Coffee substitutes
I have cut down on my caffeine intake by substituting regular coffee for decaf. Should I also try to keep this substitute drink lower or even eliminate it altogether? What should I drink instead?
I have always found that it is easier to make big changes to your lifestyle than little ones. So, if you are concerned about the amount of caffeine you are drinking, it is easier to cut it out and find something healthier to drink than to try and keep to just one or two cups a day.
One of the things you need to consider is that there is a big difference between decaffeinated and incaffeinated drinks, advise natural health practitioner Stephen Langley.
He explains that decaffeination requires a chemical process to remove the caffeine and that in this process, an unsavoury-sounding solvent called Trochlorethylene is used. Unfortunately for those trying to switch to decaffeinated drinks to try to become healthier, many people are sensitive to this solvent.
A better option, says Langley, is to choose one of the natural and uncaffeinated drinks such as Rooibos (pronounced roy-boss) or red-bush tea which comes from South Africa and which is caffeine-free and low in tannins.
I recently tried a delicious coffee substitute called Bambu, which is made from organic chicory to the original recipe of the late Swiss nature doctor, Alfred Vogel. It is such a good substitute for coffee that you can also use it in Tira Misu! You can also find grain coffees made from barley or, alternatively, just switch to one of the many herbal teas that are now readily available.
If none of these appeal, then take a tip from Langley, who is president of the Association of Naturopathic Practitioners, and who says: “I would favour a little caffeine over the solvent any day but keep your intake to a maximum of two cups a day and balance this out with uncaffeinated drinks.”
*Stephen Langley can be contacted on 020-7631-0156. Bambu is made by Bioforce and costs £3.55 for 100g. For stockists, call 01294-277344. To learn more about the Rooibos and Honey Bush South African teas visit www.africantea.com.