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Herbs for Energy

Morning Plants

Eleven morning plants. The Guayusa the Kichwa drink before dawn, Guarana, Andean Maca, Matcha: drunk in place of coffee, or beside it.

11 plantsfrom €6.86

Three to start with

Which one for you?

Three plants from the family, depending on what you are looking for.

The curation

The 11 treasures of the family.

The whole collection
The word

The morning without coffee.

These eleven plants come from peoples who have their own morning drink: in a circle before dawn, on the high plateaus, in monasteries. Some carry caffeine, others none.

Guayusa, which the Kichwa call their night watchman, is drunk in a circle before dawn. Amazonian Guarana is a caffeine-rich seed. Andean Maca is eaten every day, like a root of the earth.

The morning without coffee.

What kind of tea is best for mornings?

  • Guayusa: the Kichwa of the Ecuadorian Amazon drink it as a family before dawn, and share the dreams of the night over it. Its leaves contain caffeine. In a gourd, or as a 20-minute decoction.
  • Matcha: the whole tea leaf, ground to a powder, whisked into water at 70-80 °C and drunk whole. Its caffeine comes with L-theanine; Buddhist monks drank it to stay awake through long hours of meditation.
  • Guarana: the seed of the Sateré-Mawé of the Brazilian Amazon, very rich in caffeine, bound to the tannins of the seed.
  • Peruvian Maca: a root of the Junín high plateau, a staple food of the Andes. No caffeine; as maca con leche, with warm milk and a pinch of cacao.
  • Adaptogenic Blend: “the alchemical morning latte: it awakens the fire (Tejas) and anchors the vital essence (Ojas)”. One spoonful in warm morning milk.
  • Shilajit: the resin born from rock, one grain in hot water, in the morning on an empty stomach.
  • Rhodiola, Eleuthero, Cordyceps: the Golden Root of the Altai, the shrub of the Siberian taiga and the mushroom of breath, taken in courses.

Replacing coffee step by step: herbal coffee alternatives. And once evening comes: calming herbs.

With or without caffeine

With caffeine: guayusa, matcha, guarana, and a little cacao, as in the adaptogenic blend that contains it. Without: maca, shilajit, rhodiola, eleuthero, cordyceps. The first are drunk in the morning or early afternoon; the second find their place in the morning bowl, over several weeks.

⊹ FREQUENT QUESTIONS ⊹

Tea for energy, question by question

Which tea gives the most energy?

Among our plants, the ones with caffeine: guayusa, as a decoction, the way the Kichwa drink it before dawn; matcha, whisked and drunk whole; guarana, the seed richest in caffeine.

Guayusa or matcha?

Both contain caffeine. Guayusa is a leaf from the Amazon, drunk as a decoction; matcha is a shaded tea leaf, ground and whisked. Taste decides: guayusa is soft and green, less tannic than tea; matcha, vegetal and slightly umami.

Which morning herbs have no caffeine?

Maca, the adaptogenic blend, shilajit, rhodiola, eleuthero and cordyceps. They are taken over several weeks: each product page gives the quantity to use.

Any precautions?

Guayusa, matcha and guarana contain caffeine: if you are sensitive to caffeine, have high blood pressure or heart rhythm problems, are pregnant or are breastfeeding, ask a doctor first, and preferably drink them in the morning. For the course plants (rhodiola, shilajit, adaptogens): ask a doctor if you are under treatment.

⊹ WHY THIS FAMILY ⊹

Replace coffee, without forcing it.

A gradual step-down:

First: weeks 1-2, keep one coffee in the morning and add Guayusa in the afternoon.

Second: weeks 3-4, replace the coffee with Guayusa. If you miss the taste, add 1 g of Maca to the matcha.

Third: week 5 onward, watch your mornings, and keep what suits you.

Or enter by intention

All of Daily
⊹ READ IN THE FOREST ⊹

Around Morning Plants

Voiced essays that extend these plants — traditions, gestures, lineages.

Dream plants
Shamanic dreaming: the dream that calls, teaches and searches
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Regulatory plants
The 8 natural alternatives to coffee — energy without the spike-and-crash
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Sacred feminine
Red maca: the purple root of the high Andean plateaus
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Sacred masculine
Yellow maca: the everyday food of the Andean plateau
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