Why I Quit Coffee (And What I Drink Instead)

After drinking coffee every morning for over a decade  I came to the sad realization that coffee was just not working for me anymore.

About five months ago I realized that, rather than coffee making me feel good, it was actually making me feel terrible, giving me very bad anxiety, drowsiness, headaches and an all around blah feeling.

On a typical night I get a solid 8+ hours of sleep and therefore always wake up with a lot of energy and rarely get tired throughout the day. The fact that something like coffee which was supposed to be giving me even more energy was bringing me down was a sure sign it wasn’t right for me anymore. I feel pretty darn good every day so when something is a little bit off, I am very aware and can pin point the culprit.

Of course once I came to this conclusion I dove in deep researching coffee and it’s possible effects on health over time. Coffee has always been a controversial topic and it’s  just as confusing to me! There are TONS of studies saying it’s good for you and others saying it’s bad. I believe, like anything else, good quality coffee is completely fine in moderation (quality is the key the word here, folks).

Some effects coffee can have on your health:

• Terrible for Hormones. Most people believe coffee increases your metabolism. False. Coffee directly affects our hormones, in particular estrogen. Since coffee introduces stress back into the body it can lead to a rise in cortisol, estrogen dominance, adrenal fatigue and in turn weight gain. Since I was in the process of trying to balance my hormones after going off birth control, coffee really was not the best idea and could be the reason for my sudden intolerance. See my blog post: My Experience Going Off Birth Control After 10 Years. Coffee is awful when it comes to the female hormones in particular. If you struggle with painful periods, fibroids, cysts of any kind, endometriosis, infertility, low sex drive, moodiness, low energy, and weight issues – coffee is making all of these problems much worse.
• Can lead to electrolyte imbalance depleting your body of necessary minerals such as magnesium, calcium, and potassium.
• Habituation to caffeine decreases insulin sensitivity and therefore leads to high blood pressure.
• Due to it’s high acid content it can damage the gut lining.

This is all pretty scary and I am glad I did the research because I feel like a new woman now. Part of the reason I had such a hard time giving up coffee was the habitual aspect of it. There is nothing better than waking up in the morning and enjoying a cup while relaxing on the couch or walking to one of the local coffee shops with my husband on Friday mornings.

So what did I do?  I chose to switch out my morning cup with a matcha latte! Sure I could just throw a bag of tea in some hot water, but that’s no fun. This way I could still make it a ritual by making my matcha as I would coffee with frothed milk.

I don’t get any of the same side effects drinking matcha as I do coffee although it still contains a good amount of caffeine. This leads me to believe is is the actual coffee bean itself, not caffeine. Rather than a typical coffee crash I get a feeling of wellness and sustained energy throughout the day.  And surprise, all of those side effects I was experiencing went away!

Moral of the story: listen to your body. If you have been having mixed feelings about your morning cup of joe or anything  in your life for that matter, it might be time to give it up. If you are a forever coffee lover and your body takes to it well, then keep truckin’ along! Certain people may tolerate coffee and even get some health benefits from it but it is evident it is not for everyone, myself included. Everyone’s body changes, I was fine with coffee for years and it wasn’t until recently that I paid attention to my body and gave it what it wanted or didn’t want for that matter.

Will I go back to coffee? Perhaps someday, but for now my body is telling me no and I am going to listen.

My new favorite drink: Matcha and Homemade Cashew Milk!

Energy Packed Matcha Latte Recipe:

• 2 Teaspoons Aiya Matcha (make sure you get a ceremonial grade, the brand matters and can alter the taste)
• 2 Scoops Vital Proteins CollagenPowder (optional)
• 18 Drops of Lion’s Mane (optional)
• Frothed Homemade Cashew Milk ( see recipe below)

1. You will need 2 coffee cups. One for the matcha and one for the milk.
2. Fill one cup 1/2 way with cashew milk, froth with a handheld frother or frother of choice. Put aside.
3. Boil water and put 2 teaspoons matcha in the other cup.
4. Once water comes to a boil, add about 4 tablespoons to the matcha cup. Stir, mix, whisk, or froth until all the matcha is dissolved. ( I prefer a handheld frother for this)
5. Once mixed, add enough water to bring it up to about 1/2  way on the cup, add collagen and lions main if using,  stir or froth once again.
6. Pour the matcha into the frothed milk and stir/ froth once again for a few seconds.

Homemade Cashew Milk:

Why do I choose to make my own nut milk rather than store bought?

Store bought nut milks and coconut milks are bad news, most of them anyways. They contain some really toxic thickeners and emulsifiers such as carrageenan, soy lecithin, vegetable oils, xanthan gum, and natural flavor (what the heck is this)? All of these ingredients are really hard to digest and bad for gut health.

After I started making my own cashew milk with only 4 ingredients and no additives there is no turning back. Guys! It tastes like a vanilla milk shake!

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons vanilla
• pinch of salt

1. Soak 1 cup cashews overnight in a bowl in the refrigerator.
2. Put soaked cashews in a blender, add 2 cups water. Blend until smooth and there are no more solids.
3. Add 2 more cups of water, add vanilla, salt, and maple syrup. Blend well until all is smooth and creamy.
4. Put in a mason jar or jar of choice. Will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days in a sealed container.