Why I’m Kicking My Coffee Habit

Currently sitting in my favorite local coffee shop, I feel like a reeaalll poser.

That’s because I’m going to tell you why and how I’m altering my morning ritual to get rid of these caffeine cravings I’ve been having lately.

Truth be told, I’ve always known that caffeine/coffee/espresso is addicting. I remember my dad going through phases of “no coffee” and he would have these major withdrawl symptoms. Headaches and moodiness seemed to be rough on him.

My coffee addiction started slowly but progressed due to long days (and nights) in grad school, followed by long days in the clinic, followed by a growing love for sitting in the morning and chatting with friends, holding onto a warm cup of coffee and coconut or oat milk.

Little did I know how much power can be held in one little cup. There are obvious effects of coffee that we all know and sometimes use without the knowledge of why or how. Yes, that includes your system’s morning purge (not a good sign to need coffee to be able to poop, btw). There are benefits and of course cautionary tales to this lovely beverage. I’m going to share a few of them with you all - as well as my favorite people/resources - and HOW I prefer to have my coffee, if I have any at all.

BENEFITS

1. Ritual and Connection - There’s nothing like starting your day with a cup of coffee and conversation. It’s one of my favorite ways to connect with friends and that probably won’t change. What will change is what I’m ordering at the cafe!

2. DNA protective properties - One of my favorite brainiacs is Rhonda Patrick, PhD. She posted that One study found that 500mL of dark roast coffee per day actual protects your DNA and reduces damage.

3. There are other benefits listed by one of my favorites, godfather of wellness Paul Chek, which you can look at here. HOWEVER- if you are a woman, I urge you to read on. The way Paul talks about caffeine does not necessarily cover all of the reasons women should be even more careful around caffeine/coffee.

CAREFUL, NOW

1. Caffeine is a diuretic, and inherently very drying. Yes, it will help you evacuate your bowels. But if you NEED this to have a bowel movement that could mean you are actually constipated.

2. It can stimulate you into overdrive and affect your sympathetic nervous system so much that you are pushed into adrenal fatigue, where you actually feel drained throughout your day and never get quality rest. Cortisol (stress hormone) levels are heightened when in a sympathetic state, which is the exact opposite of melatonin (sleepy hormone). When caffeine is allowed into your system past a certain time, cortisol levels stay up, and counteract your body making enough melatonin for you to actually get to sleep on time, which is because of caffeine’s half life in your system.

3. It can throw off the female hormonal balance that controls lumpiness/pain in breast tissue, period and reproductive issues, as well as infertility. Here’s the why, written by Alisa Vitti from Flo Living. Although she is very adamant that women shouldn’t drink coffee, she does a good job explaining what caffeine does to your female system - which is VERY different from males in digesting caffeine.

MY COFFEE, MY CHOICE

I will never tell you to stop drinking coffee all together. But I will challenge you in understanding your why around it and help you prioritize what’s important for you. For you ladies and gents out there reading with constipation, adrenal fatigue, sleepless nights, here are my tips for incorporating coffee into your life - IF you choose to incorporate it. For the ladies that are dealing with period, sex drive, and infertility issues, I dare you to try quitting caffeine for 2 months using Alisa’s protocol and see what happens with a spirit of curiosity. Then, make sure to try these tips to bring it back into your life - IF you’re dying to drink that delicious drink.

1. Start your day with water and a big old breakfast before any sip of caffeine. 8 oz of water, a smoothie, eggs with cooked spinach, half an avocado or oatmeal are what hit my belly first before I drink my coffee. Fueling with energy sustaining food is KEY - think vitamin B rich foods for lasting energy.

2. Keep your coffee simple. Have one espresso, maybe an americano, but definitely limit your sugar and dairy intake. If your liver already struggles to balance your hormones, having that extra stuff in there will make it even more difficult for you to process caffeine. I will add sugar-free coconut or oat milk to my (decaf) coffee and make a lil latte of sorts. A dash of cinnamon on top is my fave.

3. Watch the timing of when you have caffeine. Because of its half-life in your system, it can wreck havoc on your cortisol levels and in turn, melatonin levels, which make it hard to get to sleep. I never have caffeine after 12 pm for this reason. My body and mind love its rest, and that, to me, is worth prioritizing over a little coffee in the afternoon.

So what are your thoughts? Would you be willing to kick your caffeine habit for the sake of seeing how your body responds? What sounds do-able? What is out of the question? I’d love to hear from you!