Kicking a coffee habit is often challenging but not impossible with these dietitian-approved tips.
Are you hooked on coffee? You’re not alone. There’s a reason numerous “Don’t ask me until I’ve had my coffee” shirts and mugs exist. You’ll be considering kicking the habit, but stuck on the question: am I able to function without it and avoid that awful “I need caffeine” migraine? So here’s the way to ween yourself off Caffeine and avoid the worst of the side effects.
Coffee and Caffeine aren’t all bad, as both do provide health benefits for cognition and heart health. Coffee also contains antioxidants that help lower inflammation and protect against certain disease states, including Alzheimer’s. However, if you’re someone who adds tons of sugary syrups or high-fat creamers to your coffee, then the consequences of these less nutritious add-ins could also be a reason to chop down on your coffee intake.
Caffeine itself also can become a problem, as an excessive amount of Caffeine can have negative effects on vital signs, mood, blood glucose control, fertility, and pregnancy. It also can cause unwanted symptoms, including headaches, insomnia, poor sleep quality, dizziness, heartburn, and indigestion. If any of those symptoms sound such as you and you would like to ditch the Caffeine permanently, there’s how to try to do it, which will make sure you stay living your best caffeine-free life.
What Happens once you Quit Caffeine
Caffeine stimulates the central systema nervosum, leading to negative side effects about 12 to 24 hours post halting intake. Quitting caffeine cold turkey can leave you feeling miserable, so weaning yourself off Caffeine instead may be a better approach. You’ll still experience some withdrawal symptoms, with the severity of symptoms concerning your current level of caffeine intake. Avoid symptoms of irritability, headaches, and fatigue by trying the following pointers below and make your caffeine-quitting journey a touch easier.
Take stock:
Determine what proportion of Caffeine you currently consume, then determine an amount you would like to start to decrease (i.e., your 3rd cup of the day, 4 oz, ½ a cup). From there, start to slowly decrease your intake to avoid being hit with a plethora of withdrawal symptoms directly.
Hydrate:
Incorporate more water to require the place of coffee and Caffeine. Water also can assist you to stay hydrated during this point, which is vital as dehydration exacerbates withdrawal symptoms like fatigue and headaches. It’ll also satisfy the habit of simply wanting to drink something.
Drink decaf:
Gradually begin to scale back your caffeine intake by substituting a number of your caffeinated intake with decaf. If you’re a second cup of coffee or soda person, swap that second cup for caffeine-free or decaf.
Make the swap to tea:
Switch to a lower-dose caffeine option like tea. Compared to a mean 8 oz cup of coffee which contains about 95 mg of Caffeine, tea contains 20-45 mg. this may help to eventually end completely without going from 100 to 0 too quickly.
Cut it off:
Were you still sipping on coffee at 2 pm? Stop caffeine intake by a particular time. Start pushing it up by 1 to 2 hours from your current latest caffeine intake time.
Boost your energy:
Make sure to include other healthy habits that help boost your energy and your mood, like daily exercise, stress management, starting the day with a balanced breakfast that has a posh carbohydrate paired with adequate protein and healthy fat, and using healthy snacks to your advantage to stay blood glucose levels steady and stop mid-afternoon crashes.