For taste I am used to coffee, and love the bitter flavor taste more than all other flavors in any drinks, caffeinated or not. ... I tried many non coffee grain substitutes and none so far where satisfactory.

Cafix, info@internationalfoods.com seems to fit the taste test best.  

Ingredients:  

Roasted Barley, a black dot for my O current SWAMI...  
Chicory, I have no Swami info on that for me O?
Malt, I have no Swami info for me O
Figs, Beneficial for me O.
Red Beet Concentrate, I think ok for me O..  

The taste of Instant Calfix is slightly bitter the way I seem to like it and mixes well with water and or anything else added to it like Coffeemate...   Its costly, at 7.5 oz (200) @ about 10.-

It smells like coffee! I think if brewing is important, it could be used in the filters - haha

Hi Goldie

Most malt is made from barley, but it can also be made from wheat, corn, and other grains. The grain is kept wet until it just begins to germinate (sprout), then dried to stop the germination. This creates enzymes that will turn the starches in the seed to sugars. These seeds are called malt. The malt can then be boiled to release the sugars, for fermentation into alcohol or to make sweeteners.

so a processed sugar, in effect! oxo

Goldie, I hope you're not using Coffee Mate  

Barley has gluten, so a no go for me. And malt is usually derived from barley as well. I buy dandelion root and powder it by grinding in the Blendtec.  

Goldie both Chicory leaves and root are listed in my swami under Live Foods. Are you sure you didn't over look them. They are listed as two different things. As an example I have Chicory leaves as a bene and the root is neutral.

there is a new gluten free Teecino which tastes very much like coffee...barley free

http://teeccino.com/category/73/Barley-Free-Dandelion-Flavors.html

there are a variety of flavors but this is the general ingredient list

Roasted organic carob, organic chicory, organic dandelion root, dates, almonds, natural flavor, organic figs.

I was using Teeccino and praised it "to high heaven".  THEN I got my SWAMI Express report and now can't have two of the ingredients because they are either black dot or actual avoids.  I wasn't sure how I was going to survive without my morning cups of Teeccino........

I don't know how it happened, but one day I poured an ounce or so of the Teeccino hubby had made.  I didn't like it!

I have become a tea drinker.  

I use the drip coffee pot.  I put in the filter:  green tea leaves, either Yerba mate OR original Tulsi plus either dried peppermint leaves OR dried catnip leaves.  ALSO in the pot itself I put thin slices of fresh gingerroot and one tea bag of whatever herb tea strikes my fancy that day AND a few dried Hibiscus leaves.  Result:  A whole pot of really great tasting tea which both of us enjoy.  

There are many ways to become an un-coffee drinker.  You have to experiment.  

If I could do it, you can do it.  

I am not and have never been a coffee lover...I can take it or leave it...The caffeine wires me and gives me internal jitters....Yet I can drink Mr Ituri's green tea and feel totally satisfied.  The caffeine must
be very low or the theanine and other beneficial factors of green tea is what feels calming....the flavor to me is more appealing than coffee. Coffee happens to be a beneficial on my SWAMI...but I have no
desire to drink it at all..

I have type A friends who drink a lot of coffee and all of them seem too tightly wound...actually, one is always ready to explode.  How can people with high cortisol be good on caffeine?

Cloe.. I wish you could just put some in the mail..

I liked your answer best..  

Chicory Root is usually used in coffee substitutes, and your SWAMI should have a rating for it.  It would be under "Live Foods."  The term Chicory used alone implies the leaves, and that would be a separate rating.

On my SWAMI, Chicory is a diamond; Chicory Root, Black Dot.

Malt is listed under "Condiments" as "Barley Malt" and is neutral for me.

I would wonder what Barley and Malt would do to your blood sugar.  I also wonder if there's a seemingly harmless looking ingredient called "Natural Flavors."


I'm reading a fascinating book that discusses caffeinated drinks and foods.  It's called "Caffeinated..." and it was published this year.  So far I've learned that studies indicate that people who drink coffee don't drink it for the taste.  Rather it's consumed solely for the caffeine response.  I believe it, and I'm finally starting to question my refusal to give up coffee.  Those of you who read my posts know I have thoroughly rejected Dr. D's advice on avoiding coffee.

Good luck with this, Goldie.  And please day "No" to CoffeeMate.

Quoted from Chloe

there is a new gluten free Teecino which tastes very much like coffee...barley free

http://teeccino.com/category/73/Barley-Free-Dandelion-Flavors.html

there are a variety of flavors but this is the general ingredient list

Roasted organic carob, organic chicory, organic dandelion root, dates, almonds, natural flavor, organic figs.

That's interesting because I used to add carob powder to roasted Yerba Mate & Green tea (combined) for my coffee substitute back when I thought I'd give up coffee.  It was the closest I ever got to a compliant coffee substitute.

Quoted from Goldie

Cloe.. I wish you could just put some in the mail..

I liked your answer best..  

PM me with your address and I'd be happy to put a few individual servings/tea bags of Teecino in an envelope for you to try before you buy.  Seriously....

Gee! if it wasn't for the barley, I could use it. (teecino)

Quoted from Seraffa

Gee! if it wasn't for the barley, I could use it. (teecino)

NO barley in the gluten free version of Teecino....It's a fairly new product.

http://teeccino.com/category/73/Barley-Free-Dandelion-Flavors.html

Ingredients are :Roasted organic carob, organic chicory, organic dandelion root, dates, almonds, natural flavor, organic figs.

Quoted from Chloe

NO barley in the gluten free version of Teecino....It's a fairly new product.

http://teeccino.com/category/73/Barley-Free-Dandelion-Flavors.html

Ingredients are :Roasted organic carob, organic chicory, organic dandelion root, dates, almonds, natural flavor, organic figs.

I can live with the black dot dates once in awhile. Does it make a difference in flavor?

Cloe.. I wish I could... but my access here is restricted?.. but here is where you can find it..  in the purple box..   http://isidorpublishing.com/  I thank you for it.. nothing would please me more but to find a coffe substitute.. it is such a struggle.  // maybe even see if it would be ok for when I get headaches (six weeks on 7 day off) that only a little caffeine will fix.  Thanks..

Quoted from ginnyTN

I was using Teeccino and praised it "to high heaven".  THEN I got my SWAMI Express report and now can't have two of the ingredients because they are either black dot or actual avoids.  I wasn't sure how I was going to survive without my morning cups of Teeccino........

I don't know how it happened, but one day I poured an ounce or so of the Teeccino hubby had made.  I didn't like it!

I have become a tea drinker.  

I use the drip coffee pot.  I put in the filter:  green tea leaves, either Yerba mate OR original Tulsi plus either dried peppermint leaves OR dried catnip leaves.  ALSO in the pot itself I put thin slices of fresh gingerroot and one tea bag of whatever herb tea strikes my fancy that day AND a few dried Hibiscus leaves.  Result:  A whole pot of really great tasting tea which both of us enjoy.  

There are many ways to become an un-coffee drinker.  You have to experiment.  

If I could do it, you can do it.  

I am a coffee addict.  It is readily available all day at work in unlimited amounts!  I got yerba mate to drink at home.  Im not sure how this rates for As but I'm sure as an explorer the caffeinw is not recommended.  I do not get any jitters or any blood sugar crash after (I drink both coffee and yerba pure and with nothing, maybe a dab of honey).  

To my dismay there are negative reports on mate being associated with oral cancers, prob due ti smoke curing and hot drinking temps.  I drink my stuff warm to room temp (coffee and yerba).  Also there is a brand, the one I got that air drys the leaves instead of smoking them.  

Either way I drank two big mugs last night and didn't sleep till 3am, but got up at 730 feeling good.  I drank a cup this morning and became pretty irritable later...but I also had a large coke and some popcorn at the movies.

I used to drink only green tea about 10 years ago, by the potful!  Never coffee.  Alsi had acid reflux and irritability, but no jitters or blood sugar drops.

a cup of coffe alone is never enough to get ill on it, yet drinking it has so many side effects that harm us in small ways.. that decreasing any amount is always good for o's and for others I would also follw the suggestions of BTD... Suggestions are not dictates, we are free to experiment and make our own decisions, putting us in charge of our life.  

I am not so much addicted to coffee as much as I get daily 6 hour headaches for 6 weeks and one week off.. for years.. I have a choice between drinking a cup and headaches go away, or take a pill or some other ideas are welcome..

I choose to drink decaf most days, I chose Nescafe witht he 'idealistic' idea that it is less contaminated..  It is easy and quick to prepare.  

Caffeinated Coffe however I drink only one for the headache,  I do not like the feeling of it, it makes me drive faster, be impatient, be impertinent, short tempered.  It also makes me exercise or work with more strength and often - I injure me along the way, not having good judgement .. Caffeine does that to me.

(The excuse for me is my headaches, I would gladley switch to some other pill, -as caffeine is for me- to get rid of my headaches.   I might actually try to use calemas (colon cleanses) as Dr D thinks, they work for migrains. )    Its a lausy excuse, but pain weakens me.

Drinking is a big issue with me, I do it poorley.  I care for sweets, or juices, but they interfere with my diabetes, so all that I can safely do is drink water with a slice of lime left in it.  ok so be it..  

Goldie your headache pattern sounds totally awful.   Has anyone ever given you an explanation for this?

No.. it runs in our family, half have headaches / the others not... Mom had them most of her life. with me its a muscle tension that gets tight.. one side only..

I am wondering what the caffeine does ?  make the capillaries expand or contract along the pathway.  Heat / cold all does not help either.  

Quoted from Chloe

there is a new gluten free Teecino which tastes very much like coffee...barley free

http://teeccino.com/category/73/Barley-Free-Dandelion-Flavors.html

there are a variety of flavors but this is the general ingredient list

Roasted organic carob, organic chicory, organic dandelion root, dates, almonds, natural flavor, organic figs.

Ouu Chloe! this sounds great!!! thank you!!