As you travel down the road of natural living, you’ll probably want to give up coffee and caffeine at some point. They’re not the worst vices out there, but they do take a toll on your body.
Coffee is an extremely acidic beverage that upsets our internal ecosystem. Caffeine stresses the adrenals and can cause blood sugar issues. That’s why we can get the “shakes” on coffee. Caffeine also dehydrates the body, which leads to aches, pains, and sluggishness.
Mike was a HUGE coffee lover! He had this whole morning ritual with dark roast beans, his coffee grinder, and French press. He seemed to cherish each sip.
Well, I guess I’ve worn off on him through the years, because he decided, all on his own, that he wanted to stop drinking it. If he can do it, YOU can too.
Here are six tips to help you along the way.
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Drink a hot morning alternative
As you wean off, it’s important to replace your hot morning Joe so the ritual remains. Try a delicious decaf black, green or chai tea. Better yet, try Roastaroma by Celestial Seasonings. It seriously tastes just like coffee, and it’s all HERBAL (crazy!) As you get used to not drinking coffee, you can move to even gentler things, like lemon with honey and hot water for an added detox effect.
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Drink plenty of water throughout day
When I let go of caffeine and my 6-diet-cokes-a-day habit years ago, I knew I had to replace it with something. So I bought a pretty water bottle, filled it twice a day and made sure I drank it. I couldn’t believe how much more energy I had. Even today, when I’m feeling drowsy, I drink a glass of water, and sure enough, it does the trick. Try it yourself and see!
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Use a skin brush
As random as it sounds, skin brushing is an invigorating body exercise that gives you a jolt of energy. In fact, I would NOT recommend skin brushing at night for this very reason. Running the brush over your skin before a shower moves your blood, stimulates the lymph system and gets your motor running. GIve it a whirl and see for yourself.
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Try juicing!
Mike and I upgraded our juicer at Christmas and I’m amazed at the “kick” I get from freshly juiced veggie and fruit drinks! Loaded with minerals and enzymes, fresh juice goes straight into your system without having to go through an extensive digestive process. As a result, your whole system feels revitalized.
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Fresh air exercise
The fresh air and elements combined with some brisk activity gets your blood pumping faster than any caffeine. Outdoor activity boosts our oxygen intake and vitamin D levels too. Woo hoo!
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Get your ZZZs
We need 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night… easier said than done for a mama but so important. If I have a busy week, I make myself go to bed a few nights super early to build up a “sleep bank” to get me through. Another option is to nap when baby naps. No matter how we do it, we need to get our sleep! By doing so, we’re reducing our likelihood of relying on crutches like coffee/caffeine to keep us going.
Now, I know that there are articles out there that say that coffee and caffeine can be good for you, and I’m sure there are some health benefits. BUT, overall, I still think there are more drawbacks than benefits.
How about YOU?
Are you a coffee or caffeine drinker? Have you recently quit? Share your experience with us!
{ 39 comments… read them below or add one }
Hmm giving up my morning coffee, I don’t know that’s hard. I really want a juicer, I think that would be an easy substitute for me. But that’s a big investment too…You got me thinking…
That’s what it’s all about… getting people to think
>. Juicers are pricey but so worth the investment. Breville makes a Juice Fountain Plus for $150 which isn’t too bad and yet very high quality.
Hi Genevieve and Kelli,
) been looking into getting a juicer. My friend who is studying to be a Holistic Nutritionist advised me that while it’s a wonderful idea, to be careful. The reason you may feel a pick me up when you drink the juice is that there is nothing slowing the sugars in that juice from entering directly into your bloodstream. Normally the veggies and fruit would have all kinds of fibre etc to help slow that down. The reason I got into any of this was because I watched the movie Hungry for Change(which I think is still free to watch online for a few days) and they were very pro-juicer but failed to mention the fibre part directly. You ladies may already know all of this but I thought on the off chance I would try and share the knowledge! 
I have recently( like yesterday
Wow, I didn’t know coffee interfered with adrenal function and blood sugar levels – I have issues with both and I guzzle coffee all day long (in hopes of getting more energy). Maybe I need to cut back!
I will say that I feel ups and downs more with coffee verses the caffeine in green tea. Tea makes me feel well while coffee just gives a buzz and then leaves you tired and sluggish.
Thanks for the thought-provoking post…
Hi Jill,
Yes, coffee and caffeine can MAJORLY stress the adrenals so I’d really think about reducing if you already have significant symptoms.
XOXO
I gave up coffee about 6 months ago – I had a 2 day headache and my body felt like I took a handful of quaaludes… I still can’t get over how messed up my body was because of my addiction to caffeine. Looking back – it was much more difficult, for me, to give up coffee compared to smoking even!!
I would totally recommend stopping such a damaging habit!!
LOL! I will never forget my withdrawal either! It took me 4 days to feel part of the human race. I would sleep for 12+ hours, had major headaches and just felt lousy. Glad to be off the roller coaster.
Mama, before I got pregnant I cleaned my body and stop coffee and thru pregnancy, but after I stopped nursing I couldnt get my hands on a cup of hot coffee/
I am going to try the teas u recommend- i also bought a juicer- can u give me some ideas of mix of juices u make??
Hi Veronica,
Some nice gentle juices to start out with:
cucumber, celery, romaine lettuce and apple
beet, kale, cucumber
carrot, romaine lettuce, tiny piece of ginger (a little goes a long way!)
melon cucumber
pear, celery, carrot
I have been able to get rid of so many things (for different lengths of time – I’m currently a lapsed-but-hopefully-again-soon vegan) but coffee is by far one of the hardest. Kicking cigarettes was totally easy – but giving up coffee feels like something to mourn.
When I was pregnant, I drank none during the first two trimesters (which were also some of the busiest times of my life, so that was rough), but added in some decaf and even the occasional full-caf in the third trimester. I kept to decaf again during my son’s first few months, but even though I’m still breastfeeding (he’s 15 months), I don’t notice a difference with him when I have caffeine… and there are some days that I just *need* it.
And this is the thing I hate. I would be ok with coffee if it were something where I could enjoy it ever so often and not wake up some days and feel frazzled without it. I love the aesthetic experience of drinking coffee – would that it could only be that, and not something that my body ends up telling me I have to have. I do plan on working on this, but I’ve got to admit – it’s the last vice I ever attempt to eliminate from my diet.
Sounds like you’re very aware and in your process. Do what you can do
>
I still drink coffee but it’s decaf & I have gotten to replacing it once a week in the morning with an extra cup of green tea. I like green tea at night so adding it in the morning once a week has been easy. This is my attempt to phase out the coffee slowly.
Nice plan!
PS- I wish Roastarama was gluten free
Any other similar things that dont have gluten I could try? I like the taste of coffee.
dandy blend grain beverage is gluten free
I weaned myself off of coffee when I was trying to get pregnant. My advice is to do so gradually – I tried going cold turkey at first and couldn’t believe how lousy I felt (which only made me more committed to kicking the addiction)! I started by reducing the amount of my usual brew, then switched to having a slightly bigger amount of a half-caf brew – and then tapered off gradually from there. It took a few weeks. I agree that it’s great to maintain the morning ritual of a hot beverage; I’m writing a book and couldn’t sit down at my desk without something there to sip on. I should mention that I still LOVE coffee, and I’m not sure what I’ll do after the baby is born and I’m not breastfeeding anymore. But the other great thing is that now that I’m completely unaddicted, even very small amounts of caffeine “work” for me. I can even get buzzed on a decaf cappuccino!
You caffeine light weight
> LOL!
How cool that you’re writing a book. What’s it about?
I have never enjoyed coffee. I like tea in the morning, usually roobois or lemon. I also have never enjoyed dark soda. I guess you could say I am lucky! The idea of drinking a huge pot of coffee or a can of diet coke doesn’t sound good to me.
I think if you live without it, you learn to live well without it. I know so many people who don’t ever drink coffee and they get up and go to work like all the rest of us
Oh! And that juicer is amazing. My good friend (and new mama of 6 months) has that and I swear it’s like a toy for adults. There is something so fun about sticking an entire apple in and getting only juice and pulp out.
It IS so much fun! Sounds like you have a strong sense of health without even trying
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I love this post! My husband and I have been addicted to our Keurig and Starbucks and I got up every morning looking forward to sipping that wonderful brew! Since we’ve gone natural (over the last 2 months) we have given it up and it was HARD! I had to start making morning smoothies, drinking tea, and juicing, but I have to admit they just are not the same taste as a Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Frap No-Whip! I crave the taste SO bad. I will say though that my energy level is so much higher without the coffee. I used to get so tired during the day and want to crash, but now I feel a consistent form of energy all day long. Also, since we’ve given up coffee my hemmorhoids are gone! I know, I know, TMI – but this is a BIG deal. I am not a momma yet, but for whatever reason I’ve been plagued with hemmorhoids since this time last year. This is the first time I feel relief! I can’t attribute it to the coffee itself, because we made a whole bunch of changes at one time, but I do believe this has a lot to do with it. I’m so thankful to be coffee free!
You go girl! You’ll be in such great shape once you are a mama
Maybe you can make a rich peppermint tea with frothy milk and some honey? There’s also some wonderful coconut mint ice cream that you could put in your tea as an extra treat.
Mama N. I tryied coffe for a while some weeks ago because when i said no to coffe my friends or mother would be like oh youre not really an adult yet , and I thought hey it seems kinda cozzy with that coffe cup in the morning so i tried it out but guess what in that period i was so extremley tired all day. So when i quittet the coffe thinking naa this really aint for me i realized it was making me tired
and i read about coffe having the same effect as white sugar. So im just drinking my smoothie sometimes mixed with fresh juice or some matte tea and that works out just great 
by the way still loving youre videos and waiting evert week to see what youre up to. Thanks for some great videos <3
Thanks Earthmama! Sounds like your body is taking care of you
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XO
I love your intro!!
I totally agree with you 100% about coffee. And I can say honestly for the last three years everyday I drink water. 95% of the time. One bottle in the morning and one in the evening. Sometimes on extra in between. I never understood how people get hooked on it. Some of the teachers come to school with a BIG GULP of coffee and then the drink sweet tea after that all day O_o!!
I have some sad news to share that I am just now trying to cope with openly. I lost my first pregnancy last month at four weeks. I had also found out month before that, that the reason I hadn’t conceived was because of PCOS. Well I flipped my diet upside down and lost ten pounds before I found out I was pregnant. But this last month I’ve been suffering from depression and it’s come back on. I was wondering if you knew of anything natural that might help at all? I am just starting my diet slowly again and medications for PCOS. But can’t seem to get out of this mood.
I think you should perhaps quit pushing your ridiculous beliefs on others, get a real job, and read some medical literature. Seriously.
That is rude. And no one forced you to watch. If you hadwatched the show before you know it’s called Mama Natural, not Mama Doctor. However, she always posts to talk to your doctor, research for yourself, and what she talks about is not “medical advice”.
Being a mom is a real job.
I’m a blogger and there’s one policy I always swear by: I’m the blogger, you’re the reader. if you don’t like it, don’t read it.
I am actually caffeine immune (well, coffee-wise, anyway), because my mother drank coffee when she was pregnant with me. I can drink coffee and go straight to sleep, no problem. I do like the taste of a really well-made cafe latte with lots of milk and sugar…bad of me, I know…
Once I was involved in a kind of basketball competition where we had twenty minute games with only ten or twenty minute breaks in between each round, and because you’re not supposed to eat when you’re exercising we basically had to survive on V, Red Bull and chocolate. My God, I was so revoltingly sick afterwards. Never doing that again.
My parents and I are tea fiends of the highest order. We love tea. I especially like going to Malaysia for teh tarik, which is “pulled” to create a very unique flavour.
Good evening, Genevieve!!! =0)
I am on the fence about juicing because you are not getting the fiber and such as you would if you were to just stick it in the blender~ Would you please share your thoughts on the pros and cons of juicing Vs blending?
Thank you!!! Love& Light <3
I’m opposed to the methods of decaffeinating coffee and tea. Though I did give up caffeinated beverages for Lent, I enjoy tea (hot and iced) too much to never have it again.
Well done Genevieve. LOVE your show!
Just subscribed, thanks!
It may seem like the usual advice but I let the housework go so I can spend more time with my daughter. Also by scheduling computer time I am not tempted to “plug-in” when I am with my kids.
I’ve been doing research on coffee for years, and the conclusion I’ve come to is that there isn’t really any evidence that it’s bad for your health. Some studies show deleterious effects of drinking several cups a day, but nobody has proven that a cup a day habit harms you (some studies show benefits of drinking a little coffee). And some researchers believe it’s the pesticide in it that people react badly to, not the caffeine.
I think you have to listen to your body. If you don’t have any problems with your moderate use of coffee, then enjoy it. If you do, give it up.
One cup of day is fine in my book too as long as you don’t have the adrenaline & blood sugar crash. Some can handle coffee well.
I used to drink a lot of coffee – because I was with someone who drank it ALL the time.
I find I go through phases of drinking coffee or tea in the morning. I definitely don’t need/want the caffeine and tend to make decaf or half-calf coffee. I like the taste not the buzz.
Thanks for linking Roastorama. I had a great yogi tea that was like coffee but better – then they stopped making it. Drinking hot things in the morning just seems like the right thing to do, so I’ll look for Roastorama.
I had been looking into healing my thyroid & adrenal function. So on top of going gluten free, I also dropped coffee. I have not touched it since January! Infact, it seems I have more energy. I sleep better & don’t crash like I used to throughout the afternoon.
Good for you!