If you suddenly stop drinking coffee. What happens if you don't drink coffee for a week

In this article, I will answer questions about whether drinking coffee is harmful and how to stop drinking coffee. I haven't drank coffee in years Lately I drastically reduced my tea intake. In this decision, I see some solid pluses. About why I live better without caffeine, I will talk a little later in this post.

Coffee - ancient drink, its tonic and taste properties have been known to people for a long time. Drinking coffee has firmly entered into human life: for many people, not a single morning passes without a cup of hot coffee. Coffee is loved not only for its taste and smell, but also for its invigorating effect. It's hard to imagine how you can wake up and start doing things without taking your morning dose of caffeine.

How to stop drinking coffee

This drink awakens our sleeping consciousness, relieves fatigue, gives motivation and a burst of energy. It may seem that one cannot live and work without coffee, and if we stop drinking it, we will forever nod off, and any work will be difficult. I assure you it is not. You can live without coffee. And why refuse it - will be discussed further.

Is it bad to drink coffee?

First of all, remember that coffee contains caffeine, and caffeine is a drug that belongs to the class of stimulants of the central nervous system (for example, cocaine and amphetamines belong to the same class). The fact that some substances have acquired the status of legal drugs (alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, and a lot medicines that are on your shelves) does not testify in favor of the absence of narcotic properties in these drugs. This applies more to the legal side of the case (what is banned and what is not), and not to the medical one. For a doctor, an alcohol addict is the same drug addict.

Of course, coffee cannot be attributed to hard drugs. Caffeine addiction does not proceed with such severe consequences as, for example, alcohol or heroin. But addiction to coffee is still a form of drug addiction and has its consequences. Caffeine is unhealthy, like most drugs.

The effect of coffee on fatigue

Caffeine improves performance, improves mood, and tones the body and mind. The energy that appears with a cup of coffee you drink does not arise from nowhere, is not taken from the space around you and is not contained in the cup of drink itself. This sudden energy the body, under the influence of caffeine, draws from your internal energy reserves.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to take this energy for free. If you used it, then later, you will lack it.

Let me explain this with an example. When I began to drink tea much less often, then, no matter how paradoxical it may sound, I noticed an increase in working capacity during the day. Before, if I drank a mug strong tea in the morning, then after dinner I felt very strong drowsiness and, as a result, lack of working capacity. Any activity went with difficulty and without desire. I didn't associate it specifically with tea, I thought it was natural to feel sleepy after a heavy meal.

I used to compensate for this sleepiness with another dose of caffeine contained in tea. But this did not help me for long: after a while, I again began to feel tired. Then I stopped drinking tea every day. I noticed that this afternoon languor was not observed on those days when I went without an invigorating drink! Maybe in the morning I was a little less alert because I didn’t drink tea, but during the whole day I had more energy.

I could work quietly after lunch with good productivity. I began to do more, including, my articles began to appear faster. It may not be noticeable on this blog, but for several months I have been writing articles for two sites: this one and its English version - nperov.com.

Like every drug, caffeine has its own “waste” (it’s just not as noticeable, because coffee is not very hard drug). Following a sharp surge of energy comes the same sharp decline in strength. Imagine an athlete participating in a race that lasts several hours. After the starting shot was fired, this athlete did not calculate his strength and, with bulging eyes and sticking out his tongue, galloped forward at such a speed that the rest of the competitors began to choke on the dust from his heels, trailing behind.

Naturally, he will quickly run out of steam, feel severely tired and dehydrated, and, unable to continue running, will take a walk while those who were behind will overtake him at a moderate speed. And all because he pulled at once and spent all his energy at the very beginning of the competition.

The same thing happens when you drink coffee. The body takes on a lot of energy at once. But these forces will then have to be compensated.

Rejection daily use coffee contributes to a uniform energy expenditure throughout the day. The body itself calculates energy in such a way that it is enough for the whole day, and not just for the first half of it. Drinking coffee and using other stimulants is, in my opinion, a violation of the natural balance of your body.

“So how do you deal with morning sleepiness? I can’t do anything until I have coffee!” - you object.

caffeine addiction

The fact is that if the body gets used to maintaining activity through the use of stimulants, then it becomes difficult for it to cope with active work without them. An avid coffee lover drinks it in order to bring the body and head into a "working" state. The drink does not bring him such a sharp and intense burst of energy, which he can give to an inexperienced coffee consumer who has recently joined the drink. If an avid "connoisseur" drinks - he feels "normal", if he does not drink - he becomes ill.

What distinguishes him from a man without caffeine addiction? That he needs coffee to feel normal, and a person without addiction does not. When the use of drugs, including alcohol and tobacco, becomes chronic, the addict begins to take his drug only in order to feel normal.

If, at first, drinking brings pleasure and some unusual experience, then later, when this hobby develops into alcoholism, a person drinks so that his head does not hurt, so that his hands do not shake, so that depression does not torment ... And all the pleasure from using the substance comes down to the pleasure of satisfying a strong need.

All the symptoms that an avid coffee lover feels if he does not take a dose of his favorite drink: drowsiness, fatigue, apathy, lack of motivation, bad mood - all this is the result of an addiction! No one finds anything surprising in the fact that a smoker becomes ill without cigarettes! Why should we be surprised that an avid coffee drinker gets sick without coffee?

Caffeine addiction causes its own “withdrawal”, and this is not surprising. When the addiction passes - "withdrawal" disappears. Once you stop drinking coffee, after a while you will be fine without it and stop feeling sleepy and apathetic in the morning! Of course, this will only happen if you get enough sleep and are in a satisfactory physical condition. Many people forget about this because they do not attribute the status of a drug to coffee and think that these symptoms will always accompany them as soon as they give up caffeine. But it's not.

On my clock 10-25, I continued to write this article at 9-30, and I woke up today at 7-30, slept for about 7 hours. I haven't consumed a single milligram of caffeine yet I feel pretty energized. I'm already off caffeine and I don't need to take it to keep me motivated and strong. When you break the habit, you will also stop needing this dark drink.

We'll talk about how to stop drinking coffee a little later. Now I will continue to talk about the dangers of this drink.

Impact on concentration and prioritization

Coffee increases anxiety and disrupts concentration, especially in large doses. If you find it difficult to concentrate, you can't sit still and relax, and you suffer from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, then there should be no question of drinking many cups of coffee a day. Coffee can aggravate the situation and develop your chronic anxiety and constant restlessness.

On one blog, I read about very interesting observations of its author, who also refused coffee. He writes that coffee enhances some aspects of thinking, but weakens others. The speed of thinking increases, but at the same time, there may be a lack in other areas of our mind.

Under the influence of caffeine, a person becomes more active, he can quickly complete some tasks, but he loses the ability to prioritize these tasks well. He can spend a lot of time doing some minor activities and not pay attention to the most important. Because under the influence of caffeine he bursts with energy and he can not wait to send it somewhere. He loses the patience to think about where this energy will find the most effective application.

In my opinion, this is a very accurate observation. I also observed this effect when I drank coffee or green tea. Chinese tea. I could wake up, drink strong tea and spend half a day setting up some plugin on my site that was not really needed. If I had spent the same time writing an article, it would have been much more productive.

Also, the caffeine use affected the style of my articles, I think the most attentive readers can pay attention to this. When I drank a mug of pu-erh (strong green Chinese tea), sentences and words poured out of me like a bucket, but at the same time, the articles lost a lot of structure. There were many complex proposals with an abundance of turns. It was as if some sense of the whole text was lost in its entire length, and I was only puzzled by how to convey the thought that I have in my head now, without subordinating it to the general logic.

As a result, much had to be rewritten. Maybe, without tea, I began to write fewer words per minute of time, to think more about sentences, but on the other hand, I manage to write more in a day, as I distribute my energy more efficiently over the entire duration labor day. In my opinion, the quality of my articles has improved. Now I can stop at each word and think about how the article will develop further. I can fix something right away, and not redo it later. In addition, it became easier for me to concentrate, I became less distracted from the main task.

If your work involves clear and competent prioritization and concentration, then excessive coffee consumption will be redundant for you.

Coffee and Excessive Activity

Sometimes, it can be difficult to find an individual dose of caffeine. We ourselves may not notice how we drink several cups while talking or working, which brings us to the peak of excitement and activity. At such moments, there is much more energy than is needed to do the work.

Indeed, in order to wield a mouse at an office desk, you do not need a lot of energy. But on the crest of caffeine courage, a lot of strength burns out in vain.

Let us again draw an analogy with a runner who briskly rushed forward from the start, not calculating his strength. In this example, he also ran off the track and instead of running in a straight line, he began to follow an extended arc, which increased the distance he had to cover and, at the same time, began juggling three dumbbells on the run, just in case.

He wastes a lot of energy that he needs for the race, doing completely meaningless, from the point of view of achieving the task, actions.

The same thing happens if you drink a lot of coffee: the body uses a lot of strength and these forces will not return later! Some people spend this excess energy on meaningless activities, like talking with their tongue or twisting in a chair, others find no way out for this energy. Both of them will feel tired afterwards. Why would you waste extra energy? For starters, just reduce your coffee intake, drink exactly as much as you need for work.

The effect of coffee on the nervous system

Drinking a lot of coffee leads to nervousness, anxiety, increased nervous excitability and exhaustion. nerve cells. I would not recommend drinking a lot of coffee to those who suffer nervous diseases, irritability, panic attacks, etc.

Caffeine puts your body in a state of stress by stimulating the production of stress hormones: adrenaline, cortisol and norepinephrine. Constant stimulation can adversely affect the state of the nervous system, blood pressure, heart and immune system.

Other harms of coffee for the body

Coffee can also be harmful because:

1. Increases blood pressure and is harmful to those who suffer from hypertension.
2. Harmful to of cardio-vascular system. Overuse coffee causes heart disease.
3. Leads to dehydration.
4. Contraindicated in pregnancy.
5. If taken on an empty stomach, it can lead to stomach ulcers.
6. Washes vitamins out of the body.
7. May cause chronic headaches.
8. Promotes sleep disturbance

About the benefits of coffee

It would be unfair not to mention the benefits of coffee in this article. Of course, moderate consumption of this drink has a number of benefits, such as reducing the risk of many diseases (Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, diabetes type 2). Also, coffee contains antioxidants that prevent the destruction of cells in your body.

But, Firstly, Caffeine is a drug and moderate use always threatens to turn into immoderate.

Secondly, many of the beneficial properties of coffee are not associated with caffeine (with which, in general, all the risks and harms are associated), but are manifested due to other chemical compounds that are present in the drink.

Third, coffee is not far the only source antioxidants found in vegetables, fruits and many other foods. Coffee cannot replace other sources of antioxidants! And to reduce the risk of developing many diseases will help you healthy lifestyle life and balanced diet. Unlike coffee, these methods have no side effects.

But if you drink more than two cups a day, you risk feeling it all. Negative consequences drinking coffee. Those who drink 10 cups a day should not justify their addiction with the beneficial properties of coffee. After all, these people do not drink it because of the benefits. It's like a binge drinker would proudly talk about the antioxidants found in red wine that slow down the destruction of cells!

Even moderate doses of coffee provoke increased fatigue in the evening, if you drink coffee in the morning. In addition, there are problems with concentration and the ability to prioritize, which I wrote about above.

Unfortunately, you have to pay for everything. There are no completely harmless and, moreover, useful drugs. In my opinion, the benefits of coffee are not fundamental and are not indispensable, and the risks and potential harm not so small. Therefore, I think that it is better, after all, to give up daily use. this drink for your own health.

How to stop drinking coffee?

Coffee is not tobacco: you can quit gradually. Next, I will tell you how you can smoothly reduce the amount of caffeine consumed.

Switch to tea

Switch to green or black tea: these drinks contain less caffeine than coffee and have great benefits. taste properties. Personally, I have always preferred green tea, any other kind of tea. Now the market of imported Chinese (and Japanese) tea is developing very actively in our country. Try different tastes, there are very nice varieties!

Also, it can be ordered on the ebay online auction, it will be cheaper. True, at the time of writing this article (June 2013), the Russian postal service is very slow, and there is a risk of waiting for a package for several months before you can take a sip fragrant tea from the green plantations of China.

The best thing about green tea is its effect! In my opinion, it is better than the effect of coffee. Of course, the effect is subjective and depends on each person. But similar observations were made by other green tea drinkers. The fact is that green tea has a much more “pure” effect on me compared to coffee. When I drank coffee, the vigor from the drink was accompanied by an increase in pressure (for those who rarely drink coffee, the effect high blood pressure most noticeable), an acceleration of the heartbeat, some tension in the muscles. And it wasn't very pleasant.

Tea, in my opinion, acts much thinner and softer. The above side effects Almost invisible unless you drink a lot. It turns out some more “clean” cheerfulness, without unpleasant sensations in the body.

In addition, green tea, on average, has three times less caffeine than coffee (This does not apply to green tea "from bags" there is a lot of caffeine - do not drink it)! Green tea also contains antioxidants, vitamins and prevents the development of many diseases. Definitely a choice in favor of tea, if you choose between it and coffee.

Reduce your caffeine intake

If you drink coffee on weekends, stop doing it. Why do you need coffee if you don't have to work on weekends? For starters, drink only at work. Reduce the number of mugs consumed per day. And then, when you're ready, reduce the number of working days when you drink caffeinated drinks (it's better to switch to tea). For example, drink no more than three cups a week. Yes, yes, it is a week, not a day. At first it seems difficult, but as you gradually wean, it will not be so hard to do.

Learn to wake up without coffee!

Morning work-out - great way wake up and wake up after sleep. It is a natural boost of energy for the body and, moreover, is good for health.

Drink hot decaffeinated drinks

If you want hot and delicious drink, that is, an occasion to try some varieties of herbal tea. This is not exactly tea, in the strict sense of the word, but it does not contain caffeine. Try Rooibos, for example.

Use coffee in an emergency

Drink coffee if you need to drive a car at night, and you haven’t slept before and you need a boost of energy like air. Or, in the event that you spent too little time in bed, and you need to work.

Coffee is a stimulant, so drink it special situations Don't make it into a daily habit!

Get enough sleep

Get enough sleep. No need to work hard. No job is worth your nerves and health.

Conclusion - why do people drink coffee?

Different people people drink coffee for a variety of reasons. For some, it's just an awakening. For others, it's a way to beat boredom and keep their hands busy. For the third - this is a favorite taste.

It also happens that the passion for coffee is the result of dissatisfaction with one's work: work activities are boring and a complete routine, which is why many people find in coffee the motivation they lack to do what they do not like. After all, caffeine activates the reserve reserves of energy, which begins to look for a way out. And it becomes all the same how to spend it - just to spend it.

Caffeine addiction may have causes that are hidden inside your psyche. Maybe you need to change jobs to stop drinking coffee, or maybe you need to learn to perceive it differently or get rid of chronic anxiety.

But the coffee is delicious!

So what? A few years ago I used to drink 3-4 liters of beer every day. The taste of beer seemed divine and incomparable to me. How will I live without this wonderful taste, I thought then? But, time has passed, and now I do not drink alcohol at all, in any form. no taste alcoholic beverages, which I used to love so passionately, I calmly get around. It's all about habit. Don't worry, you won't be bored with the taste of coffee for a long time.

Pros and cons of coffee and tea addiction. Calculate and decide: drink or quit?

There are pros and cons, and even scientists cannot unequivocally say whether it is useful or harmful. It improves memory and performance, gives unusual taste sensations. At the same time, people who refused it say that their lives have changed for the better. What will happen to your well-being if you still give up coffee and tea?

A coffee addict, in general, is akin to a drug addict ... If you have ever tried to abruptly give up caffeine and not drink tea or coffee for several days, you know the nasty feeling. This is a natural break. Your head hurts, you suffer from weakness and mood swings. If you decide to try to live without coffee and the usual strong tea, do it gradually. The severity of the withdrawal syndrome is individual. Usually, all the side effects of quitting coffee disappear after a week, a maximum of ten days. You can reduce the quantity and quality of unpleasant symptoms if you do not make sudden movements, but reduce the dose gradually. Every time you crave a caffeinated drink, prepare half the amount you normally would.

You will lose weight...

The average coffee or tea drinker will get great amount calories it every day with your favorite drinks. Few people drink black coffee in pure form- they put sugar in it, pour milk, cream and syrups. With tea, they eat cookies, buns and sweets. Cola and lemonade are high in carbs. Multiply 200 extra kilocalories with one cup of coffee or tea by the number of daily approaches to the coffee machine. Impressive?

Black coffee helps burn calories

But only if you drink it without milk and sugar. Caffeine is a quick (albeit short-lived) and effective appetite suppressant. If you give up coffee and tea, you will feel hungry more often. In addition, according to research conducted at the Mayo Clinic, caffeine can accelerate the metabolic rate. The effect is relatively small, but studies of black coffee drinkers (without milk and) show that black coffee helps burn more calories than it contains. So the probability of set extra pounds rises slightly when you stop getting caffeine.

Sleep without coffee and tea will become stronger

If you drank a cup of coffee or strong tea even six hours before bedtime - be sure - this will affect your night's sleep. Result: You wake up tired and need more caffeine. The vicious cycle resumes.

Those who do not drink coffee, tea, or other caffeinated drinks sleep better and longer than the person who cannot live a day without a cup of espresso. The first couple of weeks after quitting caffeine, you will be more tired and tired faster, but over time, your energy levels will increase, you will wake up easier, fall asleep easier, and sleep more peacefully through the night without sudden awakenings.

Without coffee and tea, you will become calmer

Caffeine is a nervous system stimulant that works like a gas pedal. Caffeine releases adrenaline, putting the body into fight-or-flight mode. In addition, caffeine is a vasopressor, that is, it narrows blood vessels by increasing the pressure. Refuse it - and you will become more balanced and calmer, you will be less anxious and nervous.

Sports without coffee can wait?…

An adrenaline-fueled fight-or-flight regimen is needed before a marathon, a physically demanding day, or before an intense workout at the gym. The American Sports Medicine Corporation claims that caffeine improves the intensity and effectiveness of cardio and strength training. Cutting out caffeine will decrease your physical performance and make it harder for you to actively sweat in the gym.

Your belly will thank you without coffee.

I haven't had coffee for over two years now. This did not come about by chance. It all started in August 2014. I started studying nutrition courses in Copenhagen. At home I had a wonderful coffee machine that cooked the best coffee from freshly ground grains, and regular espresso, and cappuccino, and latte. Just press the button and voila! - divine drink ready.

I never considered myself a coffee drinker and my daily limit rarely exceeded three cups. But at the courses in Copenhagen there was not only a coffee machine, but coffee in general. I lived on a school campus where this drink was banned. Of course, it was possible to run to the nearest cafe, but for some reason I thought that I could live on tea. The only “but” was that I had a constant headache. She began to get sick by the evening of the first day of training and was sick without ceasing for 2-3 days, until she returned home. This was repeated several times - in every study session that I had at school.

I couldn't understand what was the matter. I slept 8 hours a day, ate the freshest, correct bio-products, drank a lot of water, ran in the mornings and walked for a long time in the evenings ... There was no answer.

Once I complained to a classmate about my strange headaches. She suggested that it was withdrawal due to the refusal of caffeine. It was VERY hard to believe. I don't drink liters of coffee, I'm not at all drawn to coffee. Or pull? I decided to check it out. The next time I bought paper cup cappuccino right on arrival at the Copenhagen train station, drank it on the way to school. And… there was no headache that day!

I seriously thought - do I really need this “magic” drink if I react so strongly to its absence?

As you know, information about coffee is very controversial. Sometimes coffee is useful, sometimes it is harmful, sometimes it invigorates, then, on the contrary, it reduces the level of energy and impairs sleep. Either coffee fights aging, or it leads to faster wear and tear of both the brain and the body as a whole ... A dense forest!

I have also read articles by people who have given up coffee. And they all unanimously claimed that they began to feel more energetic. I wanted to try it for myself. Most of those who gave up coffee wrote that it takes at least two months to experience all the delights of life without coffee. I set a deadline for myself - three months. And the experiment began.

At that moment I was driven primarily by curiosity. I wondered how my life would change after quitting caffeine. And secondly, I really do not like to be dependent on anything. And the fact of coffee addiction was obvious - a day without caffeine guaranteed headaches and poor sleep. I didn't like it very much.

I didn't expect it to be easy. Earlier, when I gave up sugar, I had already experienced all the "charms" of fighting addictions: headaches, poor sleep, irritability, fatigue ... Similar symptoms did not take long this time. The first week was just awful! My head hurt. In the morning I could not tear myself away from the pillow, and in the evenings, although I was tired, I could not sleep. When I finally fell asleep, my sleep was restless. I woke up 100 times a night.

I was constantly irritated. Absolutely everything infuriated me: any weather, children - my own and others, neighbor's dogs who strove to climb into our garden, drivers on the roads, sellers in stores, my husband and all his relatives, the number of which, as it seemed to me at that time, had increased incredibly ... The only desire was to give up everything to hell, drink your only cup of coffee a day and finally sleep normally, and not stagger from corner to corner, trying to muster the rest of the willpower to do something useful either around the house or on work (expenses own business and a free schedule: if you don’t force yourself, no one will force you).

I was ready to break a thousand times. The miracle coffee machine stood in the most prominent place and smiled ominously at me, saying that, dear, can you quit your stupid experiments already? All you need is to press a button to get rid of the torment ...

I still can’t say for sure what kept me from breaking in the first two weeks. They were also the hardest. I am surprised that I succeeded.

Two weeks later, something clicked and my body changed. The headaches disappeared, I no longer wanted to kill everyone around me, I suddenly began to sleep well at night. But sleep has undergone another metamorphosis. I fell into a very deep sleep with my children as early as 8 pm! It did not climb into any gates, because it is in the evenings that I write best, evening time assigned to work on my blog. In addition, all my nutritional clients also prefer to consult in the evenings when their household members have gone to their bedrooms. Therefore, the schedule “I go to bed at 20:00, I get up at 4:00” categorically did not suit me.

I began to sleep during the day to be in shape for evening consultations. Daytime sleep could last up to three hours! Sometimes I set the alarm, but I didn’t have the strength to get up.

I lived in a strange half-asleep state. Nothing hurt, but the strength decreased significantly. I continued the experiment in the hope that my energy levels would soon be restored. And so it happened!

After a couple of weeks, the drowsiness began to pass. I didn’t fall off my feet in the evenings anymore, I slept for only an hour instead of three during the day, and there was another obvious plus: my energy was constant throughout the day. The desire to take a nap after dinner disappeared, in the morning I woke up before the alarm clock and managed to do a bunch of things. There were no such crazy jumps as after a cup of coffee, but there were no subsequent falls.

Coffee activates the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. It is they who give a surge of energy, for example, up to the “10” mark. But then the effect of caffeine wears off, and we fall not to our original zero level, but to minus. With each cup of coffee, it is already more difficult for us to reach the “10” mark, and then we fall lower and lower. This explains the fact that people who have been drinking coffee for years can safely have a couple of cups before bed and still fall asleep. Another issue is that the quality of their sleep leaves much to be desired. But that's a topic for another article.

I came to the conclusion that this must be the price to pay for quitting caffeine - an average but constant level of energy instead of strong intermittent bursts. So the next month passed. A month later, a surprise awaited me: I noticed that my overall energy level began to gradually increase. It still remained constant throughout the day, but it just got MORE. I completely gave up daytime sleep, got up at six, went to bed closer to midnight, and at the same time I was cheerful as never before. The game was definitely worth the candle!

Please note that I did not replace coffee with other caffeinated beverages such as strong black tea. No, the experiment was carried out in its purest form. No caffeinated tea. Only Herb tea and water. I also did not “catch up” with sweet and starchy foods to console myself. Sweet can also give energy jumps. I knew about it, and did not change the awl for soap.

More than two years have passed since then. During this time, I drank coffee several times. There was even a ten-day period where I drank 1-2 cups of coffee a day every day - we were with a group in the mountains of France, and there was nothing but coffee and water. To my surprise, I got used to this drink quickly enough, I had to take my will into a fist again and give up coffee. True, there were no such harsh reactions of the body as at the very beginning. There was drowsiness and a desire to spit on everything and drink a cup so as not to sleep on the go ... But I managed to overcome myself in just a few days.

Apart from these ten days, I sometimes drank a cup of coffee for taste, but the consequences were almost always. You can read more about this on my blog.

What is the status today? I have never regretted my experience. All my suffering paid off with a vengeance. I have never had so much energy. Is that quite in deep childhood, which I really do not remember. I still wake up at six in the morning, I have time to redo a lot of things, daytime sleepiness has left me forever, and my loved ones do not get tired of wondering how I manage to do everything.

So I can say one thing - try it yourself! If you can hardly take your head off the pillow, don’t imagine a morning without coffee, and after dinner you want to either fall asleep or kill the whole office, I suggest living a couple of months without caffeine.

To make it easier for you, I share practical advice which will hopefully make your life easier:

· Get ready for something that won't be easy. For the first two weeks, your head may hurt, your mood will deteriorate, your sleep will worsen ... Remember that this is NORMAL. You're all right, that's the way it should be. If there are no such consequences, then this is also normal. Just be glad that you are spared these troubles.

In the first two weeks it is permissible to drink green tea with reduced content caffeine. These varieties include, for example, Jasmine tea And milk oolong. The body reacts not only to the rejection of caffeine, but also to the rejection of the coffee itself. Therefore, if it becomes completely sick, drink weak green tea.

In order not to die of fatigue for days at all, I suggest drinking ginger tea or smoothie with fresh ginger. Ginger invigorates no worse than caffeine, but at the same time it has only useful properties. And it is undeniable, unlike coffee.

· Warn others that your bad mood in the next couple of weeks has nothing to do with them.

· Tell your loved ones about your experience. I suggest calling this an experiment, not a coffee break. So others, and yourself, it will be easier to accept the changes. It is easier to adhere to the planned plan when there are no strict restrictions “forever”, “now never”, “refusal” (underline as necessary).

Before giving up this business, hold out for at least a month and a half. Such a period is necessary in order for all positive changes to appear. If you give up early, you will nullify the point of the whole undertaking. In a shorter period of time, you will not understand anything and will simply waste both time and energy in vain.

For the purity of the experiment in two months I suggest trying a cup of good freshly brewed coffee. You will immediately understand by sensations - HOW exactly you react to it. And then decide - to return to this drink, or it is worth continuing to live without it. Personally, after my first cup of coffee, which I drank after three months of life without caffeine, I was only once again convinced of the correctness of the chosen path: I felt VERY bad.

When the addiction goes away, if you wish, you can always treat yourself to a cup of coffee or black tea. After all, the main thing is getting rid of addiction.. And if you live quietly for a month without coffee, and then at the airport you succumb to the temptation of smells from a coffee shop and order a cappuccino for yourself, well, okay! Enjoy and move on. Without coffee.

Definitely worth a try. After all, what do you have to lose? Good luck!

Coffee for many people is a great way to wake up in the morning and feel more awake, but for some people, coffee becomes not only a means of awakening and getting energy, but also a faithful companion and friend throughout the day, and in the future this “friend” becomes cause many of their health problems. Such people can be called coffee lovers, for them give up coffee This is a daunting task and a difficult decision. Caffeine is a drug, and like quitting any other drug, you need a clear step-by-step plan of action. You also need to be prepared for "breaking" and a serious drop in energy levels at first. And in today's article, I will try to give you this step-by-step method of dealing with caffeine addiction. If you decide to heed these tips, you can give up coffee with minimal psychological disruption.

Stage number 1 - preparation

Tune in psychologically

Be honest: do you like the taste of coffee or the energy boost that comes after drinking it? Many people drink coffee for one of these two reasons, without thinking about how seriously the drink can damage the body. If you constantly (manically) always want coffee, then it's time to think about how give up coffee and help your body recover. Amount up to 450 mg per day is considered safe enough, which is equivalent to 3 medium cups per day.

Think of the positives

If you drink more than 3 cups of coffee a day, then you are obviously addicted. Not at all necessary give up coffee absolutely, but it is necessary to significantly reduce its consumption during the day.

The effect of excess caffeine on the body is expressed in the following:

• Increased risk of hypertension
• Due to severe overload, the liver cannot effectively neutralize toxins;
• Increases the risk of developing caries;
• Weak bones;
• Psychological/physiological dependence develops;
• Increased anxiety;
• Often alternate periods of hyperactivity, inability to concentrate with periods of complete weakness;
• Sleep disturbances are observed;
• Slows down weight loss
• The body is dehydrated;
• The level of sexual desire decreases, potency weakens in men;
• Nervous excitability increases.

Find replacement drinks

If coffee seems vital to you, then think about what you can replace it with. The well-known saying “There are no irreplaceable people” is also true for coffee. My personal advice to you: drink more water is the healthiest and best substitute; you can also drink carbonated mineral water, but just not sweet soda because it also contains caffeine. Another healthy drink, which should be considered as an alternative to coffee, is. It also contains caffeine, but in its own way useful properties it beats coffee a lot!

Step #2 – Give up coffee gradually

Start consistently and slowly giving up coffee. It’s better to start small than to drastically cut caffeine out of your diet. Drink one less cup of coffee daily than usual for a week. If at first give up coffee in the morning will be an impossible task for you, then skip the daytime or evening portion, and before morning cup Coffee MUST drink a glass of water!

To gradually give up coffee try one or two doses of this drink to replace natural cocoa or chicory, then drink 2 cups less coffee for the second week. Keep cutting back until you reach a safe amount or eliminate coffee from your diet altogether.

Make coffee less accessible to you

Allocate your "coffee" budget for the week. Thus, if you exceeded the expenses in the first couple of days, then by the end of the week there will be no money left for an additional cup / can. If you gradually reduce the amount of money for coffee, then in the end you will automatically limit yourself in its use.

Make time for rest and recuperation

Choose one day (let it be Saturday or Sunday) when you are not solving problems, not working, and not "on the run". When you do not need to solve urgent and urgent matters. Let this day be empty in the organizer for at least three consecutive weeks after giving up coffee. Give your body a rest on this day, eat fresh fruits, vegetables, drink multivitamins, including B vitamins. They act on the body in the same way as caffeine.

drink water

Drinking enough water all the time will help your body's cells cleanse and hydrate. Caffeine is a diuretic and causes the body to lose a lot of fluid. On people who drink coffee in moderate amount the diuretic effect is mild, unlike those who are addicted to caffeinated drinks and energy drinks. Dehydration can lead to poor health. Try to drink at least 1.5 liters of water daily.

Step #3 – Get rid of the caffeine “lust”

Try to get enough rest

For many of us, caffeine is a way to combat sleepiness during the day and a way to boost low energy levels. Make sure you get a good night's sleep every night while fighting caffeine addiction, as healthy sleep regenerates and resets the body. nervous system.

Limit your alcohol intake

Restrictions on liquor along with drinking enough Water is very important in the fight against caffeine addiction. Alcohol causes dehydration and is also a strong depressant, so it may well provoke a strong desire to drink coffee the day after the party to please yourself.

Get ready for a caffeine craving

Depending on the amount of caffeine that your body has received daily, the body may experience a shock of varying intensity when reducing the usual serving of coffee. If you decide give up coffee At first, you may experience the following symptoms:

• Drowsiness and fatigue;
• depression;
• Headache;
• Irritability;
• Inability to focus on work;
• muscle weakness;
• flu symptoms;
• insomnia;
• constipation;
• Anxiety and nervousness.

Distract yourself with pleasant things

make up your mind give up coffee in the morning or at other times it will be easier if you occupy your brain with something else. Think ahead about when your caffeine craving peaks during the day (like driving past your favorite coffee shop, going to a work meeting, etc.) and come up with distractions during that time. These maneuvers should be based on what you like and enjoy: listening to your favorite music, calling a friend, looking at pictures of cats, etc. You should always have a phone, a player, a tablet, a book, a newspaper at hand so that you can quickly get distracted.

Step #4 – Boost Your Energy Without Caffeine

Listen to energetic songs

If you can listen to music at work, why not grab some headphones and turn the music up a few tones? This will make your heart beat faster and make you want to dance. Agree, a great way to beat the afternoon breakdown.

Turn on the light

The body reacts to lighting. If the place where you relax or work is too dark, it can negatively affect the physical and mental processes. Try to keep your blinds/curtains open in the morning so you feel good when you wake up. If your workspace is too dark, add lighting so your body doesn't feel sleepy and tired from lack of light (and doesn't end up craving caffeine).

Stop slouching

A hunched posture at a desk in front of a computer is not recommended for many reasons, since in addition to reducing energy levels, it causes curvature of the spine and poor posture. Sit in an upright, ergonomic posture that sets your body up for high energy concentration and active work. Try to get up and move during the work day. If possible, do a series of exercises while sitting - this will increase energy levels and speed up metabolism.

And a couple of final tips:

- Some people get rid of caffeine addiction quickly enough and easily refuse coffee despite withdrawal symptoms. weakness and headache show how caffeine actually affects the body, so getting rid of caffeine addiction is the first step towards a happier and healthier life.

If you've started, don't give up. Go to the goal gradually instead of abruptly give up coffee and feel all the delights of the withdrawal syndrome.

- If you want to keep caffeine in your daily diet, then stop at one cup of coffee a day. This amount is safe for the body. Moreover, with a small cup of coffee, you can reduce your appetite and avoid overeating.

It is very important to do everything in moderation. The same rule applies to coffee and caffeinated drinks. If energy drinks and other caffeinated drinks have firmly entered your diet, then you will have to work on yourself and do everything to limit consumption or completely give up coffee. It is quite possible to do this, but subject to full awareness of the harm from consuming excessive amounts of caffeine.

If you are limited to a small daily portion of coffee, then you do not need to give up coffee fully. In I will tell you how to drink coffee without harm to health, which coffee is considered the best and why, and I will also tell you whether you should drink coffee before and after a workout. Don't miss it, it will be interesting =)

Sincerely yours, Yaneliya Skripnik!

Thanks to the rich tart taste, pleasant aroma and the invigorating effect that coffee can have on the human body, this drink has gained worldwide popularity. However, many people often abuse this energy drink, which leads to health problems. Therefore, the question of how to stop drinking coffee and get rid of coffee addiction forever is important and topical for some coffee lovers.

Natural coffee in in large numbers does not harm health. Caffeine has a stimulating effect on the body, promotes the elimination of toxins and improves blood circulation.

On the other hand, many coffee addicts are faced with the development of addiction to this drink and, trying to get rid of addiction, are wondering why it is better not to drink coffee.

Excessive consumption of caffeine can lead to the following health problems:

• increased blood pressure;
• poor absorption of vitamins, minerals and other useful substances;
• insomnia;
• heartburn;
• dehydration of the body;
• increased nervous excitability, stress, panic attacks;
• chronic headaches;
• overweight;
• diseases of the cardiovascular system, liver and kidneys;
• hormonal imbalance;
• stomach ulcer, etc.

Given these disadvantages, people suffering from the symptoms of a coffee hangover are often interested in what will happen if they do not drink coffee and how to quickly get rid of addiction to it without changing their usual lifestyle. There are many ways to quit coffee, but first you need to determine if you have an addiction to this drink.

Coffee addiction, coffee hangover symptoms

Excessive uncontrolled consumption of coffee leads to the appearance, which negatively affects the state of the body and the human nervous system. Among the many signs of a coffee hangover are the following:

• if you haven't had a cup natural coffee, you have a headache;
• without drinking a coffee drink, you cannot concentrate and concentrate;
• in the morning you always drink coffee, otherwise you cannot wake up completely;
• you drink more than 5-6 cups of the drink per day;
• you have trouble sleeping, often suffer from insomnia;
• you become restless, irritable and nervous without drinking a coffee drink.

Symptoms of caffeine overload may be present to varying degrees, depending on the individual tolerance of this irritant. In addition, other factors also influence the sensitivity to a drink: age, body weight, health status, etc.

How to stop drinking coffee

To wean yourself from coffee and wean yourself from drinking several cups of this invigorating drink daily, you need to have a clear motivation. The way you choose to kick your coffee addiction depends on the reasons that motivate you to stop taking caffeine.

To cope with addiction will help regular exercise stress. Sports activities help to speed up metabolism, improve blood circulation and provide the body with big amount energy. Exercise relieves stress and has a positive effect on health. Morning exercises can replace a cup of tonic and help to cheer up.

For the duration of addiction, limit or completely eliminate from daily diet carbohydrate snacks, snacks, confectionery. Such food causes fluctuations in blood glucose, and during the period of falling sugar levels, the desire to drink coffee is the strongest.

If you cannot refuse a drink because of it palatability switch to caffeine tablets. Before use, consult a doctor who will correctly calculate allowable dose drug.

In the case when drinking becomes a social attribute for you and a way of pleasant leisure time with friends, it is necessary to inform your surroundings in advance about the desire to cope with this habit. It is important to avoid temptations, temporarily not to visit coffee shops and other catering establishments. The less often there is a desire to drink a cup of coffee, the faster it will be possible to get rid of coffee addiction.

There are many ways to get rid of coffee addiction. In open sources, you can find expert advice on this topic and choose individually suitable option. Having decided to give up coffee, one of the stepwise methods should be preferred.

morning without coffee

Although coffee drink invigorates and helps to wake up, try to give it up in the morning. Drink a glass after waking up warm water, and after half an hour have a hearty breakfast. This will fill the body with strength and energy. For the experiment, it is better to choose a day off, because. against the background of refusal of caffeine, a decrease in working capacity may occur, signs of irritability and nervousness may appear.

Let's go to tea

Replace coffee with natural herbal or green tea, in which the concentration of caffeine is lower, and the energy effect same. This drink has good taste properties and is not addictive. In addition, green tea high content health-promoting nutrients. Choose varieties that do not contain flavors, additives and dyes. When using tea bags, do not brew too strong.

Hot drinks without caffeine

If without drinking coffee you experience a breakdown and a bad mood, replace it with another drink. As an alternative, fit:

• hot chocolate;
• cocoa;
• natural juices, compotes and fruit drinks;
• water;
• chicory:
• drinks containing cardamom, barley, ginseng, etc.

These liquids do not contain caffeine, but they are also able to have a tonic and invigorating effect on the body and provide a variety of taste sensations.

We reduce the dosage

Narcologists do not recommend extreme refusal of the drink, because. this can cause malfunctions in the body and lead to the appearance psychological problems. Therefore, do not stop drinking coffee abruptly, but try to make smaller portions of it every day. After 2-3 weeks, you will be able to completely eliminate caffeine from your diet. The advantages of this method are comfortable weaning and the absence of side effects that appear with a sharp refusal. However, by practicing this technique, some coffee lovers complain about the length of the process and return to addiction.

Use coffee in an emergency

Consume invigorating drink only in special situations, such as when you need to work at night or drive a car. In such cases, coffee will help to cope with drowsiness and will have a tonic effect on the body. This method should be used as little as possible so as not to harm your health.

get enough sleep

You don't have to drink a lot of caffeinated drinks to feel alert and productive. It is enough to take at least 8 hours a day for a healthy sleep. Such good rest will help restore strength and energy, which is enough to maintain mental and physical activity during the day. In addition, it is important to observe the sleep and wakefulness regimen in order to feel comfortable in the morning.