No Caffeine? No Problem!

When I was five years old, I was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat. The doctors told my parents that I shouldn’t have any caffeine, as it is known to exacerbate the irregularities and could be dangerous.

When I was twelve years old, I went back to the doctors’ for one of my follow-up appointments. They said I could start introducing small amounts of caffeine; say, a Coke or a Dr. Pepper here and there, a small coffee on special occasions.

Now, at nearly twenty, I’ve spent the last few years of my life only making it through school days with the help of energy drinks, large coffees, and caffeinated teas. It’s not good for anyone’s heart health, much less mine, and I can feel it—which is why three weeks ago, I decided to cut caffeine out of my diet completely once again.

This means I’ve had to get creative. When I go to cafes, or tea shops, or even to the dining hall, I have to watch out for what I drink, because it seems like nearly everything has at least a little bit of caffeine. 

With that said, here are a few tips for anyone looking to avoid caffeine on their next little treat run:

1. Starbucks:
   1. Don’t get the refreshers! They may look like juice, but a grande has 45 mg of caffeine in it — about half a cup of coffee’s worth.
   2. Sometimes, they don’t brew their decaf coffee. If you want a decaf drink, go with any espresso-based drink—they’re more likely to have it.
   3. “Creme” frappuccinos are your best friend. My personal favorite is the strawberries and cream one.
2. Dunkin:
   1. Coolattas are essentially just slushies, and don’t have any caffeine. However, not every Dunkin’ sells these.
   2. Dunkin’s refreshers also have caffeine, even if you get them made with lemonade instead of tea. Just avoid them if you’re as sensitive to it as I am.
   3. They sell frozen hot chocolate, which may sound like a bit of an oxymoron, but it’s perfect when you want a cold drink that’s similar to coffee, and it’s just as customizable as their coffees are.
3. Boba shops:
   1. Green tea, which fruit teas are usually made of, and black tea, which milk teas are usually made of, both have caffeine. Thai tea has a lot of caffeine, more than green or black, so especially avoid that.
   2. Ask if they can make your fruit teas with water instead of tea—some shops will do this, others don’t. It can’t hurt to ask!
   3. Smoothies and slushies are your best friend, and you can add tapioca or popping boba to them. Richer flavors like chocolate or coconut are better with tapioca, and sweeter flavors like mango or strawberry are better with popping boba.
4. Dining hall drinks:
   1. Just Sprite definitely gets boring, but you can mix it with juice and get creative.
   2. Be mindful of the brands your school uses. A&W root beer, for example, is caffeine free, but Barq’s isn’t.
   3. If you’re a fan of diet sodas like me, your options will be limited. Oftentimes, just water is the best choice. Lemonade is second best.

I’m still learning what to avoid and what not to avoid myself, and I’m sure I’ll get better at it as I get more and more used to no longer having a Red Bull with me at all hours of the day. 

Nonetheless, these tips have helped me, and I’m sure they’ll help you too.

• Augustana College
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