredible machine- and that we can survive- even thrive without them. I’d like to invite all you caffeine lovers out there to look at your possible crutches, and if caffeine is one of them, perhaps you’d like a break. Below is a list of herbal ally blends that will absolutely give you the energy you need and some other substitutes that will give you health benefits as well as imitate the flavor of our beloved caffeinated drinks. Energy Booster Herbs: Stinging Nettle leaf Red Clover Blossom Oat Tops ~ You can use Nettle alone or combined with all three of these herbs following the overnight infusion recipe in a 32 oz. mason jar drank all day long for a vitamin & mineral packed energy kick. ***Also, don’t forget the power of hydration as an energy booster! Drink half your body weight in water throughout the day and I promise it will serve you and your energy levels well! For Those Who Love Black Tea Red Raspberry leaf Red Raspberry leaf can be steeped for 15 minutes and then used like black to with milk & honey added with a very similar flavor to black tea as well as the very toning and balancing actions this herb offers your body.
