You may be one of those people who can’t “function” without coffee or can’t imagine going a day without an afternoon cup—and you’re not alone. Nearly three-quarters of Americans drink coffee everyday. Coffee has a number of health benefits (like lower risk of depression and better weight management), but there can definitely be too much of a good thing. High doses of coffee have been shown to cause increased anxiety, insomnia and elevated heart rates. If you’ve been thinking about lowering your coffee or caffeine intake, but don’t know where to start, here are a few ideas to help you get there:
Try these steps at home:
- Switch to decaf or half-caf coffee for a lower amount of caffeine. This way, you can still enjoy the delicious smell and taste without the ups and downs.
- Choose matcha—while it still has caffeine, it has L-theanine for a more energized calming effect.
- Stop your coffee intake at 12pm. Coffee has a 4 to 6 hour half-life, meaning you might get an unexpected jolt of energy later in the day. By capping your caffeine intake at 12pm, you won’t have your second boost of energy right before bedtime.
- Go gradual. Slowly lowering your caffeine intake over time to avoid the headache of going cold-turkey. If you drink 3-4 cups of coffee a day, slowly lower your intake by one cup at a time and see how you feel.
- Look for other healthy boosts of energy. Feeling tired in the afternoon and craving your cup? Take a quick walk outside or do a few jumps on the rebounder to feel energized.
Our last and most important tip? Make healthy changes to your diet. We hear it often—many of our clients who start eating better and cleaning up their diets feel way more energized without the need for coffee.
