Some days, when you wake up, you just find yourself short on energy and needing that extra kick to get up and get out the door. Most people will take this moment to go into their kitchen, turn on their coffee machines, or pull out their drip coffee apparatus to enjoy some form of coffee, whether basic, ground, or artisanal. However, coffee sometimes has too much of a kick of caffeine, and it can have other negative effects, such as staining your teeth; or you may be someone that just doesn’t like the taste of coffee, forcing you to add in a bunch of sugar and milk to even drink it. If coffee is not your style, then you may want to consider the variety of energy teas that are available in the world.

Tea, while not being as caffeinated as coffee, often has at least some small amount of caffeine in it (even green teas), but they also have many other nutrients that can also help provide energy throughout the day, as well as offering other boosts to your system. With so many tea options available, here are a few energy teas to check out that can help with your energy levels, digestion, and overall immune system.

Yerba Mate Tea

Yerba mate tea is an energy tea that is made from the Yerba mate tree, Ilex paraguareiensis, a member of the holly family whose leaves have been used for making traditional medicinal teas for centuries in South America. It is so popular in Uruguay that it is consumed at almost 22 pounds per capita per year. The average cup of Yerba mate tea has a caffeine quantity of 80mg, enough to give a good boost to your energy levels, but not enough to cause the jitteriness a lot of people complain about from coffee (120mg+), and it won’t trigger caffeine withdrawal when you haven’t had any in a while. Beyond the caffeine count, Yerba mate also includes a good source of vitamin C, calcium, antioxidants, and amino acids, which can benefit various parts of your body and immune system greatly. Weight loss, cholesterol control, and heart health are just a few of the many benefits. Since you likely won’t be harvesting the Yerba mate leaves and preparing them yourself, all you need to know for preparing the energy tea that you get from the store is that preparation involves putting 1 to 5 teaspoons of tea into a cup and adding 170F – 185F water. Using boiling water can damage the tea and make it less effective. You can add some all-natural honey or lemon to your taste preference.

Turmeric Tea

Turmeric tea is an energy tea that does not contain caffeine, and it can easily be prepared if you have access to the turmeric spice. Turmeric tea can be prepared by making a paste by combining freshly ground turmeric with honey, then adding it by the spoonful into a cup of hot water with some lemon and black pepper. Turmeric’s energy properties aren’t based on filling your body with an energy stimulant, but instead by easing other issues in your body. Turmeric has been used in traditional medicines for millennia because it has strong anti-inflammation and antioxidant properties. Drinking Turmeric tea can help ease any arthritic symptoms you may have due to its anti-inflammation properties, and it doesn’t come with the common side effects that over-the-counter NSAIDs may have. Additionally, the National Cancer Institute classifies curcumin, a chemical within turmeric, as being an effective anticarcinogen, helping reduce cancer risks in patients.

Rooibos Tea

Rooibos energy tea originally comes from South Africa, but it has become popular internationally in the last few decades. It is generally prepared in the same fashion as other black teas, where you can also add some honey, lemon, or other favorites into it. Again, this is a tea that doesn’t have caffeine in it for energy, but it does have benefits that can help improve your wellness and natural energy. The number one reason to consider rooibos tea is that it helps with sleep patterns. Having a cup of rooibos tea before bed can help calm your body, and that relaxation makes it easier to sleep, so you wake up more energized and less irritable. Rooibos tea also has antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, and antispasmodic (prevent stomach cramps) properties.

Caffeine filled coffee doesn’t have to be your number one go-to for getting energy in the morning, or throughout the day. With the right energy tea, you can boost your energy and overall wellness and avoid the crash of caffeine.