Skip to content
INFUSE
DAILY ☀ · SUBCATEGORY

Herbs for Energy

Morning Plants

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

12 treasures in this family·★ 4.9 — 285 reviews


The word

The morning without coffee.

These twelve 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.
The curation

The 12 treasures of the family.

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 as a course.

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. Without: maca, the adaptogenic blend, 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 its amount.

Any precautions?

Guayusa, matcha and guarana contain caffeine: with caffeine sensitivity, high blood pressure, heart rhythm problems, pregnancy or breastfeeding, ask a doctor first, and drink them preferably 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.