Are you addicted to coffee? Many people confess to being addicted to their daily caffeine fix. They drink one or two cups of coffee every single day and to be honest, most people are genuinely shocked when I tell them that I don’t drink coffee. Now don’t get me wrong, I love coffee, in particular iced lattes, but I very rarely drink it and here’s why…

COST

If you live / work in London then chances are that you buy your coffee when you’re out. If you’re spending £5 each day on coffee, that’s over £100 per month. Say what!? Admittedly I probably spend the same amount, if not more, on juices and smoothies but hey we’re talking about coffee today. Ditch the coffee and save some cash.

SLEEP

This one is so obvious! It seems like everyone’s talking about sleep at the moment. (Shout out to Matthew Walker) We’re told that we need seven to eight hours of sleep each night, but it’s not just the quantity of sleep that you need to consider, but also the quality. Caffeine messes up out bodies sleep pattern. Even if you drink your coffee at lunch time, the caffeine will still be in your system at bedtime. The bottom line is, quit the coffee and you’ll improve the quality of your sleep.

STRESS LESS 

The caffeine in coffee increases catecholamines, your stress hormones. Personally, I am very sensitive to caffeine, I once had a really strong coffee at the hairdressers, and by the time I left, my hands were shaking, my heart was racing and I felt frantic. I know that not everyone has such an immediate reaction, but if you’re feeling stressed or feeling anxious then reducing your caffein intake could help.

GUT HEALTH

Coffee is bad for your gut. The acidity of coffee is associated with digestive discomfort, indigestion, heart burn and dysbiosis (imbalances in your gut flora). Give you gut a break and ditch that morning flat white.

So… if you do decide that you want to give up coffee, the initial withdrawal symptoms can be quite bad. (depending on how much coffee you currently drink). Here are some tips to make the process a little bit easier…

• To avoid feeling mega tired and yawning all day, get to bed a bit earlier. Sleep is going to be very important for those first few caffeine free days.
• Drink lots of water. This sounds so simple but make sure that you have a big refillable bottle with you at all times. Staying hydrated will help reduce the caffeine withdrawal headaches.
• Take a vitamin C supplement to boost your energy levels. I take 1000mg of vitamin C five days a week.
• Get moving. Exercising for thirty minutes each day will also help to boost your energy and your mood. Go out for a short walk and plug in your favourite podcast when you would usually have your coffee break.

Making changes to your daily habits is always hard but after a few days you’ll get used to it, you’ll be saving cash, feeling more energised and sleeping like a baby!

As always you can hit me up on social media @adrienne_ldn Let me know if you give it a go.