“No Coffee November” Experiment

Well… I did it! One month of zero coffee. This is coming from a former addict [read my history with coffee ++ why I went on a break here].

It’s funny because THE DAY AFTER I wrote the blog post on one week without coffee [which I described as totally fine for the most part], I got my first caffeine withdrawal headache… + it hit hard, lasting for 3 days!

I think part of the reason for the headache//fog was that I was majorly jet lagged [I had just gotten to India] + the other part was that the tea at the retreat center I was staying at was served in ~4 oz pours, so I was barely taking in any caffeine [#torture]. BUT, this ended up being a blessing because for the next week I was moving around so much on a retreat in India that there were some days that I didn’t have any caffeine [+ I was fine!].

After 30 days without coffee, here‘s my experience:

#1] I had more consistent energy — You may have heard [or experienced, lol] about the “ups + downs” of coffee [like sugar!]… tea gives you a smoother “buzz” that lasts longer. There’s no crashing with tea, but you also don’t get a OH MY GOSH I FEEL AMAZING caffeine high that coffee gives you.

#2] I don’t need anything when I wake up — This is the best benefit, + it still amazes me that in one month I’ve gotten to this place. I love waking up with hot water, lemon, + cinnamon… + then an hour later I make a matcha latte.

#3] I’ve spent way less money ; ) — Second best benefit. It’s absolutely absurd how expensive matcha + ~Oatley~ lattes are. Why is milk so expensive at a coffee shop!? It takes two seconds to froth [buy a steamer + matcha]+ it’s seriously so much cheaper as a DIY!

#4] I had smoother digestion in the morning — I still want to get a stool test because I know that I have gut issues [TMI? ; )], but my digestion has been smoother in the morning with tea. I don’t think you’d want me to explain this, aha — so just trust me + see for yourself!

#5] I still wanted coffee — Someone told me, “give up coffee + you’ll be surprised that you’ll never want it again.” Nope. I love the smell, taste, + ritual of coffee! I had a sip of coffee on the first day of December + I loved it!

Your Questions, Answered:

#1] Would you recommend exercising to jump start your day instead of coffee? I enjoy starting my day with movement [typically a 15 min yoga flow], but I don’t think our bodies need anything to “jump start” our morning if we take care of our bodies. This includes enough sleep, stress management, self-care, fuel, movement, etc throughout the day. We should be able to wake up feeling #rechaarged, + ready to take on the day. Most of us are NOT at that place + that is why we rely on “boosts” in the morning [coffee, exercise, etc]… this is where I was at + why I wanted to challenge myself to move towards following my body’s natural rhythms.

#2] What kind of withdrawals did you experience? Headaches after the first week for a couple days! It wasn’t as extreme as I thought it was going to be. Also, a lot of times… I realized that the headaches were caused by dehydration!

#3] Did you experience a “crash” with tea? I wish I could get in other people’s bodies + experience what their “crash” feels like. For me, crashing simply means that I’m tired. This could be for a variety of reasons! There are times in the middle of the day when caffeine + movement can be helpful, but there are always times when I just need to go to bed earlier. Our bodies are not meant to be crashing every day. If you’re experiencing this, your body is trying to tell you to listen to it + give it more rest//less stress… it’s working hard!

#4] What was your favorite benefit that you experienced? Not needing anything to wake up! Seriously such a cool feeling.

#5] What’s next in your relationship with coffee? ; ) — I’m going to continue with tea, unless I’m craving a coffee. I want to sprinkle in more no caffeine days, + eventually see if I can go a month without caffeine.

#6] Not a question, but try celery juice in the morning — Asking for this juicer for Christmas for that exact reason!

Any other questions? Let me know! This was such a fun experiment… + it’s totally doable… TRUST ME, I was a daily coffee drinker for 10 years! Let me know if you go one month without coffee + how it goes! : )