Confessions of a Reluctant Coffee Drinker

I’m never had a coffee habit. As a child, I would occasionally taste my mother’s French Market Coffee, Turkish coffee, or some other variety seasoned with cream and sugar, but I never developed the habit.

Once, in my ignorance, my freshman year of college, I drank 6 tea-size cups (not mugs!) of coffee hanging out with friends in chain coffee shop until midnight. I was thirsty, it tasted sweet, and we were talking for hours. Never again! When I got back to my dorm room, I could felt the blood cursing through my veins. My heart pounded and I wanted to crawl out of my skin. No sleep that night. After that I swore off coffee… until my early thirties when I had what looked like a live or die decision.

Photo credit right Wikipedia

Emergency medicine
Once, many years ago, my husband and I were driving from Seattle to the midwest (or the other way around, I don’t remember) during a snow storm. He was driving a U-Haul jam-packed with everything we owned. I was following behind in my compact car. I couldn’t pick up any radio stations and I didn’t have a cassette or CD player to shout me out of my stupor. You see, we each had a serious case of highway-hypnosis and wondered how we would ever make it safely to our destination. We weren’t about to stop at a motel and hang out for days.

At a roadside stop he suggested we both drink some coffee, a strange idea from one non-coffee drinker to another. When I questioned the wisdom of that he  said, “I’d rather have coffee than an accident!” I had to admit he had a point. We each choked down a wretched cup of jet black, burnt-tasting roadside brew and I wondered why anyone enjoyed drinking this stuff!

Exercise aid?
On several occasions five or six years later, I tried coffee as a pre-aerobic stimulant and fat-burning aid. The thrill of it wore off quickly. I liked the buzz and sharp mental focus, but found it wasn’t worth the jitters, lost sleep, or adrenal exhaustion it brought on.     

A better brew
Two years ago one of my cooking students gave me a few samples of an organic instant coffee mixed with ganoderma (reishi mushroom). The product had less caffeine than regular coffee, a great taste (nothing mushroomy about it!), and provided more than 200 therapeutic compounds shown to improve health. I purchased some of the product and drank it on occasion, then gave it up after a couple of months out of concern that the coffee might stress my already weary adrenals and because the price went way up.

Photo credit for coffee beans right Wikipedia

Recently I’ve seen a lot of reports about the health benefits of coffee. So when I read about NutriCafé in NaturalNews,  a newsletter from Mike Adams, The Health Ranger, I wanted to try it. NutriCafe is a unique brand of Fair Trade organic coffee beans infused with immune-enhancing organic herbal extracts from (Cordyceps sinensis, Ganoderma lucidum (reishi), Coriolus versicolor and Agaricus blazei–– medicinal mushrooms. To read more about the mushrooms click here:

A new kind of coffee
NutriCafe is made and marketed by EnerHealth Botanicals, the only company in the world that has come up with a method for infusing these organic extracts into coffee bean without affecting the taste. Their patented process creates a gourmet-tasting coffee with a lower acid content and less caffeine. Many people who suffer from acid reflux have been able to consume it without discomfort. Others experience more energy without the jitters.

Adventures in coffee making
This is not an instant product. You have to grind the beans, then brew. I purchased a coffee grinder. (The one I already had was reserved exclusively for herbs and spices.) I already had a coffee maker, gifted to me a year ago when one of my cooking students moved back to the U.K. Until this morning I had only used to brew Teeccino, a gluten free herbal coffee alternative. 

Coffee without the side effects
I’m very sensitive to caffeine. I can’t drink green tea or black tea after 1 pm or it disturbs my sleep and I wouldn't dream of drinking coffee at night. So I approached this experiment with  caution. I tried the coffee one morning (it tasted so good I wanted a second cup...and had one). I skipped a day to see if I noticed a difference in the quality of my sleep, then tried one cupful the next morning. It gave me the added focus I needed to tackle a long to-do list.

I didn’t feel jittery nor did I notice any disruption of my sleep. It didn't taste herby or acrid, the way some medicinal teas can. In fact I loved the flavor of it.

A healthy alternative to nondairy creamer
Instead of milk or I added  EnerHealth’s Coconut Powder, a delicious, clean tasting, and very healthful alternative to instant dairy and non-dairy creamers. It contains less than 0.25% sodium caseinate and maltodextrin, used as emulsifiers. I also added vanilla-flavored stevia extract liquid (I like Nu Naturals® and Wisdom Herbs brands). I replaced coconut milk powder with canned, unsweetened, sulfite-free coconut milk in another tasting and enjoyed that as well.

EnerHealth sells two varieties of coffee beans: Immune Support Organic Coffee and Performance-Enhancer-Organic-Coffee. I think they’re both great products for people who are not ready to give up their morning coffee, who want to avoid coffee jitters, need help staying awake when driving, want to take in more antioxidants, and avoid the side effects associated with consuming conventional coffee. I think these products would make great gifts for the coffee lovers.The company has some other products I plan to test soon.

If you’d like to share your experience drinking NutraCafe or using their Coconut Milk Powder, you can post your comments below. If you hear of great products you think I would like, let me know.

Thanks for reading my blog!

Sincerely,

Chef Rachel

Comments

[Vittoria]

Those are some very interesting coffees. I used to only drink coffee on nights in college when I had to work till 4am. I've never needed the caffeine to start my day, and I can't have it after noon either. My fiancee drinks coffee all day long and I do enjoy having a cup with him the mornings we get to have breakfast together. I'll be on the lookout for these, maybe he would like them too.

[Shannon]

I may have to try this. I really love the flavor (and some health benefits) of coffee, but hate the jitters.

I just finished reading The Garden of Eating and wow. So many great recipes and such great info. I am mostly grain free, with the occasional millet, quinoa or rice as a side. We do eat dairy, but all raw. I have renewed your book from the library so I can do some more experimenting.

[Conical burr coffee grinders review]

I've never needed the caffeine to start my day, and I can't have it after noon either.