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Who doesn’t drink coffee? One walk around the office will tell you where everyone went before they arrived: Starbucks. Even kids in grammar school show up to the classroom with a Starbucks cup in their hand. Of course, their coffee is loaded with sugar, but it’s still coffee.
Coffee might taste good, but it’s really not all it’s cracked up to be. Like most people, I was surprised to feel better after giving up coffee. While it’s not my attempt to persuade anyone to give up coffee, perhaps my experiences will help others on the fence to make their own educated decisions.
I didn’t know I was addicted
Addicted to coffee? Me? No way. How can anyone be addicted to a beverage? Aside from the fact that people swear caffeine is a drug, I didn’t see it as an addictive substance. I thought I was freely choosing to drink it every day until I went on a homeopathic remedy and couldn’t have coffee at all.
Essential oils are said to counteract homeopathy, and coffee contains essential oils. There is a debate about this, but I figured I should err on the side of caution.
I began taking Oscillococcinum for a cold and stopped drinking coffee. Two days later, I had a massive migraine; I didn’t realize I was going through withdrawal in the form of a heavy detox.
Sparing the worst details, going through caffeine withdrawal is not a walk in the park. However, when my body adjusted, I was freed from anxiety I didn’t know I had.
Coffee isn’t terrible.
Coffee does have some positive effects. According to this analysis of how coffee affects hormones, “Caffeine is one of coffee’s primary constituents with psychoactive activities. It’s part of a group of substances collectively referred to as methylxanthines. These alkaloids are well known for their ability to increase cognitive abilities, improve energy, enhance well-being, and increase arousal and alertness.”
The analysis also mentions that chronic caffeine intake greatly increases serotonin, GABA, and acetylcholine receptors.
Caffeine may have health benefits, but when I stopped drinking it I felt better. That experience compelled me to do more research. Here’s what I discovered about what coffee was doing to my body, and why I switched to decaf:
1. Caffeine taxes the adrenal system.
Your adrenal glands are located on top of your kidneys. They’re programmed to release adrenaline in response to stress. Adrenaline is the hormone that activates your fight-or-flight response. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize coffee stimulates the release of adrenaline.
The burnout I was experiencing was adrenal fatigue. I had no idea I was flooding my body with stress hormones 24/7.
2. Coffee is expensive.
This might seem obvious, but when drinking coffee was my daily habit, I didn’t notice how much money I was spending. I just stuck my debit card in a machine, paid a few bucks, and walked away with my coffee. I never saved receipts or looked at my bank balance.
My calculations showed that I was spending roughly $100/month on drip coffee, and another $50/month on specialty coffee. That’s $1,800/year! I immediately realized if I gave up coffee for a year, I could pay off a huge chunk of debt.
3. Coffee was responsible for my horrible breath.
Coffee gave me horrible breath I could smell even when my mouth was closed. I brushed my teeth often, but each time I sucked down a cuppa joe, the bad breath was back.
Wondering why coffee causes bad breath? How Stuff Works explains it this way:
“For starters, coffee can cause xerostomia, more commonly known as ‘dry mouth.’ That’s because coffee contains caffeine — up to 200 milligrams in a single 8-ounce or 237-milliliter cup — one of the chief culprits of decreased saliva and, in turn, a dry mouth. Having a dry mouth is more than an inconvenience. When there is not enough saliva, the conditions are ripe for bacteria and fungi to thrive, and this can lead to bad breath. Plus, a lack of saliva can make it difficult to wash away and digest particles of food clinging to the tongue or teeth, and it can even promote tooth decay [source: NIH].”
I couldn’t stand smelling my own breath. I’m sure my friends appreciated my decision to quit, too.
4. I researched the ingredients in my specialty drinks.
If you don’t want to be repulsed by what you’re drinking, then don’t read the ingredients that go into your fancy coffee drinks. I did, and I’ll never consume them again.
I was putting chemicals in my body from ingredients I didn’t think I had to worry about. Isn’t chocolate just chocolate? Not from big chain coffee shops.
I have to admit, ending my love affair with coffee was challenging. And I can’t say I don’t enjoy a cup here and there. The addiction, however, was a bold sacrifice I had to make for my health.
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