My Relaxing No-Coffee Ritual – Chicory & Dandelion Root

I’ll NEVER give up my coffee ritual EVER. Warm, rich, tantalizing, and SUPER rejuvenating! However THIS beverage is natural, unprocessed, lightly roasted roots of chicory and dandelion. Sorry, that familiar caffeine jolt you love may deplete your libido and take 10 years off your life.

Keep the thought brewing… Now think about a delicious herbal coffee – uplifting, soothing, luscious, but it won’t make you look old! It’s not habit-forming. It doesn’t jolt, agitate, or burn your stomach with acids. If you’re in love with your Java jolt, then stick with your addictive BulletProof or Folger’s. But if you’re ready for a relaxing and invigorating cup of Joe with rich coffee flavor and no health risks, this herbal recipe below is for you.

Don’t kid yourself. Coffee is is NOT Paleo and not ancient. However THIS herbal coffee is as old as the Paleolithic hills. BTW, coffee originated in the Arab world about. 1,000 years after Christ. It was an illegal drug in the Arab world for hundreds of years, but sadly reinstated because by then everyone was addicted. Read the amazing true history of coffee in my article here: Is Coffee Paleo?

Coffee is a tough habit to kick
Many people can’t get through the day without their daily cup of Joe. They may even experience Java jitters! However… that morning jolt takes a terrible toll on the health of your skin, heart, and nervous system, which contributes to aging before your time. Years on the roller-coaster of highs and lows all day will add years to your appearance and the way you feel. I’m 66 years old, and can’t afford to throw away my health any more.

I know that we live in a coffee culture…
I see the “to go” cups in the hands of busy bodies rushing around all day. Personally, I’ve noticed a huge improvement in my health since switching over to this alternative. The ritual itself helps me slow things down… (which is also good for reversing the inevitable aging process!) Some of the benefits include balanced metabolism, soft skin, a youthful nervous system and a deep restful sleep everything. I’ll bet they can’t fit all of those words on your Starbucks cup!!!!

Why Coffee is not so good for you….

1. Coffee Accelerates Aging. Coffee contributes to the decline in DHEA production, which keeps skin youthful and nourished, accelerating the aging of our skin. Coffee is massively dehydrating, which makes it doubly difficult to get enough fluids to hydrate the skin. Dry skin wrinkles easily, and can’t expel toxins efficiently. According to Chinese medicine, all stimulants cause aging, gray hair, deterioration of the skin, feeling tired, burned-out, and nervous tension. These are signs of Yin depletion, or growing old before your time.
2. Coffee reduces sex drive. Oooh, yeah! Coffee makes you feel strong and sexy in the moment. But it slowly drains and squanders your libido, your creative power. Look around. How sexy are all those lifetime coffee drinkers in their 60’s and 70’s? Hmmmm.
3. Coffee is a net energy loss. That invigorating energy rush from coffee is a trick.  While it gives you drive and focus to do challenging tasks, coffee harnesses the power of the kidneys, like adrenalin. It gathers all the energy in your body’s savings account and spends it today. Soon you need a little more coffee to get going. And a little more…
4. Coffee is a true physical addiction, lighting up the same brain centers as cocaine and hard drugs. No wonder it’s hard to stop.
5. Coffee is a top cross-reactor with gluten. This means that coffee can create unpleasant gluten-like reactions even when you’re off gluten. Yes, many of our most common foods cross-react to gluten, meaning the body has an immune response and rejects it as toxic. See my article: Top 10 Gluten Cross-Reactive Foods to Avoid.

Health Benefits of Chicory – Dandelion Herbal Coffee:

Chicory root has a long history of supporting the liver. Ancient Egyptians and Romans and consumed chicory root to cleanse the liver and purify the blood. Chicory is said to support digestive reactions in the body, by increasing the flow of bile. Since extra bile helps break down fats, chicory root may help optimize blood composition and is suggested for anyone seeking optimal liver and gallbladder health. Even better, organic chicory root contains the highest concentration of inulin among all plants. Inulin is soluble fiber that feeds digestive flora in the intestines. Building healthy flora in the intestines is central to our health. The lack of sugars in inulin helps to promote optimal blood sugar levels. Chicory is a rich source of antioxidants which protect the heart and and cardiovascular system.

Dandelion root is a powerful detoxifying herb to cleanse the liver and blood. It is also a useful remedy for stomach aches, hypoglycemia, and high blood pressure. In Italian, dandelion is pronounced “dente di leone” meaning “lion’s teeth”, named for it’s jagged toothy leaves. Up until the 1800’s, dandelions were considered a useful plant, and people would pull grass out of their lawns to make room for them!

How to make REAL Paleo coffee:
Use roasted chicory root and dandelion root granules, available in most whole food stores or online at Frontier Coop or Mountain Rose Herbs. Look for roasted dandelion root granules and roasted chicory root granules, organic if possible. You can also buy the unroasted granules and roast them yourself in the oven. The granules are about the texture of standard coffee grounds. Yield: Two 16-ounce cups of Paleo Joe.  All you need is a French press or tea strainer.

That daily jolt on the coffee roller-coaster will add years to your appearance and the way you feel. After being an addict, I’ve been off coffee for 20 years. Now at 66 I’m still enjoying my delicious, rejuvenating herbal ritual. Paleo coffee is so easy to brew! Just use a French press or a tea strainer.

Optional Coffee Flavorings!
(Per cup)
Cream:  Unsweetened coconut milk, or any alternative milk.
Sweetener: Add a few teaspoons of Just Like Sugar Table Top natural chicory root sweetener, 1/4 teaspoon PureLo Lo Han Sweetener by Swanson, or 1 teaspoon raw honey, or your favorite sweetener.
Mocha:  Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of pure cacao powder.
Cinnamon:  Add 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
Nutmeg:  Add 1/8 teaspoon of grated nutmeg.
Vanilla:  Add 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.
Maple:  Add 1/8 teaspoon maple flavoring to your cup.

Coffee is a beautiful morning ritual. It tastes even more delicious when there’s no jolt.