Have you heard of Teeccino and TeeChia?  Teecino was recommended by a friend a way to cut down down caffeine, so when I got offered to do a review for them, I jumped on it!

My test results after trying all the products was mixed, so I’ll go one by one.

Teeccino

The Good
It’s really nice to see an option for those of us who drink caffeine have to give it up for a while for health reasons – or pregnancy.  (Decaf is not an option, mostly because it’s so unhealthy and I’m not a fan of traditional tea- at all, any flavor I’ve tried.)  And Teeccino provides lots of flavors and options.  I got to try Chocolate, Hazelnut, and Vanilla Nut in tea bags, French Roast and Mediterranean brewable.  Now, technically I guess you could call Teecino a tea, but it is not one of the clear varieties. This brews up the color of coffee, and is made healthy ingredients like carob, barley, chicory root, dates/figs, ramon seeds, dandelion root, almonds, and natural flavors extracted from fruits, spices, herb, and coffee – all certified organic.

Teeccino, unlike coffee, is non-acidic, caffeine-free, GMO-free, organic, and contains potassium and soluble fiber that’s good for your heart. What is nice is that you can brew up a soothing, warm cup of Teecino before bed and not have to worry about losing sleep, like you would with coffee, hot chocolate, or tea.

The Bad
Note that the inclusion of barley means it’s not completely gluten-free, so since the letter came with a handy phone number, I called and asked.  The barley is filtered out and according to several testings they have done, there is no detectable amount of gluten.  However, it is possible that a small percentage of glutens enter it, so if you are 100% gluten-free (celiac disease, leaky gut), this is not the product for you.  (A no-no for your kids on the GFCF diet too!)  That also means you may not want to drink it during pregnancy if you are worried about your baby developing autism-one of those tough, trade-off decisions you’ll need to figure out for yourself.

The other thing I’d recommend is before switching to Teeccino, is to first get off the heavier coffees, like dark roasts.  I’m so used to the heavy, bitter taste that Teeccino was entirely too light on my palette.  Yes, I liked it better than tea, but it doesn’t have a strong flavor, which I’m used to early in the morning.   Also, if you’re mixing with coffee to wind down slowly, mix it BEFORE you brew – not after.  I’m also wondering if brewing this in a Keurig helped made it weak – maybe a French press would do it more justice.

Overall, an interesting and different product and a good resource if you must be off coffee and dislike tea with the added bonus of being healthy.

TeeChia

The Good
This is a cereal made from chia, flax, amaranth, ramon, and pumpkin seeds. I thought just about everything about this was good!  It’s a unique taste to get used to but I loved it by the second day.   Not only is it good for you, it is FILLING.  I don’t mean I was full; I mean a bowl at 8am meant I wasn’t hungry until about 12:30 or 1, which is AMAZING.  The ingredients provide antioxidants, omega-3 EF’A's, fiber, vitamins and minerals – literally a perfect breakfast!

The Bad
I only tried the Blueberry Date, which came in a bag, because I’m not a fan of cinnamon (the other flavor is Cinnamon Cranberry).  No complaints other than I’m not sure I’ve seen it in my local stores yet.

Overall I was very impressed with this breakfast and will be trying it again.

Disclaimer: I received a box of Teeccino and TeeChia products for sampling as part of the  Naturally Savvy Blogger program to facilitate this review.