Why I Don’t Drink Coffee in the Morning

Not that I don’t ever drink coffee, because I do. Especially on the weekend if we go out to our favorite café or when my husband fills the house with the aroma of his top shelf brew on Sunday mornings.

I figured out long ago that if I make a ‘to-do’ list while I am on coffee, I need to be on coffee to implement it. My adrenals just don’t need the extra jitters that coffee offers.

The real reason I don’t drink coffee in the morning is because, well, look at my other options!

One of my best acts of self-care is opening the herb cabinet above my stove each morning and asking myself, “What do I need today?”

Am I feeling sluggish from eating too late last night? Am I still a little worn out from being on overdrive mommy hood? Does anyone around me have a cold and maybe I have been exposed to a nasty bug?

I just take a minute to check in with what I might need support with right now.

Then I look up and there they are; all of my plant helpers. All nicely dried and garbled (separated from the stems) and tucked into Mason jars for me and my family.

Thank you plants, just looking at you makes me feel better. I love all of the different colors, shapes, sizes and textures of your leaves, seeds, flowers and roots.

I see the calendula and remember them drying in my basket like captured sunshine. I see the burdock roots and think of the conversations my students and I had while chopping them up.

Just opening the jar of lemon verbena brings the memory of summer and warmer days.

It isn’t just herbs in those jars. They are my friends.

My kitchen shelves are filled with labeled jars that are full of the healing power of the earth. The magic of the season they were harvested in, the thoughts I had while tending to them. All of the conversations, prayers and interactions that were made while I planted, tended, harvested, cut, chopped and dried them.

Memories, images, dreams and life itself spills out the sides as I unscrew each lid.

Ah what will I brew today? What plant will come to my aid to help make me more whole, help me to remember myself and help me to feel better?
Well, last night I didn’t sleep so well. We got new windows in our house and haven’t covered them up yet. The full moon was pounding in on me all night wanting me to get up and sing to it.

Needless to say, I am a little groggy, it would be easy to just drink the coffee that my husband made, but instead I go over to my trusty herbal cabinet.

Hmmm something to pick me up, but not over-stimulating. I have a day of writing ahead of me so also a little mental clarity would be good……

Also we had a couple heavy meals this weekend that my body is probably still working on, let’s see which herbs are popping out at me as I look at all of them…..

At this point, it is not just me and my brain doing this selection. I really feel the plants and what they have to offer. It is also a very intuitive process in which I feel the plants just get into my head or communicate with me through a sensory memory of their taste, smell, color or texture.

Ok, I have come up with something! Peppermint because it supports me in all 3 of my needs, it will help with my digestion, mental clarity and wake me up a bit. Spearmint because I love the flavor.

Lemon balm because I have an over-abundance in my garden and it also helps with digestion and mental fog.

I am adding in the orange peel to round out the flavor and add another layer of digestive support. Here it is, let me know how you like it!

What tea would you like to drink today? Leave a comment and let me know some of your favorite tea blends right now. . .

Morning Mint Medley Tea

Ingredients

• 3 cups water
• 1 tablespoon peppermint
• 1 tablespoon lemon balm
• 1 teaspoon spearmint
• 1 teaspoon orange peel

Instructions

1. Place herbs and water into a pot with a lid on it. I use stainless steel Revere pots; glass and enamel pots also work well.
2. Bring water and herbs just barely to a boil and then immediately turn off the fire.
3. Let herbs steep for ½ hour.
4. Using a metal strainer, remove the herbs from the tea and pour the tea into a teacup.
5. Gently re-heat tea with the lid on the pot.
6. Drink warm.

Notes

The shelf life of this tea is about two days if kept covered in the refrigerator