Do you awake each morning and run for the coffee maker? After water, coffee is the second most consumed beverage in the entire world. Caffeine is the stimulating ingredient found in coffee which produces an increase in energy levels. These days caffeine is not just found in coffee and tea. Food manufactures are pumping out new caffeinated products such as energy bars, drinks, diet supplements, chewing gum and even water. 

One of my New Years Resolutions was to drink less coffee. I have replaced a few cups with herbal teas, green tea or filtered water but still need that coffee boost first thing in the morning.  A few weeks ago while grocery shopping I decided to purchase some coffee substitutes. Why not conduct my next experiment comparing the taste of some popular products. I decided to purchase A Vogel’s Bambu coffee substitute,  Traditional Medicinals Yerba Mate tea and Just Us Roobious tea.

The experiment took place in the office of, www.thinkingbig.net, in downtown Charlottetown on a Friday afternoon.  Four staff members participated in the experiment which consisted of sampling each product.  Participants answered these 3 questions:

1.       Which one did you like the taste of the most?

2.       Did it have a pleasant aroma?

3.       Which one makes the best coffee substitute?


All taste testers agreed that each product tasted different from each other. The A Vogel Bambu coffee substitute tasted like chocolate milk and smelt like instant coffee.  The Yerba Mate tea tasted like lemon and earth like, and smelled like the forest. The Roobious tea tasted similar to black tea with an unpleasant scent.

Each coffee substitute boasts a safe alternative to coffee; however Yerba Mate still contains a small amount of caffeine. My experiment concluded that the A Vogel Bambu coffee substitute (made of  rye,chicory, barley, malted barley, figs and acorns) is the winner because it tasted the best and provided somewhat of an alertness. In second place was Yerba Mate, and in third the Roobious.


Giving up coffee is one giant step towards healthier living. Over consumption of caffeine can lead to high blood pressure and, potentially, heart disease. Caffeine also stresses the adrenal glands and suppresses the nervous system. Since caffeine is classified as a drug, most users become addicted. Therefore, the user must continue consumption of the highest levels to have the same stimulating effect.

If you’re trying to give up coffee, aim to replace it with something else. Coffee is a habit as much as caffeine is a drug. Try keeping herbal teas at work and include more broth based soups in your diet. If you don’t enjoy water, try adding some fresh lemon or limes to it. This improves the flavor of the water while it helps to detoxify the liver.

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http://blog.rachellewood.ca , where I post new articles every 2 days. If you have a suggestion for a blog topic please email, positivechange@rachellewood.ca