Why I Decided To Do The Impossible And Give Up My Morning Cup Of Coffee

Recently, I've stopped drinking coffee.

I know. It's a concept too ridiculous to even fathom.

However, in a month, I've completely weaned myself off that infamous morning cup of joe with the help of some practices.

In the past, I depended on caffeine to start my day. I drank it every morning for years.

The first few weeks were hard for me because I experienced occasional headaches and fatigue.

After the initial withdrawal symptoms disappeared, I felt better than I did when I actually drank coffee.

With the help of Dr. Oz’s "28-Day Caffeine Detox" guide, I learned the trick was to gradually stop drinking coffee.

It was not smart to stop drinking it completely.

With a gradual reduction of caffeine intake by 25 percent every week, I was coffee-free in four weeks.

On the days I really struggled, I tried drinking decaf coffee to trick my mind. The placebo effect worked.

Caffeine is similar to adenosine, a chemical in the brain that locks onto cell receptors and creates a feeling of tiredness.

They're so close in make up that "caffeine can fit neatly into our brain cells’ receptors for adenosine, effectively blocking them off."

Over time, drinking coffee every day can alter the chemical makeup of the molecules in the brain.

This can actually cause the brain cells to "grow more adenosine receptors, which is the brain’s attempt to maintain equilibrium in the face of a constant onslaught of caffeine, with its adenosine receptors so regularly plugged."

This is how people become addicted and build a tolerance to caffeine.

There are so many more adenosine receptors, and "it takes more caffeine to block a significant proportion of them and achieve the desired effect."

Scary, right?

Coffee is also highly acidic.

One of the most noticeable, unpleasant effects of drinking coffee every day is yellow teeth. It doesn't matter how much you brush them.

Also, for the beauty gurus out there, coffee is harmful when it comes to healthy skin. Acne can be triggered by excessive and daily caffeine intake.

Yikes.

Now, I wake up every morning and drink a glass of water. Some mornings I drink orange juice, chocolate milk or whatever healthy option I have in the fridge that week.

The majority of the time, however, I drink water when I wake up. I crave water like I used to crave a cup of coffee.

I don’t know about you, but I would rather have my body crave water than coffee.

In addition to this, I started doing yoga in the morning, eating a healthy breakfast and drinking more water.

These three things give me natural energy.

I have also started to cut all caffeine out of my diet. It is not just coffee that can be harmful.

Caffeine is in tea and, of course, soda products.

I felt healthier as soon as my body got accustomed to starting every day without coffee.

Recently, I've started to realize how much better I feel throughout the day, not to mention the fact I've also saved a few dollars by not buying Keurig cups every week.

Now, I sleep better. I'm in a good mood, and my anxiety has decreased.

I'm glad I did my coffee detox.

Now, I feel fresh in the morning, and as a bonus, it lasts throughout the day.