Gentler Herbal Subtitute for Caffeine/Tea?

[thatguy]

Hello, does anyone know of a good gentle substitute for caffeinated beverages?

The properties of coffee and tea which I'm looking to replace with something gentler are: some relief from symptoms of fatigue, ability to lessen the experience of boredom during boring tasks and increased-prolonged mental focus in general.

Can anyone recommend some sort of caffeine and stimulant free brew which encourages the above effects in a gentle manner? If you can, could you also recommend how and when your brew should be used?

I'm not sure if anyone knows anything that will fit the bill, but I'm really looking to phase caffeine out of my daily regimen. After going just one day without any coffee or tea I've become re-aware of the powerful effect it has on the body.

Thank-you in advance ,

T. Guy.

[hedge*]

So you're looking for a caffeine and stimulant free Herbal beverage that will offer the same benefits as caffeine and stimulants?
I'm not sure if there is one but I'll definately do a bit of research for you.
Most Herbs that would provide these effects without caffeine contain some type of stimulant.
Have you tried glucose tablets?
They're good for giving you an added energy boost.
I myself gave up coffee about a month ago, I drink green Tea and white Tea but these do contain a small amount of caffeine though it is only something like 3%.
Let me get back to you on this one.

[thatguy]

Thanks for the effort hedge. I guess maybe I'm asking to have my cake and eat it too. However, I could easily forgo the ergogenic properties of caffeine, I'm more interested in the boost to concentration and ability to tolerate less-engaging/boring mental work.

I had also switched from coffee to green tea, but I find the green tea (even one or two cups a day) still has too profound an effect on my system.

I think glucose tablets would help but I'm reluctant to making them part of a daily ritual. I guess taking a daily stimulant to aid one's endeavors and to accent the rhythm of one's daily routine is a trade-off. I was hoping that maybe there was a milder tradeoff.

Let me know what your research yields

cheers,

T. Guy.

[Elem]

Of course.. There is the option of decaffeinated tea?

Quick link here about how it still retains the health benefits, depending on the method used to remove the caffeine.. And how you can remove the caffeine yourself, just using a normal tea bag .

http://www.drweil.com/u/QA/QA300785/

Hope that helps! Although, if you're looking to boost concentration / ability to tolerate boring work.. Caffeine's pretty much the only way to go. There's not many other chemicals, outside of experimental drugs, that can extend your concentration span.

I often find a good night's sleep and a nice hearty breakfast help me . That is, on the small occasion I actually get a good night's sleep! haha

Elem

[thatguy]

Thanks for the link Elem, that's really interesting, I didn't know that you could so easily knock down the caffeine content of tea by yourself.

Personally, I'm ridding caffeine from my diet altogether and I've switched over to ginger tea. The caffeine withdrawal has now subsided considerably, but my mental fluidity is still a little off. On a positive note, colors are now much brighter and somehow my visual environment is much richer, who'd have thought?

I'm still hoping that hedge or someone else can come up with or find some gentle mix which coaxes focus a little. I'd still like something to cue my mind a few times a day to the fact that it's 'work time'.

T. Guy.

[hedge*]

How about making up your own mix?
The quantities you'd have to experiment with but this combination of Herbs will certainly work well for giving you an energy boost and in aiding your concentration levels.
Damiana
Lemon Balm
Hibiscus
Rosemary
Sassafras
Sarsaparilla
Galangal
Cinnamon
Kola Nuts
Ginger
Cayenne
Violet Leaves
Woodruff
Spearmint
In fact I'm going to experiment myself

[thatguy]

That's awesome hedge, thank you so much for the list.

I'm going to follow your advice, it sounds like fun. It's also an opportunity for me to learn something too.

Thanks again!

T. Guy.

[WolfWitch]

Guarana (I know I just misspelled the HECK out of that.) has caffine like properties but I'm not much of a fan of the taste. Hope that helps.

WW.

[hedge*]

Guarana ( you spelt it spot on )contains caffeine - up to 7%.

[WolfWitch]

Guess that shoots it down as a substitute huh?

I admit my herbal lore is minimal. I will pm my mentor and see if he has any impute. I seem to recall (I have really bad short term memory probs.) that Herbalism is a study of his.

WW.

[Kristofski]

I'm not sure about stimulents, but for taste Rooibosh (I think there are about 5 different spellings of that) tea with milk in tastes very much like sweet, slightly spicy normal tea.

Actually, I know that lemons are good for giving you a lift. You can either burn the essential oil or rub a bit of fresh lemon juice into your pulse points (inside of wrists and temples).

Hope that helps!

Kristofski xx

[thatguy]

Thanks for the info Kristofski. I'd actually never heard of Rooibosh, I'll definitely give it a try as soon as I can find a reliable, cheap, organic supplier.

I'm actually still working through various combinations of the ingredients hedgewitch suggested plus a few additions of my own. I've had some success (and learned a few things), but it's a long process and I'm not much of an herbalist. I'll post a few recipes once I've refined the ones I'm working on.

I'll give the lemon thing a try too. Where did you hear about it?

T. Guy.