The honest answer, what malt, lupin and grain coffee are really worth, how to get through caffeine withdrawal gently – and when your first cup tastes good again.
In alkaline fasting according to Sabine Wacker, coffee is not allowed – no filter coffee, espresso, cappuccino or decaf. The same goes for popular coffee substitutes such as malt, lupin or grain coffee. During the cure you only drink still water and herbal teas, warm if you like.
That sounds strict, but it is the heart of the method: for one or two weeks you consciously let go of habits so you can feel what your body really needs. Many of our guests tell us on day three that they hardly miss coffee any more – and at the end of the week they decide afresh how much of it they actually want.
How drinking works during the fasting week in general is explained in What to drink while fasting.
It is not just about „acidic“ or „alkaline“. Three reasons work together – and the third is the most important.
The Wacker method classifies coffee as acid-forming. The main culprits are the roasting compounds that give every coffee its aroma. Coffee also stimulates stomach acid – many people feel this on an empty stomach.
Caffeine pushes your circulation and stress hormones. In a week in which your body is meant to calm down and recover, it acts like an accelerator while you actually want to brake.
In alkaline fasting, drinks are only there to keep you hydrated – not for pleasure. For most people coffee is a ritual against tiredness or stress. Leave it out for a week and you notice which need is really behind it.
🔬 Good to know: in the calculation tables for the acid load of foods (PRAL value), black coffee is actually close to neutral. Going without it during the cure is therefore less about single measurements than about the principle: no caffeine, no roasting compounds, no stimulants – so the week is a real break for your body.
Tap a drink – the needle shows how the Wacker method classifies it and whether it fits into your fasting week.
Many people reach for coffee substitutes during the fasting week. Tap a card to see what is behind them.
💡 Our tip: during the fasting week, don’t look for a coffee substitute – look for a new ritual. A substitute keeps the old habit alive; a new ritual shows you that you don’t need it.
If you drink several cups a day, you will notice going without. Headaches and tiredness usually start 12 to 24 hours after the last cup, are strongest after one to two days and generally fade after two to nine days.
Schematic illustration – how strongly you feel withdrawal depends on how much coffee you usually drink.
The best trick against withdrawal headaches: cut down on coffee in the days before the cure instead of stopping abruptly on the first fasting day.
If you normally drink four cups, you start with one cup on the last day before the cure. That way your fasting week begins without a headache hangover.
Now your body speaks up. Mild headaches, tiredness and a bad mood are normal – and a sign that the habit is loosening.
A warm, moist compress on the neck, peppermint oil on the temples and a big glass of warm water right after getting up.
For most people the symptoms ease noticeably now. Many report calmer sleep and steadier energy without an afternoon slump.
Write down the moments when you think of coffee. Tiredness? Stress? Boredom? That is where your real need lies.
The habit is broken. Now is the perfect moment to decide how much coffee you really want after the cure.
Severe or persistent headaches, dizziness or palpitations are not normal withdrawal – please talk to your doctor.
No coffee substitute, but real alternatives to start your day – just like our fasting guests at Zollhaus do.
A big glass of warm water right after getting up gently gets your circulation going – before you even think about breakfast.
A few slices of fresh ginger topped up with hot water: warming, full of flavour and with some of the „kick“ many people miss from coffee.
Rosemary, peppermint or lemon verbena are more invigorating than camomile. More ideas: What to drink while fasting.
A few minutes of conscious breathing at an open window or a cool finish in the shower wake you up more than any espresso.
Ten minutes of daylight in the morning set your inner clock. Here in the Ore Mountains the forest starts right outside the door.
A short sun salutation wakes up your whole body. During the fasting week at Zollhaus, yoga is a fixed part of the programme.
Alkaline fasting does not mean: never coffee again. After the cure, one to two cups a day fit well with an alkaline-rich diet – provided you eat plenty of vegetables, salad and fruit and your stomach tolerates it.
What matters is how: start at the earliest on the second or third transition day with a small, mild cup – ideally not on an empty stomach. Many people now notice that one cup in the morning is completely enough.
How to return to normal food step by step after the cure is explained in What comes after alkaline fasting?
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No. In alkaline fasting according to Sabine Wacker you go without coffee during the cure – including espresso, cappuccino and decaf. Still water and herbal teas are allowed.
Not during the fasting week. Malt, lupin, grain and acorn coffee are coffee substitutes and therefore stimulants. Because of the roasting, grain and lupin coffee are also considered rather acid-forming. After the cure, malt coffee in particular is a gentle, caffeine-free alternative.
No. Decaf contains hardly any caffeine, but it is made from the same roasted beans. After the cure it can help you reduce your coffee intake for good.
Not during alkaline fasting, because green and black tea also contain caffeine. Choose herbal teas such as peppermint, rosemary, lemon verbena or an alkaline tea instead.
Ideally, cut down on coffee gradually in the week before the cure. During the first fasting days, plenty of water and herbal tea, fresh air, a calm walk and enough sleep help. Symptoms are usually strongest after one to two days and then fade. If they are severe or persistent, talk to your doctor.
At the earliest from the second or third transition day – ideally a small, mild cup after breakfast. In the long run, one to two cups a day fit well with an alkaline-rich diet if you eat plenty of vegetables, salad and fruit.
In Wacker’s alkaline fasting method coffee is considered acid-forming, mainly because of the roasting compounds; it also stimulates stomach acid. In acid-load calculations (PRAL), black coffee is close to neutral. What counts for the cure, however, is the principle: no caffeine and no stimulants.
During alkaline fasting, coffee stays in the cupboard for a week, and so do coffee substitutes. If you cut down beforehand, drink plenty and treat yourself to a new morning ritual, you will get through the first two days well. Afterwards you can enjoy your cup again – often more consciously and in smaller amounts than before.
Sources & further reading: basenfasten.de – coffee alternatives (German) · Juliano & Griffiths (2004): review of caffeine withdrawal · EFSA – caffeine
Herbal tea by the fireplace instead of a stressful espresso: alkaline cuisine, yoga, hiking in the Ore Mountains and a team that supports you through your first coffee-free days.
