Life After Coffee

Last February I made a huge decision to finally give up coffee and all caffeine. Many questioned my sanity...why on earth was I torturing myself like this? Lol. Was I trying to become a purist? What's next, wheat grass shots? It was hard to explain to most people, as their morning (and sometimes all day) routine is accompanied by a cup of joe. To some the side effects seem to be minor compared to the incredible jolt of energy, but these really are something to consider. Here is how coffee/caffeine negatively effects you:

- coffee can cause rapid and irregular heartbeats

- causes sleep disturbances and an inability to fall asleep

- can elevate blood pressure

- increases risk of osteoporosis

- caffeine is a drug which leads to dependency and withdrawal symptoms can be harsh

- appetite suppressant, creating poor eating habits and a compromised metabolism

- increases anxiety

- caffeine is a psychoactive drug which acts on the central nervous system resulting in mood and behavioral changes

- can cause IBS as well as heartburn, poor digestion and gut health

- dehydration

- adrenal fatigue

- acid forming

Those were some of the concerns I had and really wanted to have a clean and naturally energized body. I felt like I fueling my body with the best food, yet slipping it a drug every morning to get started. So I finally quit! I am 7 months clean and I must say it feels great! Some of the changes that I have noticed have been interesting for sure, lol!

Let's start with my appetite. For the first 5 months I felt an insane hunger that wouldn't go away! Like I had been starved for years. So I ate, and ate, and ate. As you can imagine, over eating, even on a clean diet, will lead to a few unwanted pounds...in my case 6-8lbs! I knew this would happen. Many compare it to quitting smoking, weight gain is just part of the deal. The good thing is that my metabolism now is learning to work without a stimulant, instead of a jolt of caffeine first thing in the morning, I now enjoy a large jar of water! Wakes me right up naturally. My appetite is finally beginning to calm down and I am no longer eating like an animal, lol!

I no longer have that 3pm crash! There were days when I could barely get home without making a pit stop at Starbucks just to keep me awake while I drove. I feel properly fueled by fruit, all day, without any ups and downs! I can honestly tell you I can feel my food fueling my body where before I was completely unaware of it.

My concentration has improved as well as my mood. I have the ability to focus and have the energy to stay on task naturally. I feel consistently happy and just great. My workouts are better than ever, great energy all day long. Many athletes highly depend on caffeine to get them through workouts or races, I just fuel up with fruit and go! Since quitting coffee I have had some of my best runs, hikes, and spin classes!

My anxiety has improved. I have had anxiety issues on and off since 2001. I refused medication and have managed it on my own. Coffee definitely made it worse, so removing it has really relaxed me. My stress level in general has decreased. Even in some of the most high stress situations I am as calm as a cucumber. I feel like I can handle situations without my blood pressure flying through the roof!

So far so good. I am thrilled with my decision and now wish I would have quit sooner. Unfortunately like all drugs, it is not easy to admit there is more harm than good. Even as I decreased from 3 cups to one cup, I was still consuming it, and wouldn't experience optimal health until I quit 100%! Now I am excited to see how a year or even years without caffeine will feel!!

Coffee Cup Of Emotions

Coffee has been my go to drink since I was about 20, it has watched me grow up and it has grown with me. I started my coffee drinking, like, most young people, which involved loads of sugar and cream, it was really more like a sweet treat! As I got older I ditched the sugar, and was using just a drop of cream. It was a more 'mature' cup, and eventually I was drinking it black or with a drop of almond milk. Every now and then a latte was a treat!

Though my wonderful cup of coffee had been there for me through the years, from helping me wake up in the morning to getting me through the 3 o'clock lull in my day. It was there for me when I was broke and needed cheap energy! I spent many lunches at the coffee truck with only three dollars for coffee and a dry bagel! But I have grown and changed, and no longer require the security of my coffee cup. It was time to move on.

As my diet developed in to a more raw and natural lifestyle, my taste took a drastic hit. One of the first things I noticed, my taste for coffee was no longer the same. I tried to get through each cup, as I was so accustom to each morning, and found myself leaving half the cup behind, though I was not ready to give up. Coffee had been such a huge part of my life, it represented many long talks with girlfriends, quite mornings with my husband, and my faithful drink on my way to work. So I continued to drink it.

A year and a half into my new lifestyle I was finally ready to quit. I soon realized my attachment to coffee was purely an emotional one. I had lost the taste for it long ago, but I just wasn't mentally prepared to let go. How would this change my morning routine? What about coffee dates with friends? What if I needed it? All these questions would pop into my head each time I was contemplating the idea of quitting. This time I finally had all the answers ready.

Coffee dates can still happen, there are always teas,  smoothies, or juices I can have while I socialize with friends. My morning routine can be a glass of lemon water or orange juice, and my drive to work can include a yummy herbal tea! I no longer felt attached to coffee, I no longer needed to drink something I just didn't enjoy anymore. So I quit. Just like that.

I was lucky not to experience ANY withdrawal symptoms like many people do. It was actually easy. I just quit...just like that. Looking back, I see how our emotions are tied to what we eat. It makes me understand the struggles some people have with changing their diet, but I am proof that it can be done. As we clean up our diets, eat natural food, eat food from the earth, our taste will begin to slowly reject food which it has no need for, then it is up to us to let go of those emotions.