No Coffee, Thanks

What, you don’t drink coffee?!

People seem so surprised by this! Which usually leads to other questions like “why” and “how do you survive” or even “I need to cut back on coffee, what are your tips?”

I was never a HUGE coffee drinker, I enjoyed it to an extent or so I thought. I never really craved one or got the ‘coffee’ rush either (where is the fun in that)! I have to say that I felt it was more a habit than anything.

I first started drinking coffee regularly when I began working in a corporate office. We’d head down to the coffee machine each day for our morning debrief and then again at around 3pm…. It was part of routine and being social…. Anyone else relate?

I am not saying that coffee is terribly bad for you (in fact there are some proven health benefits), but as with most things, in moderation is key and learning to listen to your body is crucial. That was the main turning point for me.

I started noticing that I would have a coffee when I was ‘hungry’ (not ideal) and that I didn’t feel my ‘best’ after my 3pm coffee (particularly bloating/heaviness), actually I felt pretty average in my body and mind. So my afternoon coffee was where I first started cutting it out initially, and then gave myself the challenge of going without it all together for 3 months. That time came and went, then so did 12 months and I haven’t missed it since! Here are some of my observations and how I did it:

• If going cold turkey is not a viable option for you, start by slowly reducing your coffee intake. How many coffee’s do you have a day? A week? Halve this. I replaced my 3pm coffee with a tea instead.

• Make it a challenge. This works if you have a competitive streak! In the office we had jars of biscuits. It became an easy habit to walk past the jar and grab one (or three). I started to take a mental note when I would reach for one… the habit was real, half the time I wasn’t even hungry! Then I decided to set myself a challenge not to open the jars for 12 months (cue my determined nature) – which I did. So once I noticed that I had unintentionally gone without drinking as much coffee for a while, I referred back to the biscuit challenge and thought I would try it with cutting out coffee for 12 months (or why not grab a friend and do it together).

• A spiritual perspective – I don’t think there is any coincidence that as I stepped up and deepened my spiritual awareness more and more, my relationship to coffee faded. I didn’t link the two initially, but it does make sense. Anything that challenges your senses, will lower your energetic vibration. Caffeine, as a stimulant, brings short-term awareness but this clouds the state of higher consciousness we seek for spiritual awareness. Coffee can also increase stress hormones, the ones we try to save for flight/fight situations, not in day to day activities.

• Find delicious alternatives that enjoy instead (see below some of my favourite suggestions).

• Probably the most important thing, is that you have to WANT to do it. Don’t go in half convinced. If you want to, but know it won’t be easy, that’s ok, we are all human.

Will I never drink it again? I won’t say never… I mean my favourite smoothie bowl café have a pretty good looking espresso smoothie bowl on the menu and I’m determined to try all their flavours!

Now herbal teas, that’s a different story! I may have a slight obsession… And I’ll take all the matcha, chai, beetroot and turmeric almond lattes I can get.

Some of my favourite ‘coffee’ alternative brands, all with many health benefits and where I buy are linked below:

• Beetroot latte: My fave is from Simara Blends
• Matcha Lattes (green tea powder): Simara Blends and I also enjoy Mr Matcha
• Turmeric Latte “golden milk” – Simara Blends, but I also really like the coconut/turmeric blend from Organic Sol Foods or the turmeric and ginger blend from d.e.w: both can be purchased here
• Mushroom lattes – start with a cocoa blend if unsure, I love Life Cykel and purchase it here
• Bodhi Tea – beautiful herbal blends: I purchase here
• Pukka Tea: ALL THE FLAVOURS – Online or health store

Play around with a few different options, tune into your body and mind… and go from there.