I don’t like coffee. Or, rather—I don’t like it anymore. Recently, I started to take a look at my life and see if things truly added to it (let’s just say it was the Marie Kondo method but for lifestyle) and coffee became a point of contention within my mind. Yes, I liked the morning ritual of waking up and enjoying it. But when I really thought about it? No, I didn’t like the taste. Or really, how it made me feel, both when I had drank too much or too little. After realizing there were more cons than pros, I knew it was time to eliminate coffee from my life.
Does coffee have health benefits?
While for me, drinking coffee felt like a bad habit—there are proven health benefits when enjoying it in moderation. Studies have shown it can help slow the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, improve circulation, and a better gut microbiome.
Of course, we’re going back to the most important part here: within moderation. Drinking too much coffee can irritate the stomach and cause acidity or gastroesophageal reflux.
What happens when you’re detoxing from coffee?
If, like me, you were once excessively consuming coffee, prepare to feel some side effects if you stop drinking it cold turkey. It’s been reported that symptoms of caffeine withdrawal (the major issue when you stop drinking coffee) can include feeling unusually tired, anxiety, and irritability. Check, check, and check—during the first few days of my detox experience I felt it all.
But after the first few—rough—days of no longer drinking coffee, I started to notice the benefits.
Do you sleep better if you’re no longer drinking coffee?
You might not even realize that your coffee consumption is negatively affecting your sleep—I didn’t… that was until I gave it up. But after a week of detoxing from coffee, I started to realize my nightly eight hours were much calmer and deeper. I was able to fall asleep more immediately (no latency or lingering in bed wondering how many sheep I would have to count before drifting off) and stay asleep, too.
How to quit drinking coffee
As with any major change, it is essential to take small steps toward your end goal—don’t make any hasty decisions. Caffeine can be addictive, so in an attempt to avoid physical and emotional shocks, should be reduced gradually.
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