From being painfully bloated after chugging too much iced coffee in a day, to realizing I’ve spent an absurd amount at Starbucks in one week, my once-a-day coffee routine was long overdue for a break. After trying a blue lavender latte from Olivia’s Garden in Toronto (and loving it), I finally decided to experiment with swapping out coffee for a healthier alternative for a week to see if it made a difference.
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I pushed aside my Nespresso machine and stocked up my coffee cart with bags of superfood latte blends from three Canadian brands: Blume, Lake & Oak, and Organic Traditions. Transparently, I did occasionally still grab a coffee when I came across a cute coffee shop, but these three brands made it a lot easier to get back on track with how delicious some of their flavours were. A week into my superfood latte lifestyle, here are some things I noticed:
My post-coffee jitters weren’t a thing
I drink coffee in the morning to help me wake up and focus on work, and while it did do just that, it sometimes put me into overdrive with making me feel like I was doing too much at once, especially on days when I opted for espresso. It would wear off after a few hours and I’d crash, usually feeling even more tired than I initially had — but with the superfood blends, there was no intense peak or drop in my energy.
I experienced a lot less bloating over the week
Having a coffee in the morning when I know I’ll be going out the same day always stresses me out because I know the post-coffee bloating takes hours to wear off. I end up feeling uncomfortable and self-conscious, so swapping it out for a superfood latte has given me peace of mind and hurts my stomach less, if I’m being completely honest.
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I felt like I was taking a tiny step towards being healthier
These blends are organic, plant-based and contain low or no caffeine, so I felt less guilty about having a latte every day because I knew I wasn’t over-doing it with putting extra sugar and cream into my body (I typically drink my coffees very sweet). I also refrained from adding sweeteners to majority of the blends, which worked out fine since they were already packed with flavour.
There are so many more benefits to different superfood blends
While I’d opt for Blume’s Salted Caramel blend when I wanted something that resembled an iced coffee the closest, Lake & Oak’s Chai Mylk as a warm, afternoon pick-me-up, or Organic Tradition’s Matcha Latte for a boost of energy, there were blends that I could have at night too. Lake & Oak’s Cacao Mylk easily replaced my hot chocolate cravings after dinner and Blume’s Blue Lavender blend has become my go-to to unwind after a long work day.
The only downside to this experience was that the superfood lattes didn’t quite keep me awake as well as a cup of coffee normally would, but I’d still choose that over the “coffee jitters”. Overall, the most important thing that I noticed is that sometimes it’s not about the coffee, it’s about the drink. Most days, I really wanted coffee to keep me awake but majority of the time, it was nice to just drink a delicious, fun looking beverage while I worked from home — and the colours of these blends had me covered on the aesthetic part… have you seen how pink Lake & Oak’s Beet Mylk blend is?
Read more: Try This Generations-Old Masala Chai Recipe for a Perfect Afternoon Pick-Me-Up