After hearing that my father-in-law gave up coffee and caffeine eight months ago, I decided to do the same. Exactly sixty days ago I began the quest and for the last thirty days I have been caffeine-free. To put this into context a little, you should know that I drank at least a full pot (twelve cups) of coffee per day. I never drank soda; for me it was coffee and I have been slurping it down for over fifteen years. Oh yeah, the bean hooked me—bad.
Many may think that this addiction was a side effect from my abnormal but productive sleep schedule. I thought the same, however I was proven wrong. If anything, I am WAY more productive without the highs and lows that caffeine brings. So here is how I did it, step-by-step.
How to Quit Caffeine
Before you really make the choice to quit an addiction, you must first understand the reasoning. If you are simply doing it because DLM said it works, you are going to fail.
In humans, caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant, having the effect of temporarily warding off drowsiness and restoring alertness. Beverages containing caffeine, such as coffee, tea, soft drinks and energy drinks enjoy great popularity; caffeine is the world’s most widely consumed psychoactive substance, but unlike most other psychoactive substances, it is legal and unregulated in nearly all jurisdictions. In North America, 90 percent of adults consume caffeine daily.—Wikipedia
So we already get a glimpse into the fact that caffeine messes with you. Are there any naysayers? My personal choice to quit was because I hated the constant need for a pick-me-up. I wasn’t twitching each time I passed a Starbucks or anything crazy like that, however, I honestly felt a major energy drain as the hours passed by each day. Grabbing some coffee was always the quick fix. In my opinion, any time you need to consume something as a quick fix, you have a problem.
So, let’s wean ourselves off. These steps will get you off coffee, Mountain Dew, or any caffeine-laden drink that you are hooked on.
Reasons: What are the reasons? I explained mine but really what are the reasons you want to quit? Are your teeth brown as bark, do you have coffee breath? Your reasons are personal so don’t rely on me to tell you what to do and why.
The Count: As a baseline, you have to identify how much caffeine you are drinking today. Is it nine Mountain Dews, a pot of coffee, or sixteen Cokes? This baseline count will be your indicator of improvement.
The Wean: If you are drinking five cups of coffee per day, start by replacing one cup with a caffeinated tea. Yes, you read that right. I am all for slow transitions and the taste alone is enough of a change in the beginning. I did this for three days and then each day after, I replaced another cup of coffee for a cup of caffeinated tea. It took a while, but soon I was drinking all tea.
There are ninety different teas on the market so experiment a little and find something you really like. The key is to find a brand or flavor that comes in decaffeinated and caffeinated varieties. This process will be so much easier if you actually like the taste of the replacement. You should also be aware of the varying health benefits of tea as you choose a replacement beverage.
The De-Caffeinization: Yes, I made up that word but this is where we really start making some chemical changes. Using the process I mentioned above, start replacing the caffeinated tea with decaf tea. This is why I told you to pick a brand with both varieties. The taste will remain the same, but the caffeine is obviously going to decrease.
