Going caffeine free

[Pete]

^

Keep in mind that the effects of caffeine catch up with you the older you get.

It happens so gradually over such a long period very few are aware until they stop for several months.

[Urbanized]

I drink two half-caf Nespressos each morning, and will sometimes have (unsweet) iced tea for lunch. I pretty much never drink caffeinated sodas. So I probably average just over a cup of coffee per day. On days that I rush out of the house and miss my coffee I don't notice any difference whatsoever. That said, I am ADHD and our brains do react quite a bit differently than most to caffeine. I could literally have a couple of full-strength espressos before bedtime and sleep like a baby.

[Teo9969]

Has anyone tried the mushroom coffee stuff? I'd love to hear personal anecdotes about it.

In the Rio Platense region of South America there is a tea called "Yerba Mate" that is very commonly drunk down there and a lot of people consume incredible amounts of it. People swear it has a different effect than coffee. I sometimes use that to go cold turkey on the sodas but still keep some caffeine in the system.

[mrdude]

Pete, I know they suck (loathe them myself) but try cold showers. They can spike endorphins just like those dopamine drops caffeine (and alcohol even) give you, as well as helping with any mild depression while tapering. I assume since they are likely recommended in the mornings you could mid day as well.

Former 4/5 cup black coffee daily drinker here that like others was anxiety sensitive and I entirely rely on good sleep or will have a schlew of issues without it, and gave it up with no return in sight closing in on a year now. I do drink a ton of water and never drink “pop” as the sugar content (or aspartame) alone are worth the kick. Also yes, alcohol is just literal poison luckily this is widely coming to light recently. That one isn’t a fun realization but it’s nothing but cons.

[OkieBerto]

Surprisingly, I don't miss the taste of soda at all and therefore have not switched to caffeine-free versions. I just don't miss it.

I do miss the caffeine but I'm already starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. I miss the morning rush but that is offset by a much more even energy level throughout the rest of the day.

I'm also sleeping much better, and sleep is perhaps the most underrated aspect of health. You don't hear about it much because there isn't a lot of money to be made there, apart from the ridiculous number of new mattress options.

The combination of better rest and even energy distribution is starting to make a noticeable difference.

Five years ago, I gave up on soda and any sugary drink for good. I have cut down on drinking alcohol to almost none at all. I put myself to bed early—10 pm is the latest for me. I have cut the coffee down to one large 16 oz. cup in the morning and stopped drinking it before noon. I try to walk every day, even if it is super hot outside. I just go to the gym for at least 30 minutes. All of this has helped me get more sleep and feel healthier altogether. I even look younger than I did five years ago. Ha!

[Pete]

The extent to which the American culture has become caffeine addicted is pretty staggering.

It used to be that some people would fix themselves a cup of coffee before going to work, and/or drink a small amount in their office. But there was always a big percentage of the population that didn't drink coffee at all. When I was in undergrad in the 80s and then grad school in the 90s, nobody was drinking coffee let alone Red Bull. There weren't even coffee pots at most of my jobs until well into the 2000s.

Now, we have a Starbuck's on every corner, 10 other drive-thru coffee chains, the huge success of energy drinks (both in cans and at various restaurants), and tons of boba tea places along with the booming HTeaO. Not to mention the huge amount of soda consumed everywhere: at home, fast food, restaurants, and pretty much every place you go.

This is all relatively new and pretty crazy to think about. And it's all driven by caffeine.

[BoulderSooner]

The extent to which the American culture has become caffeine addicted is pretty staggering.

It used to be that some people would fix themselves a cup of coffee before going to work, and/or drink a small amount in their office. But there was always a big percentage of the population that didn't drink coffee at all. When I was in undergrad in the 80s and then grad school in the 90s, nobody was drinking coffee let alone Red Bull. There weren't even coffee pots at most of my jobs until well into the 2000s.

Now, we have a Starbuck's on every corner, 10 other drive-thru coffee chains, the huge success of energy drinks (both in cans and at various restaurants), and tons of boba tea places along with the booming HTeaO. Not to mention the huge amount of soda consumed everywhere: at home, fast food, restaurants, and pretty much every place you go.

This is all relatively new and pretty crazy to think about. And it's all driven by caffeine.

i will say that black coffee has been a staple of the military for much much longer then this .. going back to the 60's at least

[Pete]

i will say that black coffee has been a staple of the military for much much longer then this .. going back to the 60's at least

So were cigarettes.

[BoulderSooner]

So were cigarettes.

no doubt and sadly they still are for lot of military members ..

[bamarsha]

Congrats Pete!

I gave up caffeine once cold turkey... it took 2-3 days for my horrible headache to go away. That experiment only lasted a few months... then I realized how much I missed Dr. Pepper. I went more for the diet versions, but I kept adding more and more. Now, I would guess I am well over 200 mg of caffeine per day. The number one thing I notice is that if I don't get caffeine by a certain amount of time, I get a severe headache. I have thought about quitting again (getting old also), but... it's tough and a big commitment to successfully do it.

[corwin1968]

The extent to which the American culture has become caffeine addicted is pretty staggering.

It used to be that some people would fix themselves a cup of coffee before going to work, and/or drink a small amount in their office. But there was always a big percentage of the population that didn't drink coffee at all. When I was in undergrad in the 80s and then grad school in the 90s, nobody was drinking coffee let alone Red Bull. There weren't even coffee pots at most of my jobs until well into the 2000s.

Now, we have a Starbuck's on every corner, 10 other drive-thru coffee chains, the huge success of energy drinks (both in cans and at various restaurants), and tons of boba tea places along with the booming HTeaO. Not to mention the huge amount of soda consumed everywhere: at home, fast food, restaurants, and pretty much every place you go.

This is all relatively new and pretty crazy to think about. And it's all driven by caffeine.

When I go to a coffee shop, my drink consists of two ingredients: Espresso and milk. I don't think that's true of most people. I suspect it's more the trifecta of sugar, fat and caffeine in most of the drinks those places serve. Just like sugar/processed carbs, fat and salt are why people consume so much junk food.

I'm 56 and there have always been coffee drinkers around but it wasn't until coffee drinks became sugar/fat bombs, that it seemed to be everywhere. Heck, that's how I got into drinking coffee. Those crappy little bottles of Starbucks Frappucino.

[Roger S]

Has anyone tried the mushroom coffee stuff? I'd love to hear personal anecdotes about it.

Yes... I love mushrooms but I could never develop a taste for the mushroom coffee.

[CaptDave]

Has anyone tried the mushroom coffee stuff? I'd love to hear personal anecdotes about it.

I'm trying it now and will say it is an acquired taste. I prefer to add some cinnamon, nutmeg, and a little honey to make it more palatable. Still unsure of any benefits but decided to give it two solid months before making a determination on that.

[Teo9969]

I expect a full report on my desk by 9/15.

But for real, I will probably come back to this thread as I would love to find a healthier substitute for the Cokes and DrPeppers

[Celebrator]

I expect a full report on my desk by 9/15.

But for real, I will probably come back to this thread as I would love to find a healthier substitute for the Cokes and DrPeppers

If you want the convenience of a canned drink but with "clean" ingredients, try Spin Drift, it doesn't have the very ambiguous "natural flavors" that Le Croix, Bubbly, etc. have in them. Those "natural flavors" are anything but...they are artificially produced. Look for straight fruit juice and no artificial sweeteners when choosing a "better" soda. Best option is to make your own with a Soda Stream because then you can use good, clean juices (I love organic lemon juice or lime juice) and your own filtered water from something like a Berkey water filter.

[jompster]

Has anyone tried the mushroom coffee stuff? I'd love to hear personal anecdotes about it.

In the Rio Platense region of South America there is a tea called "Yerba Mate" that is very commonly drunk down there and a lot of people consume incredible amounts of it. People swear it has a different effect than coffee. I sometimes use that to go cold turkey on the sodas but still keep some caffeine in the system.

I've been using Ryze mushroom coffee. It has an earthy flavor underlying the coffee flavor, and using some creamer in it will help reduce it. After 1 month I'm not feeling much different, but will probably wait until after 2 months to decide whether to keep on it or not.

[dankrutka]

Update: So, I usually drink 1-2 cups of coffee everyday (it's the only caffeine I typically have), but per this conversation I decided to see how my body would respond to giving up coffee for a few days. I had a half cup of coffee on Sunday and I haven't had any caffeine since. I had more symptoms than I expected on Monday. I was pretty fatigued all day and eventually did get a headache, which I didn't expect. Definitely wasn't at my best all day. However, I am feeling great today. No fatigue or headaches thus far.

It's definitely a good experiment. I'm planning to go one more day without coffee. Going forward, I don't think I'll give up coffee because I already sleep well, feel good, and am pretty healthy. However, I am going to cut down on coffee some more so that I'm only having one cup on 4-5 days a week instead of every day. I may sub in some decaf on some days too. This is basically the same thing I've done with alcohol too. For me, I think moderation is key.

Alright, credit to Pete as I am starting to rethink drinking coffee regularly going forward. As I said, I had one day of withdrawal symptoms (headache, fatigue), but I've had no side effects since then. The biggest difference for me is that without coffee is that I'm not crashing in the late afternoon as bad. I still get a little tired, but I can persevere through it. Instead of turning into a walking zombie or taking a nap, which can then make it harder to fall asleep at a reasonable time. My energy level seems more stable instead of spiking up and then crashing down. I am going to try cutting coffee/caffeine out of my regular diet going forward. I've been drinking non-caffeinated tea in the afternoon so I'm not only drinking water all day. The other benefit is that when I really do want coffee or need an energy burst, it'll be much more effective. Good stuff, and it all started with this thread.

[BoulderSooner]

i wonder how many of those that are drinking coffee everyday .. have quite a bit of cream and sugar?? vs just black??

[Urbanized]

I have a splash (about a tablespoon) of half and half in mine, no sugar or sweetener. And please also keep your sugar and sweeteners away from my iced tea when I drink that.

[Oklapatriot]

i wonder how many of those that are drinking coffee everyday .. have quite a bit of cream and sugar?? vs just black??

Always Black, but if I have some half and half from a holiday or something I will sometimes use it, but not routinely. Sugar makes me clairvoyant, and I've had my share of sugar..

[OkieBerto]

If you want the convenience of a canned drink but with "clean" ingredients, try Spin Drift, it doesn't have the very ambiguous "natural flavors" that Le Croix, Bubbly, etc. have in them. Those "natural flavors" are anything but...they are artificially produced. Look for straight fruit juice and no artificial sweeteners when choosing a "better" soda. Best option is to make your own with a Soda Stream because then you can use good, clean juices (I love organic lemon juice or lime juice) and your own filtered water from something like a Berkey water filter.

Sprouts has a brand called Nixie that is similar to Spin Drift. It has everything you want in a Coke with high carbonation and solid flavors.

[Celebrator]

Sprouts has a brand called Nixie that is similar to Spin Drift. It has everything you want in a Coke with high carbonation and solid flavors.

I have seen that, but the ingredients are "Carbonated water, organic flavors" Too mysterious for me. That likely means they are lab created flavorings that are organic. Fine, but that is a bit of "green washing" to me. I'll pass.

[OkieBerto]

I thought this was a good interview with a coffee expert. It is long, but some interesting things come up.

[Pete]

Coffee and caffeine are completely separate things. And BTW, even decaf coffee has a small amount of caffeine.

I'm now a couple of weeks into completely cutting caffeine. It hasn't been easy... I miss the instant jolt of energy, especially in the mornings. The biggest advantages have been more energy in the afternoons and evenings and better sleep.

I'm committed to going 90 days and I hope this gets easier by then.

[OkieBerto]

Coffee and caffeine are completely separate things. And BTW, even decaf coffee has a small amount of caffeine.

I'm now a couple of weeks into completely cutting caffeine. It hasn't been easy... I miss the instant jolt of energy, especially in the mornings. The biggest advantages have been more energy in the afternoons and evenings and better sleep.

I'm committed to going 90 days and I hope this gets easier by then.

Here is another episode of the same podcast. It is by Dr. Daniel Amen, who discusses the effects Caffeine has on blood circulation. The older you get, the worse caffeine can be for you.