Best Coffee Alternatives | How to Beat Afternoon Energy Slumps | Boost Performance- Thomas DeLauer
Rooibos Tea:
Rooibos tea comes from the shrub aspalathus linearis, and isn’t actually a true tea - it’s a herb from South Africa and is caffeine-free.

Aspalathin:
Rooibos contains aspalathin and nothofagin - polyphenols unique to rooibos tea — that suppressed the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)

Quercetin:
Quercetin is the “master flavonoid”, a strong antioxidant and one of the best natural antihistamines.
Rooibos can increase levels of glutathione due to its quercetin content as quercetin boosts levels of glutathione - also reduces inflammation by blocking the COX-2 pathway, and blocks the release of histamine.

Study:
In one 15-person study, published in Food Chemistry, blood levels of antioxidants increased by 2.9% when participants drank red rooibos
This uptick lasted for five hours after the participants drank 17 ounces (500 ml) of tea made with 750 mg of rooibos leaves.

MUDWTR:
Cacao-
Cacao helps stimulate serotonin production in the brain, also contains both anandamide and phenylethylamine, both of which induce euphoria, act as an aphrodisiac and boost overall mood - phenylethylamine releases norepinephrine & increases dopamine.

Reishi:
Reishi activates autophagy and decreases levels of TNF-alpha and IL-1, which are inflammatory cytokines.

Cordyceps:
Cordyceps increase the body’s production of the molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is essential for delivering energy to the body & brain.

Lion's Mane:
Lion’s mane has the ability to stimulate the synthesis of (NGF) Nerve Growth Factor - NGF is necessary to nerve cell survival in the central and peripheral nervous system. There are two classes of Nerve Growth Factors - hericenones and erinacines - both of which stimulate nerve regeneration.

Turmeric:
Cinnamon-
Cinnamon increases levels glutathione, assisting in the functioning of ATP. Inhibits an array of cytokines and activates Nrf2 [Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2], the most important pathway for increasing our natural and innate antioxidant defense.

Blood Sugar Reduction:
Chicory Coffee-
Chicory coffee is a beverage made using the roots of the chicory plant, which are roasted, ground and brewed into a coffee-like drink, but caffeine-free.

Vitamin B6 & Folate (B9) & Inulin & Gut Health:
Chicory root is a good source of inulin, which acts as prebiotic by being a non-digestible food ingredient that feeds good bacteria in the gut, specifically Bifidobacteria.

Ginseng Tea:
Ginseng tea is derived from the ginseng plant root - major health benefits of this tea are due to the naturally occurring chemicals called ‘ginsenosides’ present in the root. Ginsenosides have been shown to stimulate the release of acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter associated with learning and memory.
Acetylcholine prompts synaptogenesis, the healthy growth of synapses throughout the brain, which enhances memory encoding, and facilitates the action of all other neurotransmitters as they communicate messages. These communication-friendly conditions are known as “neuroplasticity” and neuroplasticity is correlated with learning and memory.