Kicking caffeine and the daily cup of java
Posted on March 30, 2009
The morning cup of coffee is such an addiction, but do we really NEED it? Some days the answer is an astounding yes, but other days I find that I can begin the day without it. If your morning coffee has becomes such a routine habit, ask yourself are you even really enjoying it? Are you savoring every sip -- or just downing it completely oblivious to the taste in anticipation of the caffeine buzz? And how many times have you found yourself at the bottom of a cup that was just plain awful, but you drank it anyway?
Is this really how you want to start your day?
Here are some tips to begin to wean yourself off of that morning cup of coffee, or at least cut back during the workday:
Commit to cutting back. If you absolutely NEED your daily dose of java and have no interest in cutting back, then keep drinking...and enjoy it. However, if you notice that the caffeine is making you jittery or irritable during the day, and your one cup of coffee has evolved into 3 or 4 and you want to cut back, then keep reading.
Week One: Take it slow. If you're a daily coffee drink and quit cold turkey, you'll get caffeine withdrawals -- i.e., a major headache and irritability that could last 1-2 days. No one needs that during a workweek, it will just add more stress and a terrible mood to your schedule. Start small, switch to 1/2 caff. one or two days out of the week -- same cup of coffee, 50% decaf.
Here's a glimpse of the caffeine content in tea and coffee.
Week Two: Keep taking it slow and work in tea. After a week of half-caff, switch to tea one or two days out of the week. Savor the tea, and start experimenting with different flavors. If you still need the jolt of caffeine, you can opt for green or black teas. There's such a wide variety of tea selections -- work in a visit to a tea shop and open your senses to the flavors.
Week Three: Work in decaf teas and herbal teas. Keep experimenting with herbal, caffeine free teas and cut back your coffee to 1 or 2 days a week. Notice how it feels, have you broke the equation that coffee=energy?
Here are some of my favorite tea brands and shops:
Teavana
Republic of Tea
Revolution Tea
Organic Stash
Teaism (Washington, DC)
Radiance Tea (New York City)
Is this really how you want to start your day?
Here are some tips to begin to wean yourself off of that morning cup of coffee, or at least cut back during the workday:
Commit to cutting back. If you absolutely NEED your daily dose of java and have no interest in cutting back, then keep drinking...and enjoy it. However, if you notice that the caffeine is making you jittery or irritable during the day, and your one cup of coffee has evolved into 3 or 4 and you want to cut back, then keep reading.
Week One: Take it slow. If you're a daily coffee drink and quit cold turkey, you'll get caffeine withdrawals -- i.e., a major headache and irritability that could last 1-2 days. No one needs that during a workweek, it will just add more stress and a terrible mood to your schedule. Start small, switch to 1/2 caff. one or two days out of the week -- same cup of coffee, 50% decaf.
Here's a glimpse of the caffeine content in tea and coffee.
Week Two: Keep taking it slow and work in tea. After a week of half-caff, switch to tea one or two days out of the week. Savor the tea, and start experimenting with different flavors. If you still need the jolt of caffeine, you can opt for green or black teas. There's such a wide variety of tea selections -- work in a visit to a tea shop and open your senses to the flavors.
Week Three: Work in decaf teas and herbal teas. Keep experimenting with herbal, caffeine free teas and cut back your coffee to 1 or 2 days a week. Notice how it feels, have you broke the equation that coffee=energy?
Here are some of my favorite tea brands and shops:
Teavana
Republic of Tea
Revolution Tea
Organic Stash
Teaism (Washington, DC)
Radiance Tea (New York City)
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