I Ditched Coffee For This Caffeine-Free Energizing Herb & It Totally Changed My Life

After much research, I stumbled upon a drink that made giving up my morning coffee a breeze: dandelion tea. While the name might make you think of that pesky spring weed that pops up in the most random of places, this tea is exotic and full of powerful health benefits. This vibrant and colorful yellow weed has roots and leaves that have been used in teas throughout the northern hemisphere for centuries. Brought to the New World in the 17th century by European settlers, dandelion tea was used medicinally3 to treat fevers, boils, eye problems, diarrhea, fluid retention, liver congestion, heartburn, and skin ailments, and it helped support digestion.

If you've ever bought dandelion leaves at your local health store and attempted to put them in a salad, you're aware of their incredibly bitter and spicy flavor. Americans are not partial to this taste, since bitter and pungent foods are not commonly found in our diets.

While I knew I wanted to make the shift from my delicious warm cup of coffee in the morning to this superfood tea, would I have to sacrifice taste? Upon trying my first cup of dandelion tea, I recoiled. The taste was pungent and earthy, and I may or may not have had to plug my nose to finish the rest of the cup. But I was not a quitter! After several weeks of trying the tea, I realized that I wasn't applying the same creativity to my tea that I had to my sacred morning coffee. I was not a black coffee kind of girl and always rotated a mix of ingredients like coconut butter, ghee, cinnamon, and homemade nut milks to my morning coffee. And I also realized that I had to try many coffee brands until I found a blend that I liked. Thus, I realized I needed to step up my morning tea game.

After much trial and error, I found several brands that have created rich and flavorful blends to satisfy my relatively simple American palate. My favorite is The Republic of Tea's Dandelion Blend, which is spiked with French vanilla. I love adding a steamed cup of homemade vanilla walnut milk and monk fruit for a very sweet morning experience.

Dandelion tea is caffeine-free—but hear me out. I know that, to morning coffee drinkers, getting that burst of energy is what makes coffee so appealing; however, you might actually experience more energy by reducing your caffeine intake altogether. "Caffeine prevents the neurotransmitter called adenosine from signaling to your body that you are tired. However, your brain begins to anticipate when these effects are coming, especially if you drink coffee daily around the same time," says Mariza Snyder, D.C. By consuming a morning drink that is caffeine-free, your body will learn to make its own energy rather than rely on your daily dose of coffee to stimulate your nervous system.