11 Tips and Tricks to Kick Your Coffee Addiction
Addicted to caffeine? No problem! Been there, done that. Boy, do I remember the days … working long hours, drinking two or three triple-shot soy cappuccinos. I’m surprised my adrenal glands are still functioning. Better late than never, though. I was determined to kick the coffee addiction, and I did just that with the help of the following tips and tricks.
- Fresh-squeezed orange juice in the morning can give some pure raw energy instead of stimulated energy from caffeine. And it tastes so good!
- Hot peppers can work wonders for caffeine addiction because they give a real rush of endorphins. For the hard-core folks out there, think habanera peppers. If you find those too hot, then start with a milder red pepper, and work your way up. The idea here is that it must be hot enough to release endorphins, the brain’s mechanism for dulling pain. The endorphins tackle two issues for you: providing energy so you don’t miss the caffeine and fighting headaches that may result from caffeine withdrawal. When I want a quick burst of energy, I just take a couple nibbles.
- Lots of green juices, including wheat grass, will help alkalize the blood and reduce cravings for caffeine. Add carrot juice either straight or in the green juice. The carrot juice helps give you a little extra energy boost.
- To help avoid severe withdrawal problems, consider tapering off gradually. You can start with half decaf, or just make the regular caffeine version with fewer coffee beans/ground when you’re making it at home (it’ll be more watered down than normal). Back in the day, one thing that helped me when I went to Starbucks was ordering a small regular coffee with a quarter of it as hot water. I increased that to half of the cup as hot water with the other half as coffee and so on. Of course, you can go half regular coffee with half decaf and eventually work your way to 100% decaf. Get organic when possible.
- Organic black tea and green tea are reputed to have a number of beneficial health properties, along with a more subtle caffeine boost than coffee. So, it’s a great way to enjoy a hot beverage with a little caffeine as you transition away from toxic, often pesticide-ridden, caffeine-filled coffee. And, finally, have herbal tea as a goal when you’re ready to eliminate all the caffeine in your diet. Enjoy it sweetened with a touch of raw agave nectar, or toss in a tablespoon of goji berries. Those make for an awesome treat at the end of the cup when they’re plump and warm.
- If cola or energy drinks are your brand of poison, you’ll get a triple-whammy benefit by weaning yourself off of these antithesis-of-health beverages. You’ll be eliminating not only caffeine, but also a fairly disgusting quantity of sugar (or artificial sweeteners that bring their own host of problems) and the carbonic and phosphoric acids that are bad for your blood, leach calcium from your bones and dissolve the enamel on your teeth. As with coffee, it may be easier to reduce your quantity gradually by ordering a medium instead of a large or pouring out the contents of a can when you’re 2/3 of the way through it. Another great idea is to gradually cut your fountain drinks with soda water when available at self-serve fountains (it’s usually dispensed by a little hard-to-see plastic tab that may or may not be labeled). This won’t help reduce the acidity, but it will help you taper off your caffeine levels without denying yourself the refreshing and cleansing fizz — what I like to call “Throat Draino.” Caffeine is much more addictive than bubbles, so once you’ve kicked your chemical addiction to caffeine, it will be much easier to phase out carbonated beverages entirely.
- Drink cold-pressed coffee made with a Toddy Maker. This still has caffeine, but it’s less acidic than regularly brewed coffee, so it’s a start (I’m all about the baby steps!). You can find these machines online.
- Drink Teeccino, which is herbal coffee. My husband and I have become huge fans of this. For my husband, it was love at first sip. For me, although I really enjoyed it, it wasn’t the perfect coffee replacement for me when I first stumbled upon it. Then again, I was such a hard-core coffee lover, I didn’t think anything would ever compare to the real thing. That being said, here I am, loving Teeccino — big time! Not only does it taste great, but it’s not acidic and safe for pregnancy and breastfeeding. It’s high in potassium, helps restore alkalinity, and the chicory root can help improve digestion. We love it plain (black), and we also enjoy it with raw nut milk for a nice creamy experience. I’ve even brewed coffee mixed with Teeccino for some of my coffee-addict friends to reduce the caffeine and help them transition. They love it.
- Make a beverage (or food) with raw chocolate powder. Raw chocolate has only small amounts of caffeine, but it has a stimulating effect from theobromine. Many people love raw chocolate for the feel-good buzz they get.
- Rest and adequate sleep! I can’t emphasize enough that getting enough sleep at night (and rest) is one of the big keys for helping to maintain great energy levels, so you don’t feel the need to reach for caffeine.
- Set a schedule for yourself. Decide a plan of attack for eliminating coffee from your diet and write it on your calendar. Remember, part of the addiction is the experience associated with consumption (such as going to a cafe or wrapping your hands around a big, warm mug), so look for surrogates. Find new places and new cafes, and wrap your hands around a big mug of green smoothie, warm herbal tea or yummy Teeccino.
Photo Credit: Ahmed Rabea
24 Comments
Just wanted to note, this tea contains barley for all of the gluten-freebies out there. I was just researching locations to buy it and popped over to see what the ingredients are. Upon doing more research, the jury is out as to whether one could get exposed to gluten or not from it. Just thought I’d put it out there. Thanks for the suggestion though, sounds yummy!
Thanks Kristen! You’re posts and tips are always fabulous, but I reaalllly needed this one! ;)
Your not you’re!*
A few more tips I’ve found useful:
- drink chamomile tea – it calms you down and lets you sleep better at night so you can wake up feeling refreshed
- drink fresh veggie juices or Green Juices from your grocery store – these are packed with vitamins and minerals that can really help keep those withdrawals symptoms away!
I’m so glad the post has helped. Coming off caffeine really sucks – lol!
What do you think are the best reasons for giving up coffee? I’ve done a bit of reading on it, but I haven’t found a really compelling reason to drop organic coffee. Any reading you’d recommend?
Hi Sue,
This article is about helping people who are addicted to it. I don’t think people have to give it up completely if they don’t want (and if they don’t have problems with it), but for those addicted to it, it’s usually because they consume too much, which can be problematic.
Caffeine is tolerated differently by different people – important to keep that in mind. There’s no doubt, the difference in how I feel now that I’m not addicted versus how I was before is mind blowing.
For some, it raises their blood pressure. For others, it’s an acid reflux problem. For others it’s too stimulating – it’s considered a drug. The diuretic aspect can be bad. It can cause insomnia, anxiety, muscle twitching, and lead to ulcers.
Again… in moderation, it’s probably not a bad thing. But for people addicted to it, there could be issues.
Hey Kristen, I was curious what your favorite kind of Teeccino is??? Do you have a preference? There are so many to choose from!
A painless way to taper off caffienated coffee in a few weeks: buy a bag of decaf. Every time you take out coffee from your caffienated stash, replace it with the same amount of decaf and stir to mix it up. If you do this every day you can (unless you are daily making huge pots of coffee) gradually switch over to decaf with no headaches at all because the amount of caffiene is tapering off. Once onto full decaf, you can quit coffee altogether with no annoying (debilitating!!!) caffiene headaches.
thank you for posting this!
Coffee is like liquid cocaine (without the hangover of cocaine). It is so bad for the adrenals and acidic, and is the source of any acne I’ve had in my 20′s.
I am pretty much off of it, drinking about 1-2 cups a week, and Guayaki’s Yerba Mate ‘Mint Empowerment’ and ‘Pure Endurance (orange blossom)’ teas on the other days. They are super yummy!
My favorite Teeccino in the beginning was the Maya Java (I think it used to be Java and is now French Roast?). They are the most coffee like. These days I’m also loving the other line of theirs that is mostly organic in the chocolate and hazelnut flavors. Vanilla nut is good too.
You can get their sampler package of Tee-Bags from their website and try that. I just did that a couple of weeks ago.
Thanks for the great tips and substitutes. I just returned from Hawai’i with some Kona coffees. Oops! I love tea, coffee and/or a smoothie in the morning, but I try to switch it up with coffee and tea so I never “need” (read: have an addiction!) one or the other. Love your behaviorally oriented approach of taking small steps for healthy changes.
While I don’t consider myself addicted to coffee or caffeine, I don’t like the idea of ever really using it for a pick-me-up. I’d much prefer to ingest more natural products, like juice, or simply get enough rest that I don’t feel like I “need” anything! Great tips!
I stop drinking coffee for a month. Today I decided to have one cup. YUK!! Bitter acidity in my tummy, upset and YUK! I just wanted to taste some, it had a great aroma, (bought it in Baltimore). Does NOT like my tummy in L.A. No more for me! Great tips!!
That’s funny Maria. I know… smells amazing but can wreak havoc on tummies.
I am just two weeks into quitting. I am down to one cup from my normal “2″ every day in a french press. Thus far, I have only halved my intake. Next week – I will move to 1/2 decaf for my one cup. The drag is difficult. Feeling exhausted before the day begins. I didn’t realize how much I needed it until I was told to stop. I have Barretts and am now on a anti-acidic diet. No citrus. I could do smoothies and I feel better on those mornings.
Thanks for these tips. Great timing for me to find them!
Congrats Bernie! That’s great progress :)
I have also struggled with trying to quit the coffee roller coaster. I found, (thanks to my Naturopath), a replacement that tastes so much like coffee I couldn’t believe it. It’s called Dandy Blend. You can buy it online at DandyBlend.com. I have tried Teecino and other products, but nothing can compare. Try it…you’ll love it!
Thanks Marie, I’ll check it out. :)
Great tip about the OJ I am going to try it.
Another trick I have learnt in my quest to give up both coffee is tea. Is that I have to have a replacement when everyone else is enjoying a cup of coffee of tea.
For tea I drink Roibos – which is made exactly the same way as tea.
For coffee I use Organic Roasted Dandelion in a coffee plunger and then add 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla essence. No hit of caffeine but it tastes great.
I had to give up caffeine per my Dr’s orders. I had developed IBS. I’ve been caffeine free for 3 months now and feel absolutely great! I have no medical issues anymore, feel awake, not groggy. I didn’t know how bad the caffeine was really making me feel until I gave it up. I love the teecino coffees, they really helped me transition. I missed the real thing at first but now would never go back!!
Oh those headaches!!!!! Great info, I might try again to quit! My weight issues are a coffee thing. Sweet and creamy! Headaches always drive me back to it. Such debilitating headaches!
Thank you for sharing with us, I think this website genuinely stands out : D.
Thanks Kristen,
I sure needed to read this. I am working on ditching the caffeine and I do enjoy the Teeccino alot – love the idea of making a schedule to really make it happen!:)
J
September 8, 2010