I miss coffee.
There, I said it. And, I am not ashamed.
I miss trying coffees from different countries. I miss going to fun and interesting coffee shops to try these exotic coffees. I miss the taste.
Back in April I wrote a post about healthy changes that I was making and my task of reducing coffee consumption. I used to drink only one coffee per day, small to medium sized, but the Naturopath I was seeing at the time thought I should switch to none at all. In fact, she compromised with me and let me still have decaf coffee and green tea. Green tea has many health benefits, so I don’t think it’s right to give it up entirely.
This may sound funny to you, but it’s not the morning jolt that I am missing. I believe that since my switch to decaf was so gradual, that at this point I have cleared up those caffeinated coffee cravings. This process was all small steps for me: smaller portion sizes of coffee –> half-caf –> half-caf every other day –> half-caf as a treat –> decaf –> a cup of decaf every once in awhile (with green tea maybe 3 times a week). Now, I go days without even having a decaf coffee or a green tea and I have not experienced headaches or any other noticeable symptoms that come with cutting out coffee. Well, I guess that is something to be happy about, right?
But, I miss the delightful aromas… the great tastes of a fresh french press.
Of course, I realize there are health benefits to avoiding coffee – the main one for me was to give my adrenal glands a rest. I was definitely suffering from adrenal fatigue and needed to make changes to give them a break and essentially reset a little. So, cutting out the coffee was one way, assisted by supplements and certain diet changes. To read more about some easy changes you can make to help your adrenals rest, check out this article on Yoga Girl Revolution titled 4 Nutrition Tips to Beat Adrenal Fatigue. I love how simple she explains the role that the adrenals play in the body and how you can help them.
As we know when it comes to the discussion about coffee, there are two sides – the good and the bad. Although cutting out coffee is good for your adrenals and giving your body a break, there are also benefits to consuming coffee in moderation. Some of the research out there speaks to depression reducing and cancer preventing properties – you can also check out more benefits in this Huffington Post article here.
At this moment, I am totally focused on healing and getting things back in order when it comes to my health so I will still be off caffeinated coffee for awhile. I personally haven’t noticed that I feel much better without it, but that could be because I only had one a day. It may not become a daily practice again, but I will certainly have a delicious, exotic cup as a treat every once in awhile. Moderation is key when it comes to so many things, so I believe I can still have this treat every once in awhile. (Of course, I realize there are health conditions out there that require cutting out coffee altogether and I respect that – always talk to your doctor.) ॐ
Delicious almond milk latte from Balzac’s in Toronto
Have you given up coffee before or are thinking about it now? How was your experience and do you have tips for others?
July 30, 2012 at 1:03 pm
I’ve gone over 3 weeks now without having a coffee and other than the slight craving here and there I’ve noticed a huge difference in my life. I haven’t been relying on it in the mornings, I don’t spend unnecessary money on a coffee everyday and I feel better overall. Good on you for cutting it out of your life and great article!
July 30, 2012 at 2:13 pm
Oh yes! I forgot about the money saving benefits! Although, now I probably spend it on loose leaf rooibos teas haha
July 31, 2012 at 5:43 am
I know how it is getting off of coffee. If anything it’s the ritual of making it and the glorious taste! Rooibos seems like a good substitute. There are so many teas and other beverages which can satisfy and uplift you and they don’t need to be coffee. Take white tea for example, it’s hydrating and anti-oxidant. You might like to give it a go. I usually start my day with spicy Chai before I do any Yoga or meditation. My teacher told me that the spices are good for your chakras!
You might like to check this website where I get my tea leaves.
http://www.samovarteahouse.co.uk
August 2, 2012 at 2:33 am
it probably doesn’t sound as sexy as what you’re used to, but i’ve discovered an amazingly good organic decaf INSTANT coffee. i’m serious. give Mount Hagen a whirl. my boyfriend (major coffee addict) can’t tell the difference.
August 2, 2012 at 11:10 am
I am willing to try it, just need to check if it’s available in Canada! Thanks!
August 9, 2012 at 8:18 pm
Congrats on your progress. As the ancients teach us, following our yoga requires disciplined action, and you are definitely engaging yours. So here here, and right on sister!!!!
August 10, 2012 at 11:52 am
Thank you! It has taken a lot of hard work, but I feel it’s worth it for improved health.
August 15, 2012 at 3:34 am
grats on not being dependent on coffee. I was down to one cup a day and thought that was pretty mild, but still had headaches if I didn’t have even that one cup for a few days. So if I had one cup a day at work just to get me through the early afternoon, I would still have a blinding headache on the weekend.
So I gave it up. For about 5 months. Didn’t miss it. Thennnnnn, I went back to it. It was a new job, lots of reading to do, just too much boringness. But I am off coffee again currently. Mostly that is because I take pre workout powders, and the two together would be too much stim. But I cycle off the stimulants for 2 weeks, every 4 weeks or so, I don’t want to build up a tolerance, and like you said, I don’t want to exhaust myself too much. When I do cycle off them, I feel like I could sleep for about 20 hours, but then by the second day or so I feel normal again.
Great post, thanks!
August 15, 2012 at 11:31 am
It’s definitely a lot of work to cut out the coffee, and I won’t be doing it forever. But then I think about how tough it will be to cut it out again! Oh well, a little detox every now and then to give our adrenals a break is a good thing. Good luck to you!