Is it time to take a break from coffee?
I’m the type of person who goes to bed excited thinking about my morning cup of coffee. There’s just something so enjoyable about the morning ritual-the smell the time out, the boost. That being said, every couple of months I do the unthinkable and I take a break from coffee. Sounds horrible, right? Well, only for the first day or two, after which it feels like I am actually resting and resetting my body. I do this primarily for health reasons as I’ll describe below.
My top 5 reasons to take a break from coffee:
Caffeine is technically classified as a stimulant drug, therefore, it can cause addiction, increased tolerance, overdose, come-down, and withdrawal. This probably sounds a lot more morbid than it really is! Both coffee and caffeine do have some benefits such as physical performance improvement, increased concentration, memory enhancement and reduced risk of certain illnesses. Like all things good and bad, moderation is key. If you find yourself unable to perform without your fix, it may be time to consider a short break to pause the addictive cycle.
Adrenal reset. Caffeine stimulates your adrenal glands to produce cortisol (a stress hormone) and activates the sympathetic nervous system (fight and flight response). From a physiological perspective, this is stress on your body, and taxing to your adrenal glands when continually stimulated for extended periods (I’m looking at you my 3+ cup a day people!). It’s no wonder that the more coffee we drink, the more we need to keep us going. Taking a break takes a load of stress off your body.
Coffee inhibits iron absorption. If you struggle with maintaining healthy iron levels, you may want to consider taking a break from coffee, black tea and green tea. These beverages are rich in tannins (naturally occurring plant molecules) which interfere with iron absorption. In particular, if you are someone who sips on these drinks all day long, or consumes them around meal times, your iron absorption can be significantly decreased. Taking a break from coffee gives your body a greater opportunity to absorb iron from your meals. If you supplement with iron, always take it 1-2 hours away from coffee, black tea and green tea.
Improve sleep. Everyone metabolises caffeine differently. We all have a friend who can have an espresso after dinner and sleep like a log, and a friend who can only drink decaf as they get the jitters. This is dependent on the speed of caffeine metabolism for each individual. For those of us who relate to the latter, we know to avoid coffee after a certain time in the day so as not to affect our sleep onset. That being said, the caffeine we ingest not only just before bed but throughout the whole day can shorten the amount of deep/ REM sleep we have. Something to consider if you’re not waking feeling quite refreshed.
Hydration. Coffee is a well-known diuretic, meaning it promotes the production of urine. Because of this, I usually recommend my clients drink an additional glass of water per coffee per day, however I know that this isn’t always achievable. Our body needs to stay hydrated for optimal function of, well, pretty much everything! Taking a break is supportive of body hydration.
Quitting coffee is always tough to start with as the caffeine withdrawal can be unpleasant. Some symptoms may include: headaches, irritability, brain fog, fatigue and poor concentration. These can last around 1-3 days after which your body starts to rebalance and starts to move on from the addiction.
I suggest swapping coffee for organic green tea for the first few days to ease the transition. This is because green tea contains a lower dose and slower release caffeine (roughly 40mg vs 100mg) which can help reduce the negative impact of caffeine withdrawal. In addition, green tea contains a wonderful compound called L-Theanine which promotes relaxation without drowsiness. This helps negate some of the withdrawal side effects too.
Nevertheless, coffee intake is not always just about the caffeine hit. There is something quite comforting about a morning brew- the warmth, the aroma, the ritual. Switching your coffee for a caffeine-free coffee replacement is a great way to keep the ritual and perhaps the mental support of having your morning cuppa. Some great coffee replacements are:
- Roasted dandelion or chicory root tea. These have a similar bitter taste to coffee. Dandelion is also supportive of liver health.
- Roasted barley. This is something I found by @BarloGrounds , which believe it if not tastes better than coffee! Definitely my favourite coffee alternative and afternoon treat! https://barlogrounds.com/
- Masala chai (without the black tea). Masala chai is a spiced tea from India often including ginger, black pepper, cardamom and cinnamon. So warming and delicious!
- Golden milk- an Ayurvedic treat! Warm a pot of milk of choice with turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, dash of black pepper. Sweeten with maple syrup.
- Herbal teas such as chamomile, tulsi, fennel, ginger and lemongrass.
Give them a go and let me know how you feel :)
MAYA BUTTI | Nutrition + Yoga
Maya is a holistic nutritionist and yoga teacher, available for corporate wellbeing and online 1 on 1 consultations.
“No matter your situation, I understand the need for true vitality and know we can find a way forward.”