I can’t vouch for alternative coffees as I’ve never been a coffee drinker but you could try chicory or dandelion coffee but here are my favorite hot drinks that might give you some ideas:

simple hot water with a slice of lime – refreshing and more comforting than you might imagine.

pour hot (not boiling) water on a few fat wedges of fresh lemon, a thick slice of fresh ginger, a pinch of cayenne pepper and a teaspoon of maple syrup to taste.

this mix has the detoxing and anti-oxidant benefits of the lemon, the warming and soothing effect of the ginger which also helps detox the kidneys, the cayenne pepper which will boost the metabolism and maple syrup which is packed full of vitamins especially the B family and minerals especially magnesium. Wonderful during that last cold snap for warming you up, immune boosting and makes a great hangover relief in the unlikely event you’d ever need that!

Look out for teapig teas, made from pieces of fruit rather than fruit dust they give a much more rewarding drink than the normal fruit teas which mostly smell great but taste of nothing much.

Good luck with the cutting down and look out for the latest installment of my clients progress – a week ago I challenged her to increase her water intake and cut out stimulants. How she got on will be online sometime tomorrow at http://whywaittofeelbetter.wordpress.com

I will endeavour to cut down and have more green tea and fruit teas. Are there any other alternatives you can suggest?