Coffee: There are conflicting reports, some saying it is healthy and others not. If you drink coffee regularly, have you tried to go a day without it? And how did that feel?

submitted by In-the-clouds from self.AskSaidIt

Other questions: Did you experience withdrawal symptoms? Have you seen benefits to ceasing the consumption of coffee? Are there spiritual benefits to avoiding coffee? Did you sleep better?

My experience: When I skipped coffee for a day after being used to drinking it daily, I had a headache, lethargy, and low energy.

In my opinion, a healthy food or drink should not be accompanied by withdrawal symptoms from taking a day off from consuming it. In other words, a healthy drink should not be addictive.

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[–]Musky 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I quit drinking coffee nearly 20 years ago on advice from my doctor for my blood pressure. I've experienced lots of withdrawals in my life. Caffeine was insignificant. You're a little moody and headache-y.

I don't know how I could say I experienced a benefit from it. It didn't help my blood pressure. I don't need a caffeine fix, that's nice. I don't get coffee jitters anymore. Would have been better not to quit? I don't know. It is mildly annoying how awake and perky people are in the mornings when I'm half asleep.

I can't point to any improvements though. I'm posting at 4am, it certainly didn't help my sleep.

[–]In-the-clouds[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Well I appreciate your thoughtful response at such an early (or very late) hour. So, you can be awake during the night even without coffee.

It's interesting that a doctor would tell you to quit coffee, but in your case you say it did not result in improved blood pressure. Did that doctor, or any of your doctors, know about the other things that resulted in withdrawals? I wonder if those other things could have contributed to high blood pressure. I know that excessive drinking of alcohol, which has been a problem in my family, was associated with high blood pressure.

You do mention a couple benefits of quitting coffee: You are no longer tethered to it, so you enjoy a freedom that a regular coffee drinker does not have, and your nervous system is more calm without it.

[–]RapeMyMouth 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Coffee is a bit strong for me. I get like anxious and have anxiety attacks.

It is a drug.

Have you tried tea? Like a black or Thai tea? Still has a bit of caffeine but great flavor.

[–]In-the-clouds[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

You are probably not alone in feeling that way from coffee, although I did not have that experience, but I think I have heard others say the same. I do have tea, and for awhile I had been drinking coffee in the morning, and drinking tea in the afternoon. Today I skipped the coffee, and had one serving of tea on ice in the afternoon. But I wonder if a person would be healthier with tea or without tea.

My grandfather stopped drinking coffee because it upset his stomach, but he could still drink tea.

Are you able to drink tea without it triggering anxiety? But coffee has triggered anxiety?

[–]RapeMyMouth 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Yep. Coffee triggers anxiety, yea does not.

But if I like used 10 yea bags, and made a really strong tea, it would trigger anxiety. It’s just the less caffeine.

If I drink water downed coffee it’s fine.

[–]WoodyWoodPecker 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I remember Mr. Coffee for $20 and $3 bags of coffee grounds. Making your own coffee was always cheaper.

Starbucks is $7 a small coffee. People who want to Smash capitalism own $1500 Mac Books and drink Starbucks coffee.

[–]jet199 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

My sister worked next to the Occupy camp in London. They were all in and out of Starbucks all day and went home at night rather than sleep in their tents.

[–]passionflounder 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I got regular migraines.

[–]Feldheld 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I love the smell and the taste of coffee but I dislike the effect. Same with tea. Havent been drinking either in many years because I had noticed that they weaken my immune system.

[–]In-the-clouds[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Interesting.... I haven't heard this before, about the link between coffee and the immune system. If you are healthier without it, I am glad you quit.... and good for you, to use your will power to make that positive change.

[–]TemporarilyDeceased 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

It depends on who you are. My wife will get headaches if she misses her morning coffee by two hours. I've had multiple cups of coffee and tea daily for years and gave up all caffeine cold turkey for 3 months with no ill effects. I've also had 8 cups of coffee between 4pm and midnight and gone right to sleep afterward.

[–]In-the-clouds[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

You are right, I think, to say that not everyone responds the same to coffee or its withdrawal. I can sympathize with your wife because I have found it challenging to delay the first morning cup of coffee. You said you quit all caffeine for three months. What motivated you to do that?

[–]TemporarilyDeceased 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Knowing that caffeine had no effect on me, I was curious if I had built a tolerance to it so I wanted to see what would happen. That answer is: nothing. No withdrawal when I stopped and no jitters or even improved alertness when I returned to it.

I've done the same with sugar. That was difficult not because I couldn't ween myself off of it, but because it's in everything. Life without sugar did leave me feeling better, but I do love chocolate.

[–]In-the-clouds[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

You sound like you are immune to caffeine's effects. Why did you return to coffee drinking then?

That is an interesting testimony you gave about sugar. I feel better without the adulterated form of it: high fructose corn syrup.

[–]TemporarilyDeceased 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

If I can drink 8 double espressos in an evening and go to bed like nothing happened, caffeine immunity seems likely. There's a protein responsible for metabolizing caffeine. If you have too much or none at all, you can be immune to caffeine. Interestingly, it is the same protein that metabolizes a number of common pain killers and the results are similar which really sucks when I have serious pain to deal with.

HFCS is a great point. Specifically avoiding that may give me the same feeling as avoiding all added sugars... and I can still have (some) chocolate.

[–]Drewski 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I've cut my consumption down to a couple cups a day. I definitely get some withdrawal symptoms if I don't have it, more tired and irritable. I've gone without for various lengths of time but always end up coming back to it.

[–]In-the-clouds[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing. I can relate to what you said. I have had days where I felt like I was limiting myself by drinking only two cups of coffee in a day (like you are doing).

I don't like when I feel urged to drink more and penalized with withdrawal symptoms if I don't drink enough. When I have not had any coffee for the whole day, I have even felt lower back pain, like something in the kidneys is hurting. If I continued going without coffee for an extended time, the discomfort went away. But then the habitual coffee drinking later returned, and perhaps once I broke the habit, it would have been better if I never started it again.

[–]Rah 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

It all depends how much coffee i have been regularly consuming. Drinking no coffee when im drinking a couple cups a day sucks, but its bearable. But on hard weeks when i drink like 4-5, it makes the day sluggish..

It is not addictive because it takes minimal willpower to stop, and you suffer no withdrawal symptoms, same as sugar. But you get used to it if you take every day. Its a good drink to have when you are not sleeping much or overexerting yourself. On hot days, a cup of coffee after lunch helps you not feel heavy. Its a godsend to make work on late night sessions.

[–]Node 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Had to wait almost a year for my new roaster, and ended up switching to mostly only tea during that time. Now I have around 30 pounds of green beans waiting for attention.

Coffee is nice to drink in the morning, even if there's little stimulant effect. Amphetamines are the way to go if you want to find yourself doing the needfuls, but it's not exactly a healthy choice.

[–]EsterVacero 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

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[–]In-the-clouds[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

You could survive without it, but withdrawals could make it feel difficult, especially the first couple days. Today is day #16 for me without coffee. I'm not trying to get you to quit coffee, but if for some reason you no longer have access to it, you can live without it.