Why I Gave Up Coffee
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Put a finger down if you’ve never been addicted to coffee or caffeine. Hmm. I see almost everyone still has all of their fingers up. Lol, I’d imagine if I could actually see, that’s the result I would get. Like a lot of you or people you may know, I was a full-blown coffee addict. Completely and unabashedly addicted to coffee. To the point where I would wake up, and the first thing on my mind was coffee. I wouldn’t even be able to get anything done, at least not productively, without having coffee. Coffee felt like such an important and deeply personal part of my routine. Maybe even a part of my identity. I just felt like I could not function without it.
That’s when I realized it was actually a problem for me.
My coffee journey started when I was in High School. For as long as I can remember, both of my parents were heavy coffee drinkers. When I was younger, I thought it was disgusting. I think most kids do. I wondered how and why they could even like coffee that much. But of course, when you grow up in a certain environment, you more than likely end up following in those footsteps. I followed the path to the coffee maker every morning.
The shift began when my need for coffee started to feel like a major inconvenience. Not just because I had to schedule time to make or buy coffee but because it was a big determining factor in how my day would go and how I would feel. If I didn’t wake up and get my required morning cup of coffee, I’d be miserable throughout the entire day. If I was on vacation and coffee wasn’t available, or the coffee available was bad, I would walk around in a terrible mood, and more than likely with a bad headache and an overwhelming feeling of fatigue. On vacation. In a terrible mood. Tired and in pain. How does that even happen? Coffee addiction. That’s how!
When the afternoon rolled in, I noticed I’d start crashing or feeling like I needed to nap as early as 3 pm. Even after having 8+ hours of sleep, I’d still be exhausted. My husband doesn’t drink coffee, and seeing his natural level of productivity and energy throughout the day was helpful in showing me that I didn’t need coffee to feel that way. He never crashed like I did and often gets less sleep than I do. Eventually, I acknowledged this was a problem, and I was using coffee in an unhealthy way. I don’t feel that needing something that way or being so dependent on something like that is good for me.
I know this is probably coming off a little deeper than it is, but coffee was such a vital part of my day-to-day and almost ritualistic in a way that felt really important to me. That should say a lot.
After coming to that life-changing conclusion, I decided to do a little research on how I was feeling. I had a feeling that it was mostly because of the coffee and added sugar. Of course, I had to have sugar. Caramel macchiatos were my favorite! Sugary holiday lattes?! Yes, please! But of course, I knew that it wasn’t really healthy to consume that much sugar. The drink I ordered almost every day had about 32g of sugar, which is already over the daily recommended amount for women, which is 25g of sugar a day.
Quitting enters the chat.
I decided to quit cold turkey because I knew it was the only way I could do it. Weaning myself off wasn’t realistic, and I would have fallen into my old ways. I felt really miserable the first week. I was exhausted beyond belief. It felt like I could barely get out of bed. I would get up at 8 AM, and by 11 AM, I’d be on the couch, ready for a nap. I also experienced headaches and feeling sick overall. It felt like what you could describe as experiencing caffeine withdrawal or withdrawal in general.
I knew I didn’t want to give up coffee without a replacement. Not just for the purpose of replacing something that would give me energy, but there are so many parts about my relationship with coffee that I love. I love making coffee and enjoying a cup of coffee with a friend or even outside with a good book. By the fire in the fall! Every Hallmark coffee scenario you can think of, lol! I wanted to find something that provided that without the risk of it becoming a crutch, so I decided to try matcha. It’s an acquired taste, and there are so many different options that you can explore, but I feel like I have my personal latte recipe down pat, and I absolutely love it!
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The process of quitting was very challenging, but after getting all of the coffee out of my system and adjusting to a healthier drink for my body, I felt AMAZING! It was absolutely what I needed. It’s been almost two years, and I haven’t looked back since. I feel the most energetic I have felt in a really long time. I definitely attribute that to quitting coffee and a few other lifestyle changes, like exercising and increasing my water intake. I will occasionally have a cup of coffee. I still enjoy the taste and love trying the local coffee when visiting different cities or countries. I stay away from sugary drinks, which were my go-to. I felt so sick the few times I’ve tried to have them. Although I seldom have coffee, I enjoy and savor the cup so much more than I did when I felt dependent on it.
Suppose you’re considering quitting coffee or pulling back on your caffeine intake because you can relate to feeling the way I described. In that case, I encourage you to try quitting and maybe even trying matcha as a replacement. There are also decaffeinated teas and other options that could help. It will likely feel challenging, and it’s hard to change routine. Especially if you’ve been doing the same thing for years, but I promise it will be worth it!
If you’re feeling brave, which I hope you do after reading this lol, here is my favorite matcha recipe.
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Matcha Latte Recipe:
1. Pour 1/2 teaspoon of matcha into a bowl using a sifter to ensure there are no lumps.
2. Add 1/4 cup of hot water (not boiling to avoid a burnt taste in the matcha) to the bowl. Whisk until slightly frothy, about 15 seconds.
3. Warm almond milk (or your choice of milk) on the stove. Stir in 1 tablespoon of honey, a dash of vanilla extract, and cinnamon to taste.
4. Use a handheld frother to froth the milk.
5. Pour the matcha and frothed milk into a cup. Enjoy your matcha latte!
I am not a matcha expert, so in truth, I can’t really tell what the difference in brands are. I do know that it’s important to invest in quality matcha. So, I buy ceremonial grade matcha. I’ve linked that below as well as links to the tools I use to make matcha.
Thanks for reading,
Jessica
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