One of my own personal struggles along the road to wellness has been my addiction to coffee. With 3 kids, there have been times when I have been so freakin’ sleep deprived that I honestly thought I could live solely on coffee and chocolate. And there is something comforting about the warm embrace of a coffee shop – the aromas wafting invitingly out the front door, the baristas who know me by name, the way they write “Lori” on my lovely take-away cup and the caramel on the creamy white foam that tops my favourite latte. Ahhhhh…….

However as I have learned more about diet and nutrition I had to consider that caffeine is an addictive drug. It stimulates the central nervous system by tricking the brain into releasing excess adrenaline and even small quantities cause nervousness and can put us on a roller coaster ride from a blissful high to the inevitable low that follows quickly afterwards. Not to mention all of the refined sugar that is heaped into and on top of my beloved lattes.

But don’t worry – I have found the very best substitute on the market. Dandy Blend is the only herbal coffee replacement to feature both the health benefits of dandelion root and the rich, full-bodied flavor of real coffee. It’s made of water-soluble extracts of roasted roots of dandelion, chicory and beets and the grains of barley and rye. It’s also gluten-free because the gluten from the grains is extracted during processing AND it contains over 50 trace minerals in each cup. But the best news of all – there are absolutely no headaches or other withdrawal symptoms when you switch from coffee to Dandy Blend! I’ve even got my parents and my confirmed coffee addict brother-in-law drinking this stuff (no small feat).

 
Instead of trying to quit coffee cold turkey maybe we could start to consider those specialty coffee drinks as treats rather than an everyday necessity. What if we got a super funky coffee mug (or reusable take away cup) and made our own coffee and lattes at home using Dandy Blend? Would you be willing to give it a try?
Here are a few of my favourite ways to enjoy Dandy:

Straight Up Coffee Substitute
1 heaping tbsp Dandy Blend (more or less depending on how strong you like your coffee)
½ tsp cinnamon
2 cups hot water
1 tbsp almond milk (or non-dairy beverage of choice)
1 tsp honey (or sweetener of choice- agave, maple syrup, stevia)

Measure Dandy Blend and cinnamon into a large mug. Add hot water and stir. Stir in milk and sweetener as desired.

Dandy Latte
1 tbsp Dandy Blend
2 tbsp raw hemp seeds
2 tbsp raw cacao powder (you can use the nibs but they will give it a grittier texture)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder or 1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp maple syrup 
4 cups hot water

Place all of the ingredients into a high-powered blender and blend for 1-2 minutes. Serve hot. You may want to adjust the sweetness depending on how much sugar you are used to in your latte. You could even drizzle a bit of agave over the top to replicate a caramel latte.

And what about the kids? Dandy Blend is perfectly safe and healthy for little ones and I sometimes make up my own homemade hot chocolate using 1 tsp Dandy Blend, 2 tbsp raw cacao powder, 2 tbsp maple syrup and 2 cups almond milk. Whisk together in a pot on the stove and gently heat.

I order my Dandy Blend online at Upaya Naturals where you can get a small bag to try it out or be like me and pony up for the big 2 pound bag.
Come on – give it a try! As my grandpa used to say “it’s just dandy!”