Ever tried to give up coffee when you love the taste? You are not alone. Regina Meredith of Conscious Media Network interviews Caroline MacDougall who has done all the research and investigation for you and has come up with a great tasting coffee alternative that will leave you feeling satisfied with the taste, without any of the usual side effects
This is really worth listening to as there are numerous health benefits to the many herbal alternatives that are now available through Caroline's company. If you read most diet books, the first thing they usually talk about is giving up caffeine, so if you want to keep the coffee taste choose one of these and other caffeine alternatives.
With over 20 years experience in the herb tea industry, Caroline MacDougall has formulated herb-based beverages for numerous leading industry manufacturers. In the early '70's, Caroline began her journey studying, growing, importing, blending and selling herbs. As she describes, "Herbs have taken me all over the world, introducing me to other cultures, luring me into tropical forests, wilderness areas and remote villages. Herbs have always been my vehicle for interesting encounters with the world at large, both human and plant!"
Caroline began her career developing worldwide sources importing herbs for Celestial Seasonings. In Europe, she apprenticed with a world-renowned herbalist, Juilette de Bairacli Levy. While living in Europe, she developed several herbal product lines including an herbal cigarette. She brought many ideas for both the medicinal and pleasurable use of herbs back to the United States in the early '80's. For over a decade, she has worked in product development and marketing of a variety of herbal products including herbal tea formulations for The Republic of Tea, Yogi Tea Company, Uncle Lee's Tea and rainforest products with Natural Nectar.
Caroline's formulations depend on the flavor bouquet of the herbs themselves rather than a flavor purchased from commercial flavor companies. It is Caroline's philosophy that the herbal beverage drinker should be able to detect at least three or four flavor notes in a well balanced blend. Essential oils and concentrates from fruits, herbs and spices may be added to enhance an herbal blend, but not overpower it. The palate's interest in an herbal beverage can be kept intrigued and delighted by complexity or become exhausted from an over-dominant flavor. Like a fine wine compared to a mass produced one, much depends on the subtlety, variety, and depth of the flavor components of the blend.
Following in the footsteps of her great grandmother, Alice Foote MacDougall, a single mother entrepreneur who began a coffee roasting business which grew into gourmet coffee shops in the early 1900's, Caroline acted on inspiration that came to her in a dream to create a line of caffeine-free herbal coffees to help people who want to quit coffee have a satisfying, non-addictive replacement. She founded Teeccino Caffe, Inc. in 1994 and launched Teeccino caffeine-free herbal coffee to the natural and specialty food markets in 1995.
