How To: Quit Drinking Coffee
I enjoy the taste of straight espresso, and have been through seasons of drinking a couple of double espressos each day.
However, I have learned that under times of stress - it is time to cut the caffeine out, and give my body's adrenal system a rest.
There is much argument as to whether there is such a thing as a caffeine addiction. However - caffeine dependency is very real, and it can be very difficult to wean yourself out of the habit.
Here are some tips that I have found extremely helpful when it is time to stop drinking coffee.
1. Substituting with Green Tea
Start substituting one of your daily coffees with a cup of green tea. Continue substituting little by little. For example, if you drink 4 coffees a day, begin by drinking 3 coffees and one green tea, a day later (or a few days - depending on how tough going it is) move that down to two coffees and two green teas.
Green tea still contains caffeine but in far less amounts - and is also an all-round healthy drink.
2. Addressing the Social Experience
Part of coffee drinking is the experience of sitting at a cafe in good company and savoring the drink. Somehow paying $4 for someone to bring out a cup of hot water with a tea bag dangling out of it - just doesn't measure up.
Find cafés that offer tea infusions or herb tea in plungers.
I'm talking about the ones that bring out little pots of real herb tea (not tea bags). The experience is completely different to staring at a cup with a tea bag in it. Most herb teas are caffeine-free.
3. Use Other Milky Drinks
For many people, coffee means a big milky latte. There's something about clutching that hot milky drink that is therapy in the morning. Try substituting with Hot Chocolate (may contain small amounts of caffeine) or a Chai Latte (be warned - many chai latte's are made with a syrup and are caffeine-free. Those that are made with real tea however - can be high in caffeine - ask first).
Be wary that both of these drinks will be sugary. Try to limit to an occasional drink.
4. Take Care With Carbs
Do you struggle with afternoon fatigue? That awful period after lunch where you cannot concentrate or struggle to stay awake and alert? It would be wonderful if we could all hunker down under the desk and take a nap - but most bosses would not be impressed.
Here's a clue: Do not eat a carbohydrate heavy lunch. Make sure your lunch has a strong protein component in it. Something like a tin of tuna, some fruit, plus some nuts. I used to think I was doing my body a favor by eating a huge low-fat sweet bun (along with a large bread roll). An hour later I was struggling to stay awake.
5. The Power Nap
As stated above - napping at work is not going to make your boss happy - but if you are in an environment where it is possible - try it. Researchers have shown that a power nap is more helpful than a cup of coffee. The optimal power nap is a 20 minute siesta taken at about 2.30pm.
Tried and Tested
These tips are not fluff intended to fill up a web page - but real techniques that I have used on three occasions of high stress.I was able to completely stop drinking caffeine for a month or so while I sorted out my sleep patterns and addressed the stressful situation. Once I was completely healthy again I would begin enjoying a single daily espresso. That may seem counter-productive - but under normal circumstances I have no problem with moderate caffeine intake and enjoy the bitter taste of coffee.
Note: These tips could also help those who feel they have an allergy to caffeine.
but... but...
Maintaing my chemical dependency is delicious and immediately gratifying!
ReplyIsn't there caffeine in chai lattes? Or is that only if they make it with real tea instead of that boxed, sugary crap? :)
ReplyCheck out my comment below to see some numbers — it's not even close to being caffeine-free.
ReplyAs Sascha has kindly identified - certain chai's are high in caffeine. However I notice that MANY cafe's use a syrup - such as Monin.
ReplyMy dad was super caffeine-dependant for many years. He was drinking ~3 full pots of regular coffee per day. His doctor told him that he needed to cut back, so my mom started buying decaf without telling my dad. He started nodding off in the middle of the day and he really couldn't stay awake. He started buying regular coffee again and decided to mix it with the decaf until he could function on about 2-3 cups' worth of caffeine per day. I switched to decaf a while ago when I realized that I was drinking coffee only for the taste of it and not for the caffeine. So I switched to decaf because I figured I really didn't need it, but now if I have to "wake up", I'll drink a cup of regular joe.
ReplyChai lattes aren't anywhere near caffeine free, as you say in your post, since they're generally made with black tea. Here are some numbers for Starbucks drinks — a 16 oz. chai latte has more caffeine in it than a shot of espresso.
Hot chocolate is a little better if you're trying to limit caffeine intake, but still can have as much caffeine as green tea. It certainly isn't caffeine-free, and while it doesn't really have enough caffeine to create dependency issues, it can still keep you up at night if you're sensitive to caffeine.
ReplyThe way I see it - some of these drinks are "stepping stones" to becoming caffeine free. There are very few individuals that can do it cold turkey.
Thanks for that. I'm shocked at how much caffeine is in a Starbucks Chai Latte (100mg) and I will amend my post accordingly!
ReplyI quit drinking coffee once and endured three days of headaches before I got over it. I'm back to 2 -3 cups a day and I ain't quitting again!!
ReplyYou just can't quit, you junkie.
ReplyDave - that's why going "cold turkey" usually doesn't work - you need to gradually reduce your intake.
ReplyYou drug addicts!
ReplyLol, drug addicts.
ReplyI KNOW I LOVE DRUGS=)
ReplyWhen I was home when my kids were babies, I used to drink coffee all morning. It killed my appetite, made me shaky and sent me running to pee every half an hour. I just got sick of it and quit one day. I had a headache for a few days but it passes. I still like the taste of coffee (love the smell even more) but i'm more than content to have an occasional decaf topped up with a couple of ounces of the real stuff. Just one. It's no longer a dependency, just a drink I enjoy. Every once and a while someone brings me one of those horrid starbucks coffees as a "treat", and I forget that I shouldn't drink it and get all jittery and crazed for an hour or two.
Now that I don't drink coffee, I eat breakfast.
A good coffee replacement - Uncle Lee's chai, orange and ginger flavor, made with organic rooibos and spices - naturally caffeine free. Totally yummy, and in my books ginger is a cure for nearly everything.
ReplyWhy not take a hot chocolate drink minus the sugar if you can. I add some soya powder to the drink and it is nutritiously good too.
ReplyOne of my early coffee substitutions was decaf coffee mixed with a scoop of mocha flavored protein drink powder. Because I had a hard time eating breakfast I decided I could at least drink it! After a while, I started eating oatmeal and drinking decaf, now I can take or leave the decaf, but still have the oatmeal.
ReplyCaffeine Nation
Ah yes, caffeine caffeine caffeine...whatever are we to do?
The first notable thing about caffeine is that it affects each person differently. Some people can drink cups and cups a day, and feel nothing. Other people can have only one a day and get jittery, develop heart palpitations, and lose sleep at night.
One of the greatest dangers caused by caffiene is the slow, insidious manifestation of catabolic breakdown in the body. Catabolic breakdown is the systemic breakdown of your body as it produces more stress hormones than anabolic hormones. In catabolic breakdown your body is unable to defend itself against free radicals and begins to oxidize. In other words, you physiologically age more quickly.
This is created in two ways: First, is the simple release of cortisol into your system. It is a stress hormone designed to help you focus in a fight or flight scenario. However, we like to release cortisol into our system to help us focus on all manner of things. Cortisol is secreted into the system from the adrenal glands located on the tips of the kidneys. The problem is that the adrenal gland can only either produce catabolic or anabolic hormones at one time. If you are pumping coffee or another source of caffeine into your system then you are telling your adrenal glands to secrete cortisol into your system. This stress hormone floods into your system, and overtime begins to create catabolic breakdown.
The second way that catabolic breakdown occurs as a result of caffeine is from lack of sleep. Research indicates that a severe lack of good, quality sleep over a period of years can even result in glucose intolerance. This means you cannot process sugar, which is bad. This means that you are prone to water retention and fat storage. This also means the onset of aches and pains in the body, poor digestion, and increased circles under the eyes. Another huge detriment from lack of sleep is a decrease in the release of one of your primary anabolic hormones, HGH or Human Growth Hormone. This is one of your greatest anti-aging hormones in the body. But you greatly decrease your chances of releasing this natural fountain of youth into your body when you do not get adequate sleep.
My suggestion?
ReplyDecrease your caffeine, follow the suggestions on this website. Pick one or two days of the week where you will not need caffeine to survive and go without. This will at least begin to decrease your caffeine dependency. Also, drink more water. Caffeine dehydrates you.
Interesting post Christopher... I'm curious as I often hear about the adrenal stress associated with caffeine. Do you have any studies that support this? What dosages impair the glands in these studies? It sounds like a perfectly plausible theory, but my pubmed searches have come up empty (which doesn't mean a whole lot).
I think you bring up a very important point that caffeine affects everybody differently.
I think in your second paragraph, you may be stretching things a bit. The effects you've mentioned are due to lack of sleep. Caffeine can cause sleep disturbances but this is not always the case. It would then, however be a leap of faith to say caffeine is a causitive factor. If you spread out the consumption and have a good cutoff time, caffeine should not affect sleep. Again, this comes down to individual differences.
Research I've seen has shown that caffeine has little if no effect on hydration.
Know yourself and moderate accordingly. I know for me, 1.5 is my cutoff. 2 is too much but some days I need a little bit extra.
ReplyCaffeine's a drug, just like any other drug. Your liver has enzymes that break down drugs and some people have more of those enzymes than others. "Fast" metabolizers have more enzymes and tend to have higher drug tolerances (including caffeine) and "slow" metabolizers have fewer of them and drugs tend to affect them more strongly. I know for sure I'm a "fast" metabolizer, but my husband is a "slow" metabolizer...one can of Mountain Dew makes him bounce off the walls for the whole day.
ReplyGreat tips. I'm not a big caffeine drinker (usually 2-3 cups of tea a day) but I do deliberately try not to get hooked! When I was a student I very rarely drank tea or coffee, but I had afternoon "power-naps" then ;-)
A few months ago I came across this article http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/how-to-give-up-coffee/ which doesn't have so many suggestions as Jim's, but goes into a bit more detail about how to cut down gradually on caffeine.
Ali
ReplyGreat tips. I'm not a big caffeine drinker (usually 2-3 cups of tea a day) but I do deliberately try not to get hooked! When I was a student I very rarely drank tea or coffee, but I had afternoon "power-naps" then ;-)
A few months ago I came across this article: www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/how-to-give-up-coffee/ which doesn't have so many suggestions as Jim's, but goes into a bit more detail about how to cut down gradually on caffeine.
Ali
Replyi switched to 1/2 caf or lite ground coffee. most major brands of ground coffee have some version that contains less and taste the same as regular coffee. when i go out i get my coffee half decaf too. makes a big difference in my caffeine intake without having the nods halfway thru the day.
ReplyThere have been many studies examining coffee comsumption and medical conditions, and whether the effects of coffee are positive or negative is still disputed.
For those people trying to avoid caffeine, the best way to do so is read labels, know ‘other’ names for caffeine (like guaranine and mateine), and carefully choose desserts.(chocolates, ice cream, frozen yogurts, etc)
Also, OTC medications-Anacin, Excedrin, diet products.
ReplyModeration seems to be the answer, the principle of life.
For those who choose to go cold turkey, extreme hydration works wonders to curbs those withdrawal headaches. Sure, you'll be running to the loo every twenty minutes, but that's way better than suffering for three days until you get over the dependency.
ReplyDon't listen to the studies - drink 3 pots a day.
ReplyMaybe some people like coffee for it's taste. I love it black and make my own. I don't need Starbucks.
Check some studies on certain brands of decaffeinated coffee. Rumor has it that Starbucks decaffeinated has 60% caffein.
ReplyStarbucks decaf makes me more shaky than a lot of other coffees at full strength.
ReplyI have never been a hardcore coffee drinker, but I think this should also apply to people who drink alot of soda. My wife has one of these simular addictions, but to soda instead of coffee. I can get her to drink water and tea on occasion, but it is coke cola all the time. I did notice that I have been drinking alot of soda since we have been married, but I have been slowly weeding off and switching back to Tea, and water.
Green tea is real good, and I did notice for a time, that I had zero craving for soda after drinking green tea. It does have a different taste than black tea, but good. The hard part for me when drinking tea is what to sweetin it with. If I use sugar, I tend to use way too much, so I mostly use Sweet n Low, which I am pretty sure is worse to use than regular sugar. I have tried drinking it without and it is just no pleasant enough for me.
ReplyTry a natural sweetner called Stevia; also known as Sunrider or Sunnydew.
ReplyHoney is a good source of sweetner for tea!
ReplyI forget....is coffee this week good for you or bad for you in mainstream media?? Ahhhhh....I give up. Although it's funny what some people call "I only do 2 cups a day"...and those cups are 32oz tall boys. Yikes! As I believe most coffee caffeine stats are based on like an 8oz cup! So...every 32oz is really 4 cups at once!
Expresso shots to the rescue (or Americanos), more anti-oxidants and less caffeine.
ReplyI've been watching the research for years. I would say that more research leans on the positive aspects than the negative. It's all about your own tolerance and if it's helping or hindering.
As I said I normally enjoy regular coffee - however under great stress I know it's not doing my any favors - particularly if anxiety is an issue.
ReplyHypertension is a myth, drink more coffee.
ReplyI can't stand coffee. Or tea. Taste thing. I gag if I have the smallest bit. I can't even have coffee flavored things-- tiramisu, kahlua, etc. Yuck.
Actually, although I make no attempts to avoid caffeine in my day to day life, I end up not consuming much at all.. and I have realized if I suddenly have a good amount (like in some of those Energy gels I have bought for long rides/runs) I'll get a horrible headache and crash instead of being picked up... so I will just as soon reach for something with less caffeine just because that's apparently what my body wants.
ReplyI really can't stand coffee either, but strangely enough I have a predilection for coffee-flavoured things. Not sure why.
Caffeine is a take it or leave it deal for me these days. I'm a major diet soda drinker, but if the flavour I feel like having that week or so is caffeine-free as well (like cherry 7-up or straight Sprite), it's no biggie, sometimes I'll even go for the caffeine-free cola's. This week though I wanted cherry Coke, and they didn't have it in caffeine-free.
ReplyDrink soda, eat McDonald's, eat lots of french fries. It's good for you!
ReplyStill fighting that bug, huh Fanatic?
ReplyIt has gotten to the point where it is very annoying. I wouldn't mind if the comments were deleted.
Not that they weren't annoying before, but in this post for example, they are annoying and *there are many of them*. It is very trollish behavior.
ReplyAny real coffee drinker/connoisseur knows that expresso has less caffeine than a cup of regular joe. The more a coffee is roasted, the more caffeine is extracted.
ReplyJust a comment from a paisan!
I always heard that espresso had less caffeine because the steam is pushed through it a lot faster than a drip maker does, so less caffeine comes out of the beans. Probably that, along with the different roast of the beans, contributes to it's lower caffeine content.
ReplyExpresso tastes pretty high-test, but it is lower in caffeine for sure. Moving from coffee to some sort of skinny expresso based drink might be a good way to wean yourself off the regular stuff. I never have been into the foofy coffee drinks though, just liked my coffee straight and black.
ReplyThat, or you could always start mixing decaf coffee with regular for a while until you can drink only decaf. That's what worked for me. I started with 3/4 caff to 1/4 decaf, and then I switched to half and half, and then 3/4 decaf and 1/4 caff...then all decaf.
ReplyI started drinking decaf green tea after my cup of coffee and after my green tea pill and fat burner...
ReplyFor a laugh - I used to date a guy with a mom I just adored. This was about 30 years ago. She was a smoker and coffee drinker. So for her health, she switched to decaf and "extra light" cigarettes. I asked her how it was going and she said, "I sit here in the morning smoking my light cigarette and drinking my decaf coffee, and the whole time I'm wondering, where the hell is my coffee and my cigarette?"
ReplyLOL!! That's hilarious. That's the same response I have to fat free ice cream. I'll eat some of it and think "I could really have some decent ice cream right about now".
ReplyI wonder how people could get so addicted to coffee and
Replyhardly pass one day without coffee. I myself had coffee drinking habit and I could easily stop as I felt stomach discomfort after having that. I suffered more from stomach pain than the 'pain' of not drinking coffee.
I imagine quiting coffee would be fairly tough. While I am not a coffee drinker, I imagine having another caffeinated substitute like green tea might be a great way to slowly cut back on the caffeine until you switch to caffeine free green tea.
ReplyThe most difficult aspect I find is when I'm definitely too tired and actually need coffee just to do my work properly. Of course, the obvious solution here is to simply get enough rest!
Replyhoney, it is also an antioxidant.
Replystevia, as well it is a noncaloric herb.
With the amount of number 1 (caffeine consumption) it would be tough to complete number 4 (power nap).. I'm always jacked up and plugging away at work. Doesn't everybody? lol
Great article, I'm still trying to lose 10 lbs in 2 months.
ReplyI DRINK 4 POTS OF DECAF COFFEE EVERYDAY AND I GAIN 7 LBS FROM IT. THE NEXT MORNING IT IS GONE THOUGH. IS DECAF BETTER FOR YOU THAN THE CAFFINATED. THEY SAY TO DRINK 8 GLASSES OF WATER PER DAY. WHAT ABOUT ALL THE WATER I DRINK WITH MY DECAF. THANKS
ReplyDon't forget Exedrin. Mostly caffeine. Stop taking Exedrin and you get a Caffeine withdrawl headache. What to take for that headache... Exedrin. Your hooked.
ReplyI gave up coffee when I was experiencing some bad anxiety. It was hard, but my emotional health was at stake. Lo and behold, I lost 25 lbs. without even trying! Mostly because I didn't get as hungry between meals. After my mood stabilized, I started drinking coffee again. Now I notice that my food cravings in the afternoon and evening are almost impossible to ignore. So I snack. And I'm gaining some of the weight back. I'm going to go off coffee again--this time for good.
ReplyOkay, I've been drinking coffee for many years now -over twenty years and I'm ready to move on to healthier habits. Not to be confused with a New Years resolution but for the sake of feeling and looking better. I'm severely anemic, have reflux to boot, migraines and so many more ailments which I'm most certain are all part of my daily caffeine intake. I'm down from six cups over the years to two cups daily but feel like this is still a bit much. And I brew my own Starbucks at home which is a huge savings from going directly to Starbucks but still rather expensive @$8-10 per 12oz bag!!! I've tried cold turkey and find myself going to bed at 2 in the afternoon. So this is not a good idea. So, I'm going to try the coffee to herbal tea from Steve Pavlina's site. Wish me luck!
ReplyIn my late twenties I was drinking 6 or so cups a day, mainly with meals. I gave up cold for two months thinking maybe it wasn't good for me. I didn't feel any different, but I did miss the warm comfort of a coffee after eating and the social aspects. So I started again. Now I'm 55 feel great and sleep like a log. Generally stick to black tea in the afternoon and don't have more than two cups of coffee after dinner.
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