Ninety percent of Americans consume caffeine in one form or the other. Fifty percent of American adults consume 300 gms of caffeine at least once a day. It would be tough to recall a Hollywood movie opening with the shot of the protagonist waking up early in the morning to set the coffee machine on before he/ she goes on with the day’s activities. There’s no doubt about the fact that, indeed, coffee is America’s most popular drug. For coffee- drinkers, their morning daily dose of Java is as vital as any vitamin.
For people with a desk job and working the 9-5 grind, having two to three cups of coffee is a standard “pick-me-up-and-recharge.” And, the caffeine rush isn’t limited to just coffee. From matcha lattes, cold brews to the $25+ billion sports energy drink industry, the caffeine madness is only here to grow further.
However, your daily dolt of joe might only be giving you momentary benefits. Although the adrenaline kick is only felt for a specific time, the compound tends to stay inside the body for hours. This leads to caffeine-related sleep problems. Other biological effects include anxiety, irritability, mood swings, nervousness, irregular heartbeat, headaches, and more. This is why most caffeine dependents decide to ditch their addiction. And, the benefits of going caffeine-free are far more advantageous than one can anticipate.
The effects of going caffeine-free can be highly rewarding; nonetheless, the process can be quite challenging. The early withdrawal symptoms of headaches, fatigue, loss of focus, difficulty in concentrating, anxiousness, irritation, tremors, and bouts of low energy can be tough for some to overcome. This blog shares some effective ways to overcome caffeine withdrawal from a team of highly experienced and best functional medicine doctors in Ojai.
Currently, there are two popular practices in trend for ditching caffeine addiction:
- COLD TURKEY
- WEANING METHOD
COLD TURKEY refers to the method of completely stopping caffeine intake once and for all. This is often harsh and tends to produce severe withdrawal symptoms depending upon your current intake levels. Although this method leads to faster detox, giving up mid-way is higher due to the severity of the process.
THE WEANING METHOD refers to the method where a person reduces his/ her caffeine intake over time. You can decide the amount of reduction per day and gradually minimize it to condition your body and mind to go caffeine-free. Although the entire detoxification process takes longer to complete, the impact of withdrawal symptoms is much less severe and less shocking to the system.
In addition to this, here are few more tips for consideration:
- Read the ingredient label before buying any drink or eatable: Many ready-to-eat consumables contain caffeine as an active ingredient. This includes soda and energy drinks.
- Water down the drinks that contain caffeine: this is one of the best ways to cut down caffeine without actually going over strict with the process.
- Go for decaf and look for healthy substitutes.
- Check the medicine ingredient label as well. Many pain relievers, including tablets for menstrual cramps, tend to contain caffeine.
- Incorporate workout or energy-boosting yoga flows to boost your energy levels and mind-focus naturally.
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