Billions of people consume coffee or other caffeinated beverages every day. And although research and coffee companies tout the health benefits of this scent-alluring drink, everyone should give up coffee (caffeine) at least for a little while.
There are a few benefits to continuing to drink coffee, but few are actually reaping the rewards. Organic coffee, if drank black without any creamers or sweetners, does have antioxidant properties and can regulate blood sugar levels. But the majority of the coffee-drinking population add some sort of milk and/or sweetener to the otherwise black beverage, making it a less-than-healthy concoction.
So here are seven benefits to giving it up—at least for a while:
1. Break the Addiction
This was the number one reason I decided to put away my coffee grinder and Cuisinart. I started realizing that my day was being dictated by my coffee. I was using coffee to be my source of energy and focus, instead of relying on my own merit to do so. Coffee changes our brain’s chemistry and the more we drink it, the more we want it. It is highly addictive, so much like any drug that we become addicted to, coffee can have that same effect. I decided one day that I was the source of my energy in the day, not coffee. And once I made that decision, I knew coffee had to go.
2. Better Sleep
Coffee can greatly affect the amount and quality of someone’s sleep. Caffeine in general stays in our body for 4-6 hours, so drinking it later in the day can cause a disruption in sleep during the night. Coffee can also cause more trips to the restroom because of its diuretic properties (the increased need for urination).
3. Lose Weight
As mentioned already, unless you are drinking your coffee black, you are adding unnecessary calories to your day, which can result in gaining weight. Research shows that eliminating 1 Starbucks Vanilla Latte a day saves 250 daily calories—that’s 91,250 calories per year!
4. Lower Your Blood Pressure
Drinking coffee or caffeine raises your blood pressure, some even a few points. So not only is it healthy for your blood pressure to kick the coffee consumption, it also helps your heart not have to work so hard.
5. Stabilize Your Mood
Anyone know someone who is a total grouch until they have their coffee? I knew someone like that: me! Coffee and caffeine tricks our brains into releasing dopamine and serotonin. In addition, hormones, including adrenaline and norepinephrine, are released. These hormones are involved in the body’s fight-or-flight response which, unless we are getting chased by a tiger in Africa, we do not need. Since drinking coffee elicits this type of response system, it can cause us to be irritable, anxious, and agitated.
6. Decrease Your Anxiety
As mentioned above, coffee and caffeine can induce anxiety and can even lead to full-blown panic attacks. Caffeine binds to certain adenosine receptors in the brain, which are thought to also regulate how a person deals with stress and anxiety. So getting rid of caffeine can calm our bodies and our minds.
7. Save Money
Let’s be honest, going out for coffee is not cheap. Not to keep picking on Starbucks, but a single drink from there can range from $2.55 to over $6. If you purchased your coffee concoctions instead of making a home brew, you could be spending upwards of $42 per week or almost $2,184 per year. Think about that! You could go on a trip with that money. Or you could buy yourself your first Louis Vuitton purse. Or best yet, you could save that money (thank you Dave Ramsey). Any way you look at it, when you give up buying coffee, the possibilities are endless.
For all of you readers who are dreading the idea of giving up your morning ritual, I challenge you to give it a try at least once. When I first gave up coffee, one of the most profound changes I found was that I started having vivid dreams. Like detailed dreams that I still remembered intensely when I woke up. The other profound Aha! I discovered when I gave up coffee was that I felt empowered. Yes, empowered! For the first time in over 20 years, my energy came from me, not a substance I was drinking. I became in control of my emotions because coffee was not swaying whether I felt hyper, relaxed, uber focused, or ultra agitated.
I may not give up coffee forever. Or I might. But for now, I love creating new, healthier morning rituals, digging deep into what gives me sustainable, internal energy (yoga or cycling is my current energy of choice), and knowing that I am in control of my life, not my little cup o’ joe.
