I have tried to incorporate a coffee alternative made of roasted dandelion root and chicory root many times before, but for some reason, I didn’t get hooked. Boiling the roots, and using coconut or almond milk as a dairy substitute simply didn’t work for me.
So I reduced my coffee intake and switched to decaf instead. Until I had serious reasons to quit coffee overall. I have to say it wasn’t that hard but only because I had switched to decaf for many months before. So I had no withdrawal issues, which was
The reason why I finally quit was my endometriosis diagnosis and the connected bladder pain which can be caused by acidic foods and drinks. Detailed hormonal testing also showed high cortisol which was another reason to say bye to coffee. Another test which I have done was a microbiome test. It shows how healthy your gut is in terms of bacterial diversity, quantity, yeast overgrowth, and overall bacterial balance.
That gut bacteria test showed low diversity and thus low butyrate production. Butyrate is a short-chain-fatty-acid (SCFA) which is produced by bacterial fermentation of fiber in the colon. Butyrate is the colon’s main energy source for cell production and repair, it inhibits malignant transformation in vitro, and influences the level of hormones in the gut, which may even affect body weight.
Butyrate has anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, anti-oxidant effects, and serves a key role in the maintenance of the intestinal barrier by facilitating the assembly of tight junctions which further enhances barrier integrity.
As a conclusion of the multiple benefits of butyrate, it is considered as a biomarker of overall colonic health.
To work on overall gut health I decided to increase my prebiotic fiber intake. Feeding healthy gut bugs with what they need improves diversity and quantity of friendly bacteria which is an essential foundation of health.
Health benefits of prebiotic dietary fibers:
| 1. Increases in Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli |
| 2. Production of beneficial metabolites |
| 3. Increases in calcium absorption |
| 4. Decreases in protein fermentation |
| 5. Decreases in pathogenic bacteria populations |
| 6. Decreases in allergy risk |
| 7. Effects on gut barrier permeability |
| 8. Improved immune system defense |
Turns out that inulin, a prebiotic fiber found in plants such as Jerusalem artichoke, Jicama, garlic, and asparagus, is highest in – you guessed it – chicory root!
To get the most fibrous benefit out of that creamy chicory root drink I don’t sieve the liquid. Use a really good high-speed blender. For the best result, a creamy “coffee”, let the tea sit for 5 minutes to soften the chicory root granules.
I have a Thermomix blender which was my best kitchen investment ever. I basically throw in all the ingredients, heat, let sit, and blend. Done! You can control the temperature which offers an easy way to blend at exactly 70 Celcius. I noticed that this is the perfect temperature for fats to create a really thick creamy consistency. Works also with Bulletproof Coffee.
If you want to know more about that amazing kitchen machine check out their website, here.
Optional, you can boil the tea in a small pot on the stove. Let it cool down a little bit before you transfer the tea into your blender. Be careful with blending hot liquids.
References:
http://rmalab.com/health-benefits-butyrate
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6041804/
Creamy Chicory Root Drink
Ingredients
- 1 heaped tsp roasted chicory root granules
- 1 cup water
- 1-2 tsp coconut butter (I use nutiva coconut manna)
- optional and to taste, cinnamon, MCT oil
Instructions
Heat chicory root granules in water until it starts to boil. Turn off the stove, cover with a lid and let sit for 2 minutes.
Transfer into a blender and add the coconut butter.
Blend for 1 minute until creamy. Be careful when blending hot liquids. You might cover the blender with a kitchen towel to avoid hot steam or splashing.
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