In this post, I’d like to share my thoughts and observations the past few weeks while abstaining from coffee.
First off, I do enjoy coffee. I know many of you will ask, why would you want to give up coffee? So far, I am about two and a half weeks into my no-coffee experiment and am going to see how long I can keep living without it. I’m not quite sure why I like to run these experiments on myself, but I somehow enjoy them (in the past I’ve eliminated many foods for various periods of time). I think the impetus behind this particular elimination was to see how it affected my mood, energy levels, hydration, and sleep.
As I mentioned I do very much like to enjoy a nice cup of coffee and being a resident of San Francisco am spoiled with the many choices of fine coffee shops to choose from. So that being said, I know I will once again drink coffee, but for now here are my observations two, almost three weeks in without it:
- I’m Still Alive — I realize I am actually fine and can function normally without it! Ok, so I wouldn’t be honest if I disclosed that I’m a little slow-going in the morning. But, it is no worse than normal. Once I’m awake and motivated to tackle my day, I simply face the fact that I’m going to go about my day without coffee and move on.
- Energy — Once again, my energy levels are also totally fine and not low. I can’t say I have more energy than usual, but I definitely don’t have less. I wasn’t much of a late-in-the-day coffee drinker to begin with, so do not really experience those mid-afternoon or post-lunch slumps like some individuals do. But, I think that has a lot to do with the foods I choose to eat (or not eat) for lunch and breakfast.
- Mood and Cognitive Functioning — I’m one of those sensitive to coffee types — it perks me up quickly, puts me in a positive mood state, and sometimes makes me hyper. Though I do enjoy that feeling sometimes, I realize that it cannot be the most comfortable feeling at other times. I sometimes feel that though it delivers a boost, it also provides me with unfocused energy. I’ve noticed now without coffee, I actually have better focus on a task at hand and do not have as short of an attention span that sometimes accompanies my intake. Mood is about the same with or without coffee — can’t report any changes there.
- Sleep — I definitely notice my sleep has improved. I suffer from occasional sleeplessness — more so falling asleep than being woken up while already asleep, though that can happen from time to time as well. Though I’m not a heavy coffee drinker (average 1/day, but on some occasions could have 2), I suspect that the caffeine circulating in my body may leave longer-lasting effects that may prohibit restful sleep at bedtime. Indulging later in the day definitely could do this, but even sometimes if I’ve only had one cup first thing in the morning (around 7-8:30am) I still may be wired at bedtime and too stimulated to sleep. Without coffee, I’ve noticed I’ll lie down and fall asleep much more quickly. I think I am able to get into that deeper sleep as well which is beneficial and restorative.
- Hydration — My skin has been less dehydrated, particularly my lips, and I have not been drinking any more water than I usually do.
If you’re wondering, I have allowed myself some other types of caffeine in small amounts. Day 1 through 8, I did not have any caffeine whatsoever, but around Day 9 I enjoyed my first matcha latte (made at home). For those of you who don’t know what matcha is, I’ll be sharing some info about this wonderful and healthy green tea in my next blog post coming very soon….stay tuned. I did notice that on this day, I was also wired at bedtime. I’m not sure how much caffeine I consumed by drinking the matcha drink compared to my usual daily coffee, but it did have long-lasting effects.
So how long will this respite from coffee last? I’m not sure I have that answer. For now I plan to listen to my body and ascertain how my body feels, take more self-assessment notes and if the benefits far outweigh the cons, then perhaps continue for longer. I’d be lying if I said, I don’t miss it. I do miss the taste of my homemade coffee in the morning and the ritual of the whole thing, but I’m also totally fine giving it up for now. Once I look back at all of these benefits listed here, it brings up the question, “what is a few weeks or say even a few months without it”? I have a whole lifetime to drink Americanos if I’d like.
In conclusion, I’d say my two weeks without coffee have been a positive experience. Taking a short period of time to refrain from a comfort food or addictive substance/beverage is a healthy practice to follow from time to time. Allow your body to rest, reset, and recharge and provide your mind some time to process all that life is throwing at you without anything clouding your true vision.
Challenge:
Have you given up a favorite food or beverage for an extended period of time to see how you can function without it? Give it a try if you’ve been contemplating doing so and take notes on how you feel without it.
In the next few days, I’ll be following up this post with a Part 2/related post so be sure to check back.
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Mike is a holistic nutritionist that helps people feel more optimistic about their health and wellness through changes in diet and lifestyle shifts.
He has authored posts and articles featured on MarthaStewart.com, today.com, and iVillage.com.