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By all means back off gradually. Substitute an occasional cup of HERB tea. It gives you a hot drink with a nice flavor and aroma. If you want to sweeten it use a bit of honey or stevia.
Best of luck and more power to you. I don't think I could do it. But then, I'm an old soldier and former cop who's been drinking coffee for about 55 years and black for the first 35 of them. Now I add some 1/2 & 1/2, but none of that sweet stuff.
..good thought! I found Linden Tea. Never heard of it, but it says "CALMING" on the label, and that's exactly what I need! I didn't think of that because of course, who wants herb tea when you drink coffee.. but now that I'm trying to step off, it has no triggers in it that can set me back Thanks..
Sooo, 35 years in / straight up. You are an old ironsides!! A rare breed!
Now you deserve an honorary award for being in the club for so long.
Last edited by tidaldream; 04-29-2017 at 06:39 PM..
To my 1 cup per day now of coffee grounds (I use organic coffee) I add a good dash of baking soda to reduce acid...coffee is very acidic to the stomach.
Hmmmm, that's interesting
..and a really good fact to know. I'm sure it would help a lot of people that get stomach probles from coffee.
Tildadream - I have to say my hat is off to you! I'm another who suffers no ill effects from coffee - probably to my detriment!
That said, it doesn't agree with YOU so I can certainly see you're wanting to make some changes. There are occasions when coffee just doesn't sound good or I know I'm going into a stressful situation and I want to avoid the caffiene. I agree with you that decaf just doesn't get it. I need something with a lot of flavor - just not a lot of caffiene.
Do you think any herbal teas would work for you? Or would that be too close to coffee to trigger a need for coffee?
And one last thing to consider - ok, two things.
One of my favorites is Good Earth Sweet and Spicy tea. It's a bit like Constant Comment used to be IMO only with richer flavors. If you do opt for this one, be careful - they make both an herbal tea and a herbal/black tea mix.
I do like a lot of herbal teas - but many of them are mild and don't quite have that flavor punch that I sometimes seek.
And a couple last things to consider - this may end up being FAR easier on you than you think! I sincerely hope it is! And finally, maybe journal a bit the first couple of weeks. Keep notes on the differences you're feeling - sleep patterns, diet patterns, etc. It may turn out that there are other culprits at work in addition to the caffiene and a log of changes may come in handy!
Next stage..
An herb tea, especially in the summer, chilled is a very refreshing way to add a little flavor to liquid.
I will probably load up on the herbal teas for sure.
Honestly, right now I feel like a tornado just picked me up and I haven't even begun to spin yet.
This must sound so stupid to people who can drink a gallon of coffee and tuck themselves in for a good nights sleep. You coffee-heads, you are all so fortunate.
So listen.
I LOVE coffee.
When I wake up in the morning I can't wait to have a cup. No really, it is an inspiration. It is an old friend.. it is a lift, and a help, and it gets me to do motivating things I wouldn't do otherwise.
without coffee I feel as if I was dropped off in area 51 all alone and no one around for miles.
Oh dear, I will miss my cuppa Joe... terribly. I suppose I could just keep drinking it, but whateverthehell its doing to me its not normal for sure. Besides, when I drink coffee I gain weight.
So I hear that coffee will provoke cortisol levels (increasing appetite). Look --> a snippet from an article explains it. Very interesting.
I guess I'm one of these people whose body reacts to coffee this way:
"Caffeine contributes to overeating and slows metabolism in a number of different ways. In this article, I will focus on caffeine’s impact on our stress levels, which causes an increase in hunger, muscle breakdown, and a relocation of fat stores to the body’s center. More precisely, caffeine raises our cortisol levels, and cortisol is one of the body’s chief stress hormones. With regular caffeine use, our cortisol levels become chronically elevated, making weight loss and the maintenance of a lean physique difficult.
First, elevated cortisol levels promote appetite, contributing to overeating. Second, elevated cortisol levels also lead to muscle breakdown, reducing our fat-burning muscle mass. Finally, elevated cortisol levels make our bodies prefer to store central and visceral fat, contributing to the “pot belly†look. By stimulating cortisol and its fat-promoting effects, caffeine contributes to positive energy balance and makes weight loss more difficult....." and it goes on.
There are LOADS of articles that are far more intelligently written on the subject, but have the same basic information. A lot of reading tells me I'm one of these people who drinks coffee, gets happily buzzed and then HA-HA, gets bit in the arse. It has won me over to the dark coffee side.
Next stop. DETOX HELL.
Last edited by tidaldream; 04-29-2017 at 06:26 PM..
Coffee is acidic forming. This lowers the PH level in your bloodstream which has a direct effect on cellular function and DNA switching. It is doing more harm than good and is prohibiting you from performing at peak performance.
It took me a few weeks to get through the headaches and fogginess of caffeine withdrawal but I made it. It was really a dark experience. I wouldn't recommend attending any important meetings during this time. I also made sure to avoid any caffeine containing products such as yerba matte tea, green tea, redbull etc. During this process I switched to decaf and then began substituting decaf for green juices, smoothies and gallons of water.
The smell of good coffee still appeals to me but I know there is really nothing there for me. My taste has changed and I do prefer a high quality herbal tea with almond milk or lemon instead which is generally alkaline promoting.
Foods that have a Moderate to Strong Alkaline-Forming Effect
Watermelon
Lemons
Cantaloupe
Celery
Limes
Mango
Honeydew
Papaya
Parsley
Seaweed
Sweet, seedless grapes
Watercress
Asparagus
Kiwi
Pears
Pineapple
Raisins
Vegetable juices
Apples
Apricots
Alfalfa sprouts
Avocados
Bananas
Garlic
Ginger
Peaches
Nectarines
Grapefruit
Oranges
Most herbs
Peas
Lettuce
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Foods that have a Moderate to Strong Acid-Forming Effect
Alcohol
Soft drinks (pop)
Tobacco Coffee
White sugar
Refined Salt Artificial sweeteners
Antibiotics (and most drugs)
White flour products (including pasta)
Seafood
White vinegar
Barley
Most boxed cereals
Cheese Dairy
Most beans
Flesh meats
Most types of bread
Last edited by BruceBLevy; 04-30-2017 at 12:06 AM..
[quote=BruceBLevy;47997499]Coffee is acidic forming. This lowers the PH level in your bloodstream which has a direct effect on cellular function and DNA switching. It is doing more harm than good and is prohibiting you from performing at peak performance.
It took me a few weeks to get through the headaches and fogginess of caffeine withdrawal but I made it. It was really a dark experience. I wouldn't recommend attending any important meetings during this time. I also made sure to avoid any caffeine containing products such as yerba matte tea, green tea, redbull etc. During this process I switched to decaf and then began substituting decaf for green juices, smoothies and gallons of water.
The smell of good coffee still appeals to me but I know there is really nothing there for me. My taste has changed and I do prefer a high quality herbal tea with almond milk or lemon instead which is generally alkaline promoting. [\QUOTE]
--->> BB, this is Fascinating!
Looking at the list reminds me there may be a better fit for me over the fence. It's quite possible that my inability to focus isn't just the coffee but the acid forming foods acting as partners in crime provoking my nervous system. I am not a fan of beans if given the choice of a steak versus a chewy bowl of edamame - but thought they were a staple for vegetarians. They are on your acid list. Bummer. I was actually willing to test the waters and experiment to see if making a complete shift to alkaline foods while quitting coffee would transform the hellish adventure into a tolerable purgatory.
I googled BEANS ON ALKALINE LIST (or something like that) and found this list which seems livable and promising. (below)
The addiction, more than anything, is paramount to crush.
Though it seems by switching the chemistry of food it will diffuse the acid rally which might be adding power to the caffeine. By going alkaline the cord is cut and the detox is hastened and a bonus may be weight loss..
I have never looked into the methods of true drug rehab but it gives me pause to wonder if changing body chemistry alleviates the severity of it.
Merely smoothing over the mental condition and the crisis of need is appealing. Lets see if the extra effort pays off, shall we?
In enters a new player: The Alkaline Factor
Coffee is acidic forming. This lowers the PH level in your bloodstream which has a direct effect on cellular function and DNA switching. It is doing more harm than good and is prohibiting you from performing at peak performance.
It took me a few weeks to get through the headaches and fogginess of caffeine withdrawal but I made it. It was really a dark experience. I wouldn't recommend attending any important meetings during this time. I also made sure to avoid any caffeine containing products such as yerba matte tea, green tea, redbull etc. During this process I switched to decaf and then began substituting decaf for green juices, smoothies and gallons of water.
The smell of good coffee still appeals to me but I know there is really nothing there for me. My taste has changed and I do prefer a high quality herbal tea with almond milk or lemon instead which is generally alkaline promoting.
Foods that have a Moderate to Strong Alkaline-Forming Effect
Watermelon
Lemons
Cantaloupe
Celery
Limes
Mango
Honeydew
Papaya
Parsley
Seaweed
Sweet, seedless grapes
Watercress
Asparagus
Kiwi
Pears
Pineapple
Raisins
Vegetable juices
Apples
Apricots
Alfalfa sprouts
Avocados
Bananas
Garlic
Ginger
Peaches
Nectarines
Grapefruit
Oranges
Most herbs
Peas
Lettuce
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Foods that have a Moderate to Strong Acid-Forming Effect
Alcohol
Soft drinks (pop) Tobacco
Coffee
White sugar
Refined Salt
Artificial sweeteners Antibiotics (and most drugs)
White flour products (including pasta)
Seafood
White vinegar
Barley
Most boxed cereals
Cheese
Dairy
Most beans
Flesh meats
Most types of bread
Oh my goodness. Guess I'm just of the old school of, "If it looks, smells and tastes good, eat it." Still, I've survived for 70 years and my wife for 68 and while we primarily have a very healthy diet we certainly don't agonize over it. We're still going strong.
Tobacco and drugs are foods? Who knew?
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that's interesting
