We all love coffee. It gets us through the day.
My relationship with coffee began when I started working full-time 12 years ago. I couldn’t start my day without it. I would get a terrible headache if I didn’t drink it, which usually went away after I had a cup.
It’s scary how you can easily become addicted to something!
Coffee isn’t the worst thing to become addicted to, but it’s a scary thought to realize you’re addicted to something at all.
Coffee is high in antioxidants and has been linked in reducing the risk of several diseases. Espresso offers many health benefits that drip coffee can’t offer. So why would anyone quit drinking it?
Why we gave it up
I have digestive issues, and anxiety, and I don’t handle stress well. Coffee just wasn’t helping me out. Those constant jitters were aggravating my anxiety and I felt tense 24/7 even though I only had one cup in the morning.
Coffee is a stimulant, but it’s also a diuretic. That mixed with my digestive issues was not a good combo…
Also Read: Living with Gallbladder Disease
My husband has severe adrenal fatigue and is allergic to sugar.
Because his adrenals don’t function properly he felt that his body was relying too much on caffeine and not enough on functioning naturally.
It was also leaving him feeling sick. It was time for a change.
We are trying to be more conscious of what our bodies are trying to tell us, and our bodies were telling us that coffee isn’t working.
So we decided to give it up. Today marks a week for me. My husband gave it up a few days before I did.
I never imagined that I could feel so refreshed!
One week free
A week has gone by and I feel great! (as of 2/27/19 🙂 ) Honestly wish I would have listened to my body sooner and given coffee up a long time ago.
The first day without coffee was rough. I had a headache, I was falling asleep at my desk and I was irritable… Not a pretty day…
The second day was better. I felt free. I didn’t have that constant bloated feeling and my gallbladder didn’t ache. The best part was no jitters!
The next 3 days were awesome. I felt good and even though I was tired, I didn’t feel like I was falling asleep at my desk. I was able to deal with the stresses and drama at work without it getting me down or causing paralyzing anxiety like it usually does.
My husband says he feels better than he has in a long time!
His head feels clear and he’s more focused. He feels less anxious and stressful situations don’t bother him as much as they used to.
What we’re drinking instead
When we stopped drinking coffee, we replaced it with MUD\WTR.
MUD\WTR is a blend of delicious super-foods (I.E spices and mushrooms) No not psychedelic mushrooms. Healthy mushrooms like Chaga, Reishi, and Lion’s mane.
It’s so delicious, and makes us feel great! Read my review of it in my post The best coffee substitute.
We also love tea. I drink a cup or two of green tea every day. It’s so refreshing! Tea doesn’t have as much caffeine as coffee so it doesn’t leave me feeling those awful jitters.
My husband prefers Turmeric and ginger teas.
Dandelion tea is also a great alternative to coffee.
To give us a boost in the afternoon we eat a square of 92% cacao dark chocolate.
I was never a dark chocolate girl but my taste has changed and dark chocolate is delicious. I love it as well because my husband is able to enjoy it as it’s very low in sugar!
Lesson learned
Over the weekend my husband and I went out on a date for a delicious dinner and to see the symphony. – The symphony was late in the evening and the soothing music was making me feel like I would have trouble staying awake for the drive home. Poor planning left me without my dark chocolate and thermos with green tea… So at intermission, I purchased a coffee. I figured since the cups were small and it was drip coffee I would be okay. Boy was I wrong.
During the last half of the program I was feeling bloated and uncomfortable, and my gallbladder started hurting. It was rough, but it was confirmation that coffee doesn’t play well with my body.
Do I miss coffee?
I really enjoy the taste of coffee, especially espresso. It was hard to say goodbye.
I hope to one day be able to enjoy a coffee as a treat every once in a while, but for now, I need to stay away from it to let my body heal.
Honestly, I don’t miss it. I’ve replaced it with something that has a better taste and doesn’t give me those icky symptoms.
Sometimes the symptoms we are experiencing can be relieved by eliminating something from our diet. It’s so important to really get to know your body and start listening to it. – I’m glad I did.
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What’s your relationship with coffee like? Would you ever consider saying goodbye? I’d love to hear your answer in the comments!
Wow nice post. I, too, need to give up coffee due to some mental problems. But it’s just so hard. Your article is so helpful. Thank you!
Inspiring to read, especially about alternatives. I give up coffee now and then but nothing replaces the taste. I have found some good tasting decafs though. The latest replacement was CALAMUS root tea, bitter tasting with sweet after taste.
This is inspiring. I drink too many soft drinks. They are not really healthy for me. I know I would feel better if I quit drinking them. Thanks for the inspiration.
I quit coffee about a year ago for about 5 months then came back to it. I have been thinking of trying it again as now I have about 3 cups a day and my anxiety is through the roof. Thank you for the tips. Definitely want to try Mudwater now!
Giving coffee up is so hard for me! But I am so happy for the positive results you’ve gained from it.
Camille, restdayadventures.com
This is something I really need to do! I drink way too much and it’s playing havoc with my anxiety. Thanks for the motivation