If coffee is your morning routine staple, you may have gasped at the headline of this blog post and thought “Who in their right mind would want to quit coffee?”
The truth is, quitting coffee can seem like an impossible task, especially because so many of us rely on it as a stimulant to get our days going. Not only does coffee provide us with an immediate jolt of energy in the morning, but it's bitter and earthy taste can be a major source of comfort in our morning rituals.
While there are various positively acclaimed health benefits tied to drinking coffee daily, regular coffee consumption could actually be doing more harm than good when it comes to your energy levels. This is because coffee spikes your blood sugar levels and provides a quick burst of energy that only lasts a few hours. The energy coffee provides is considered false energy because it doesn’t sustain you; instead, it crashes your blood sugar levels shortly after, leaving you with low energy and cravings for another cup. If you find that you’re indeed feeling sluggish, foggy and tired by the mid-afternoon and you need another coffee to bring you out of the slump, reducing the amount of coffee you’re drinking could be the answer you’ve been looking for to get rid of these symptoms.
Here’s how to avoid withdrawal symptoms while quitting coffee.
How to Avoid Withdrawal Symptoms While Quitting Coffee
One of the reasons it can be so hard to give up coffee- especially if it’s been your steady morning confidant- are the withdrawal symptoms. Symptoms such as headaches, feeling tired, experiencing constipation and a lack of concentration can surface when trying to cut coffee out of your diet. No wonder it’s so hard to quit! Luckily, there are ways to efficiently avoid, or at the very least reduce the severity of these symptoms. Here are our top tips for avoiding withdrawal symptoms while quitting coffee:
- Slowly wean yourself off coffee. Quitting coffee cold turkey is much easier said than done. If you’re drinking more than two cups of coffee per day, reduce your coffee consumption by one cup each week. If you only drink one coffee per day, save your one cup as a weekend treat.
- Stay hydrated by drinking two glasses of lemon water as soon as you wake up in the morning. Water is more powerful than you think when it comes to giving you a natural boost of energy. And the more hydrated you are, the less likely you are to experience the dreaded caffeine withdrawal headaches.
- Drink green tea. While green tea still contains caffeine, there is far less of it per cup which makes it the perfect coffee-weaning replacement drink. As quoted by Authority Nutrition, “The effect provided by tea is like being gently encouraged to do something by Mother Theresa, while coffee is like being kicked in the butt by a military officer.” Green tea also contains amino acids and antioxidants, which is why it is considered to be a health-promoting beverage.
- Take an adaptogenic herb. An adaptogenic herb helps your body cope with and adapt to stressful situations, while also providing you with mental focus, clarity and sustainable energy without the jitters or the crash. Talk about nature’s perfect coffee quitting solution! Our favorite adaptogenic herbs are maca and siberian ginseng.
- Use a plant-based coffee replacement. If you drink coffee because you can’t get enough of the taste and love having that warm bevy first thing in the morning, you may want to try an herbal caffeine-free replacement such as dandelion coffee or A.Vogel’s Bambu Coffee Substitute. Herbal coffee substitutes taste surprisingly similar to coffee and blend well with almond milk and a little bit of raw honey or stevia.