How To Quit Coffee - For Good!

Coffee: who doesn't love it? Black, Earthy, and full of fire. Coffee may help us wake up in the morning, but do you know that it's also destroying your adrenal glands, kidneys, blood pH, and is, most likely, the primary contributor of inflammation and acid reflux? Yikes! If you're still yearning for that cup of coffee, go for it. Just don't say I didn't warn you. 

For the rest of you still reading, I bet you're wondering what could possibly substitute that dangerously addictive cup of Joe. Meet Dandelion and Chicory. They look like Joe and taste like Joe, but they're actually good for your kidneys, may increase your bone density, are alkalizing, and help your liver to better metabolize fat. In other words, roasted Chicory and roasted Dandelion roots will flush the fat, rid the body of excess water, and make you healthier! So, how does one make it? There are two ways:

The "Freeway": Go outside and pull up those beautiful, blue Chicory flowers, chop up the root, and roast it in the oven on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes, or until dry and toasted. If you don't know how to spot Chicory you can take a look at an article I wrote here about harvesting this nutritious, abundant root. Follow this same method for Dandelion root. This is the free, easy way to obtain these nutritious herbs. Make sure to only take what you need, and leave the largest, more mature plants entact so that they can continue to provide new ones. As always, thank the plants with an offering like saliva or cornmeal.

The Easy Way: Go to your local herb shop, or health food store, and purchase the already chopped and roasted roots in bulk. If you can only find the raw roots, simply roast them yourself on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes.

Now that you have the two roots, simply add a spoonful of each (or more if you'd like) into your coffee machine as you would coffee and enjoy! You can also boil it on the stove for a couple of minutes. The longer you boil it, the stronger it gets. You can add some hemp or almond milk to it if you prefer cream, along with some organic raw honey to sweeten it. In the summer we add homemade almond milk, a dash of vanilla extract, and a spoonful of honey and serve it over ice. It tastes just like a creamy iced coffee, but without the negative side effects.

This coffee substitute will saturate your body in minerals like Magnesium, Potassium, and countless other minerals, vitamins, phytochemicals, and anti-oxidants that may prevent DNA damage, cancer, and many other illnesses that we face as a mineral-deficient culture. Minerals also help to better the absorption of nutrients from our food, as well as build healthy bones from the inside out.

For those of you who rely on the caffeine to get you through the day, I strongly recommend Rhodiola root. You can buy this in a tincture form and put a dropper-full under your tongue 1-3 times daily, or as needed. Rhodiola is an adaptogenic herb for the adrenal system, which means it helps balance the adrenal glands. Unlike caffeine, Rhodiola supplies a subtle increase in energy that lasts without a crash. If you're genuinely addicted to coffee, try drinking 2-4 cups of Scullcap infusions (or 2-5 dropper-fulls of the tincture) each day. Scullcap is a brilliant herb that helps to heal and reverse nervous system issues. It literally repairs neurons and recircuits the brain so that we can let go of addictions at a chemical level.

Bear in mind that years of coffee acidifies the blood and wreaks havoc on the kidneys. In addition to the healing properties of Dandelion and Chicory, anyone looking to alkalize their bodies should follow a plant-based diet that exempts refined carbohydrates, limits animal products to three times a week, and incorporates more whole grains, legumes, and vegetables. A whole-food, plant-based diet is one of the fastest and most effective ways to reverse most conditions in the body. The more Earth we put into our bodies the more alive, intuitive, and loving we naturally feel.