Consider this: if you are drinking 2-3 cups a day, you have an addiction. Don't worry too much. You're not alone. Americans drink 400 million cups per day. That's a lot of coffee.
Consider this: What would your life look like without your caffeine fix? Not so pretty, huh? I hear ya. During grad school, I too consumed way too much caffeine to stay energized. When you're tired, it works. Kind of. For awhile. Well, not really. It will often leave you more tired, and needing more. Thus, the addiction.
Coffee is an adrenaline delivery system that jolts the body's central nervous system. Do you struggle with worry, stress or anxiety? Anxiety and anxiety disorders directly affect the central nervous system. Therefore, coffee probably isn't the best choice for you. Just sayin....
Coffee can make you jittery and prone to anxiety and panic. Most of all, it inhibits the absorption of essential minerals like iron, magnesium and zinc, as well as B vitamins. If you're drinking several cups to get through your day, think about where can you seek more balance in your life. Where do you need more balance? How can you get a little more sleep, exercise, nutritious food, a babysitter to give you some free time?
Thinking of cutting back or quitting coffee?
1. Proceed slowly and gently. Your body needs time to get used to the change. If you stop caffeine cold turkey, you will get a major headache, and of course will be tired and irritable. You need to replace the coffee drinking with other nutrition, and probably more sleep. Try mixing half of your coffee with decaf. Or replace one of your cups with tea.
2. Don't make it so tasty. Coffee can be delicious and can have tons of sugar and calories. Don't put as much creamer and cut out the sugar. Or, use a small amount of a sugar substitute like honey or organic agave nectar. If you use creamer, use organic half and half. If you look at the ingredients for flavored creamers, they are filled with words you can't pronounce and sugar. These chemicals and added processed sugars don't belong in your body.
Sorry to call out a product here, but just for fun, take Coffee Mate's Vanilla Caramel creamer. It has (to name only a few) dipotassium phosphate, mono and diglycerides, and *GASP* Partially Hydrogenated Oil. How do you think your body feels after ingesting those nasty things? They are not energy promoting or healing. They are unnatural.
3. Drink tea. There are some really delicious choices out there. Add a teaspoon of raw honey for a little sweetness, enzymes, minerals and vitamins.
- Black tea: Made from the dried leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. It has about 50 mg. of caffeine per 8 ounce up.
- Green tea: Loaded with powerful antioxidants. Has been shown to reduce the risk of certain types of cancer and lower LDL cholesterol.
- White tea: One of my favorites. It has a light, sweet taste and a small amount of caffeine - about 15 mg. per serving. I love ginger peach white tea. The Republic of Tea makes tasty tea.
- Other herbal teas: Made from various herbs. Check the ingredients to make sure that you can take all of the herbs, especially if you are taking medications. For example, St. John's Wort can interact with certain medications (including birth control and psychotropic drugs). That being said, there are some really good tasting and relaxing herbal teas to try.
Sleepytime tea is really good and inexpensive herbal tea. Try drinking it close to bedtime.
One last word about coffee....
If you really love your coffee, try to enjoy, mindfully, one cup a day. Think about and enjoy each sip rather than slurping it down quickly. As you continue your health journey and start adding in more healthful foods and more water, I'm willing to bet that your desire and excitement for it decreases. It did for me and for my hubby.
Sources:
Rosenthal Integrative Nutrition
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