Why Cutting Back On Coffee Can Save Your Life

This article is something that could trigger a lot of coffee lovers out there ( including me) but we need to burst the bubble - your fuel of life, coffee, isn’t exactly a healthy choice. You read that right, and as heartbreaking it sounds, it’s true. But who could not be smitten by the aroma and not get addicted to the heavenly taste? We often trade our sleep with caffeine and run our days with a cup of it in our hands. You aren’t alone. But as nostalgic as it sounds, its time to break up with your coffee and makeup with your health. Here’s why you need to wave goodbye to your addiction with coffee.

Coffee Isn’t Doing What You Think It’s Doing

If you think coffee is giving you the energy boost to stay focused on your work, it’s not. Why? Because after a certain point your body develops a tolerance to it. So instead of giving a nudge to your energy levels, it’s just hampering your sleep.

We all know how a cup of this aromatic beauty helps you stay awake but did you know its actually affecting your good night’s sleep even if you don’t have it right before bed? If you cut back on coffee, you’ll see an improvement in sleep quality and how naturally relaxed you feel when you wake up the next morning. Not to mention caffeine also spurs our “fight or flight” mode, which may heighten our anxiety, agitation, heart pulsations, and the chances of panic attacks.

I started drinking coffee in my teens. I remember a lady warning me not to, telling me she was also addicted. I used to work as an overnight stocker at a local grocery store. We would start at 10 o' clock PM and end at 10 in the morning. This was when my caffeine habit was at an all-time high. I would begin my shift with a Fuji apple. Then I would have two Gatorade's. After that I would drink coffee, Red Bull or a Monster. If this did not help, I would even take Adderall. Being strung out on caffeine and medication kept me awake and did the trick, but the damage it took on my body was not worth the desired effect.

Get Back Your White Teeth

If you’ve noticed that your teeth have changed their color despite you maintaining healthy oral hygiene, blame your coffee. A cup a day is enough to cause this staining. This is because caffeine contains a high level of tannins which causes tooth buildup and stains tooth enamel.

Get Your Blood Pressure Back

Drinking coffee has shown to increase your blood pressure while also exposing you to cardiovascular disease. For anyone whose blood pressure is already high, drinking coffee can put them at higher risks. However, cutting back on coffee can decrease your blood pressure and stop the risks of any associated diseases.

Balances Hormones In Women

Women especially benefit from cutting back on caffeine. This is because coffee alters estrogen levels in women to a point that it can cause deadly health problems like endometriosis, breast cancers, and ovarian cancer. Caffeinated beverages are also said to worsen menopause-related problems.

Keeps Your Mood In Check

It may come as a no shock that coffee alters your mood as we’ve all heard phrases like ‘But first, coffee’ or ‘Don’t talk to me until I’ve had my coffee’. This goes to say that caffeine alters the cells in the brains that alter how we feel. This is why on days when we’re on edge and have no time to grab our cup of coffee first thing in the morning, we experience withdrawal symptoms like headaches and fluctuations in our mood.

So while grabbing a cup of coffee from your favorite coffee shop once in a while is alright, living and breathing on coffee is when the adverse effects start. Now that you’re aware of this sweet devil and how it’s affecting your life, it's time to take a break from it.

Thanks for reading! If this inspires you to learn more, check out this video below on why you should cut back on coffee! 🙏🏾