Like most college students, I’ve got an affinity for coffee or caffeine in general. Between the late nights, early mornings, and long classes- the Starbucks on campus probably sees me more often than my parents at this point. That being said, recently I noticed that my amount of caffeine intake was…. increasing- exponentially. The coffee aside, I also started having sodas with meals most times and even the occasional energy drink. So once I became suddenly self-aware, I decided to maybe change it up a little. Caffeine isn’t always the best for you, especially in such large quantities, and in an effort of self-preservation, I decided to stop drinking so much caffeine.
That meant no daily coffee, no energy drinks before work, and no soda’s with lunch. Let me tell you- it’s been kinda hard. Not only was it a habit to walk to the coffee shop, but the coffee had quickly become something I had started to rely on. Days can be pretty tiring so not having a boost to help me out was rough to get used to. On top of being more tired, the other effects were starting to kick in. It was a little harder to concentrate, I’m tired all the time, and the headaches have made their appearance. Granted they aren’t awful, but nothing else seems to curb them. After I got through all of those annoyances, I started to feel a little better. I didn’t feel as bloated after eating, I wasn’t as drowsy, and honestly, even my teeth felt cleaner.
Something that also helped me was replacing caffeinated drinks with something else. Generally, it was water- before this, I was drinking about one bottle of water and just topped it off throughout the day. Now that I’ve stopped drinking caffeine I’ve started drinking at least two bottles of water a day. That’s certainly helped me too! More water is always beneficial in the long run- and I’ve noticed that more water has made me feel better than more soda. Also whenever I feel especially deprived, I get a smoothie! The sugar curbs the caffeine cravings, and fruit is much healthier than sodas.
Overall, cutting back on caffeine has been difficult, but worth it! Do I still indulge in the occasional soda or coffee before class? Sure! But the daily caffeine intake has decreased the benefits have made themselves known. More water and less soda and coffee have helped me improve my overall health and state. Sure I miss the lattes and cokes now and then, but that’s easily replaceable with smoothies or even flavored water! It’s not my favorite thing I’ve ever done, but it certainly is one of the healthiest!