Quitting coffee

Imagine waking up feeling groggy and unmotivated. You’d rather stay in your cozy bed than wake up and take on the day. There’s only one thing that’s going to get you through your day, what is it?

Little over a month ago, my answer would have been an iced americano. That, or a pot of freshly brewed Equadorian roast with coconut milk creamer. Ahh, just thinking about it makes my mouth salivate. However, those days are no more.

You see, I’ve had a wavering relationship with coffee. One day it had me on top of the world, and the next day I felt as though it claimed supremacy over my life. One day it would help me get everything done, and the next it had me feeling lifeless until my cup was refilled.

So I decided to step off the roller coaster and quit coffee all together. I’m just not the type to stick around for love- hate relationships.

There is a ton of contradicting information in the nutritional world regarding whether coffee is health food or not. Some will claim that it has rich antioxidants, promotes a healthy heart, and improves memory function. Other sources will point out that it is acidic which increases free radicals, lowers the immune system, and strips our body of nutrients.

The fact is that your body is incredibly unique. Bio- individuality reveals that one man’s medicine is another man’s poison. So if you feel like coffee genuinely brings benefit to your life, that is a valid observation. If you feel that it’s causing problems with your health or that you’re too dependent on its energy, that is also a valid observation.

What I have come to realize is that coffee is just not the drug for me. I was drinking it frequently to get through long days at work. I’ve always loved the taste and aroma of it, which certainly contributed to my dependency. But after some time, I started to experience adrenal fatigue and my body constantly felt dehydrated. My skin and hair was dull and I was dealing with a perpetual cold. That was when I made the connection; I previously hadn’t been drinking very much coffee, and as soon as I started to drink it more I started experiencing mild health issues.

It took me about 3 days after quitting to lose withdrawal symptoms that included migraines, worsening of my cold, breaking out, and fatigue. As soon as those 3 days were over, I started feeling like myself again. I got out of bed and instead of barely making it to the coffee pot, I was up and going almost immediately. It goes to show how much of an addictive drug coffee can be.

If you are an avid coffee drinker and are ready to reclaim your independence, I have a few tips that will help you recover as soon as possible. Here’s a few actions I took:

1. Quit cold turkey:

Coffee isn’t tobacco or pharmaceuticals; you don’t have to ween off. Although it can be addicting and cause irritating withdrawal symptoms, quitting cold turkey(or all at once) is the way to go. You’ll be surprised how quick your body and energy levels can heal after quitting. I mean, it only took me 3 days! So start by avoiding it all together and you won’t keep getting sucked back into it’s trap.

2. Detoxify:

After drinking coffee on a frequent basis, your body will develop a dependency, meaning it starts to expect that acidic dose of caffeine to hit your bloodstream everyday. If you don’t give your body what it expects, it will produce withdrawal symptoms. To minimize these symptoms, start detoxifying your body with nutrient dense foods. This will get your body back to its natural state and decrease your cravings. Make smoothies, take some spirulina, and drink lots of water.

3. Find a replacement:

I believe there is a way to have a healthy relationship with caffeine by consuming it in moderation. With that being said, there are many delicious drinks and products you can make that will help you feel focused and energized. This will help you ditch coffee once and for all. As soon as I quit coffee, I replaced it with matcha lattes. I love the earthy taste and prefer the energy it gives me over coffee any day. See below for the recipe! Some great replacements are yerba mate, black or green tea, matcha, chai, maca root, green juice, vitamin supplements, ginseng, kombucha, and much more. All can be made into enticing hot or iced drinks that’ll make your forget the roasted bean water and move on with your life!

4. Examine your addiction:

Our bodies are created to hunt for food, escape from predators, and travel the land. That means that you should naturally have enough energy to get through your day. If you feel rather addicted to caffeine or coffee, it might be a good practice to examine why you feel like you need to supplement. Are you getting enough sleep? Have you been eating whole, nutritious meals? Do you get in enough physical activity? If your answer is no to any of those questions, you might be dealing with deep rooted causes that are beyond your daily craving for coffee. This is actually very common. So don’t be hard on yourself, just reflect on any other lifestyle changes that might naturally increase your energy levels. Understanding your cravings is the first step to curbing them.

So whether you’re a die hard coffee chugger or sober off the bean, this is simply a recap of my experiences with quitting. My most important point is that you make intuitive decisions with your healing. You don’t need health articles or varying opinions, your body always knows what’s best. My body told me not drink coffee, so I listened. Now I rarely crave it and have been thoroughly enjoying my matcha lattes.

For those of you that are ready to quit, I’m here to help! Below you will find a recipe for my favorite replacement drink. Be on the lookout for more beverage recipes. There will be a new site page open tomorrow that will provide you with more healthy, energizing products to shop through. Lastly, don’t forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter that will provide you with exclusive content and one on one contact with me.

Let’s talk coffee and health

Matcha Latte

This Japanese drink is earthy, lightly sweet, and creamy. It provides a very focused and meditative energy without any crash included. It is rich in antioxidants and studies have shown that it boosts brain function. Recipe can easily be revised to your liking!

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients:

Herbs & teas:

1 tsp matcha green tea

Liquids:

12 oz. of dairy free milk ~ my favorite is Pacific Vanilla Hemp milk

½ tsp of honey or agave

Instructions:

If you have a milk frother or stirrer, simply mix the matcha and about 4 oz of milk. If your don’t have one, mix the matcha with a tiny bit of boiling water.
Add the honey, mix in.
Add the rest of the milk in cup.
Either add ice or heat up in a stove/microwave.
Enjoy!