How Giving Up Coffee Changed My Life
Wait, quitting coffee can give you energy? YES my dear friend, it can.
Let me explain all the things that I learned from my experience of quitting coffee!
Signs You Should Quit Coffee
Did you know that caffeine is the culprit for many every day feelings like:
Nausea
Anxiety
Sleeplessness
Restlessness
Inflammation/arthritis
Say what!!
I had no idea that my two cups of coffee to get me through my corporate life were the real reasons behind my nights of insomnia and my mid afternoon crash.
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms then it might be time to quit coffee!
I had all of these symptoms and couldn’t believe it was due to my coffee addiction that I started back before college. If I knew what I knew now, should I have even gone to college? ha! Just kidding, but yes coffee had a serious impact on my health journey.
How Giving Up Coffee Can Change Your Life
There are many benefits of giving up coffee. Here are some of my favorites.
More Money
If you frequent any coffee shop, you know that your daily coffee can rack up a hefty percentage of your monthly spending.
That’s why quitting can save a lot of money depending on where you consume your cup of joe. Whether you are brewing your coffee at home, buying energy drinks or getting a venti cafe latte at starbucks, you’re spending anywhere from $237 a year to $1,405 a year.
Improved Sleep & More Energy
As much as caffeine gives you the jolt you need to get through your day, it’s always taking away from the quality of zz’s you get and the amount of sleep you have.
And the more you drink the worse it can get, especially if you tend to be more sensitive to caffeine like me.
After giving up coffee, my insomnia went away and I began getting the most restful sleep of my life. I would wake up fully rested and energized!
Improved Mood & Reduced Anxiety
Ever tell yourself that you can’t be nice until you’ve had a caffeine hit? Well, there’s a reason for that: caffeine impacts your nervous system.
That first sip releases dopamine and serotonin which wakes you up. But shortly after the coffee courses through your blood it can often leave you anxious, irritable, and agitated. Long time coffee drinkers can also suffer from anxiety disorder.
I used to be very jittery when I was drinking coffee daily, and I would often get annoyed with my partner for the tiniest things, but now I wake up joyful and boy does he notice!
Decrease hormones
After learning about the Karen Hurd Bean Protocol, I learned that the hormones released by caffeine stay in the body and recirculate over 20x a day. No wonder I couldn’t sleep at night!
Quitting coffee also improved my period symptoms. Because I didn’t have that influx of daily hormone release impacting my cycle. Decrease in hormones, means less adult acne and better menstrual cycles.
Potentially Lose Weight
There are a few things that can contribute to weight loss: decrease hormones, reduced anxiety, and reduced sugar (if you have sugary caffeine drinks). This means your body is less likely to be in fight or flight and you are potentially taking in less calories which aids in weight loss.
It’s always important to recognize that there are also other factors that may impact weight such as emotional state, mental wellbeing, and daily exercise.
Reduced Inflammation
I started suffering from arthritis in my late 20s. I thought it was because I spent a lot of time on the computer. However, six weeks after being caffeine and other stimulants free, my arthritis completely went away.
I found out later, that in some people, caffeine can become inflammatory depending on how much and how often it’s consumed. Since I was drinking a few cups of coffee a day, this is why I assume I started feeling arthritic pain in my late 20s.
I’m happy to report that I’ve been arthritis free since February 2020!
What happens when you stop drinking coffee
Caffeine is addicting, and like any drug, kicking the addiction comes with some serious side effects. I felt exhausted, had migraines daily for about a week, and had a lot of inflammation in my body.
These symptoms can last from any length of time from a week to a few weeks depending on how long you’ve been drinking caffeine.
Here are my tips to kick the caffeine addiction
Drink lots of water
Reduce slowly
Substitute with delicious alternatives like Bueno Coffee Substitute (affiliate), Pupo Orzo Wheat Barley (affiliate), or a cup of hot water.
Is quitting coffee worth it?
Yes, I totally think that quitting coffee is worth it especially if you overproduce hormones like me!
I did try to drink coffee again daily for a few months and I noticed all of my symptoms came back including my arthritis! So, yup, quitting coffee changed my life!
Now, I only drink coffee on the weekend and avoid it entirely the week before my period. I still maintain all the benefits of quitting coffee, but I also learned how much caffeine my body could actually handle.
Will you quit coffee to improve your health? Let me know below!
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