How I Cured My Coffee Addiction
Article by Swayze
I have to admit something. I used to LOVE coffee. I had a cup every single morning after my exercise with a “splash” of half and half and a couple tablespoons of sugar. I could not even imagine starting my day without my little cup of energy.
That was about two years ago. Now, I can’t stand the stuff. The smell alone makes me want to hurl. The fragrance is so strong and bitter. Yuck. I’ll just stick to water, thank you.
So what changed? How was I able to kick my coffee habit over two years ago? Why is just the smell of coffee so aggravating to me now?
Coffee Addiction
When I was much younger, I hated everything about coffee. The aroma, the look of it, the few sips I had tasted. I felt the same way about coffee as a child that I do today.
As I got older, I started having a cup in the morning. I still hated it at first, but it just seemed like something people did. Every adult I knew got up in the morning and fixed themselves a cup of coffee. My Mom drank coffee all throughout the day!
Before I knew it, I was hooked on the stuff. And it only took a few weeks to go from something I despised to something I relied on everyday. If I did not have my coffee, it was very hard for me to stay awake during my first few classes at school. I would usually experience a slight twinge in my forehead as well.
At the time, I thought that this was a sign that coffee was necessary in my diet. When I drank coffee, I felt good. When I stopped drinking it, I felt bad.
The Effects of Coffee
You see, coffee has two effects: a short term effect and a long term effect. The caffeine in coffee is a stimulant and consuming it causes your body to work overtime trying to neutralize it. Your body’s sudden state of frenzy causes you to feel energized and awake for a short period of time. This is the short term effect.
Once these effects have worn off, the body returns (or “comes down”) to its original condition. You now feel sluggish and tired again. This is the long term effect of drinking coffee.
Many people only notice the short term effect. While virtually everyone experiences the “drop off” later in the day (I know I did), they do not associate this with the coffee. In fact, I’m sure many of you attempt to solve the problem by having more coffee!
How to Cure Your Coffee Addiction
The best way to stop drinking coffee is to STOP DRINKING COFFEE! If you continue to drink the stuff, you will continue to be dependent upon it.
Personally, I went completely cold turkey from my one cup a day. I had a couple of slight headaches for a few days, but that was the extent of my detox. After a couple of weeks, I felt much better and no longer longed for coffee. After two short months, I could not imagine drinking coffee at all.
If you drink numerous cups of coffee each day, it might be best to gradually reduce how much you drink. An easy way to do this is to replace each cup with caffeine-free tea. If you choose, you can keep going by replacing the tea with just warm or cold lemon water.
Either way you choose, your goal should be to completely eliminate coffee from your diet. It provides no nutritional value and has no place in a healthy lifestyle.
My hope is that one day coffee drinking will be a thing of the past and people will rely on good ole exercise and nutrition to energize themselves for the day.
A girl can dream, right?;)
About the Author
For more information on the best raw vegan diet, be sure to visit Fit On Raw and subscribe to Swayze’s newsletter Peachy Keen Ezine. By subscribing, you will also receive the free report The 4 Principles of a Healthy Raw Diet as well as the 5-week mini-course The Fool Proof Transition to Raw.