How To Stop Drinking Coffee While Maintaining Your Sanity

I have not decided to give up my coffee yet. I'm sorry but I've 

been drinking coffee since the age of 5. I'm not sure as to why 

my mother didn't think it was a problem but no one stopped 

my grandparents from letting me have Folgers on tap at their place. 

I always take my coffee, even to this day, half coffee, half milk, 

and half sugar.... is there any other way? I don't believe so and I 

won't have it any other way either.  For everyone who wants to 

quit drinking coffee, here are some tips on how to quit and still 

maintain the ability to stay awake through out the day. 


((I'm also dedicating this post to my friend Amy, no one drinks
more Starbucks then her! ))

So without further ado...

Ten Healthier Alternatives to Coffee:

• Black tea
  • Not only does it have a very strong taste, but it contains 
    only half as much caffeine as coffee does for every 
    8 oz cup.
• Green tea
  • It has a little over half the amount of caffeine of black 
    tea, and has a refreshingly earthy taste. Not only can 
    it help ween a person off of caffeine, but it also has 
    disease fighting properties. Green tea has been known
    to lessen the risk for certain types of cancer, lower 
    cholesterol and even marginally speed up a person's 
    metabolism.
• White tea
  • It is a bit sweeter than black or green tea, and has 
    about half the amount of caffeine as green tea and 
    only a quarter of the amount as black tea. In an 8 oz 
    cup that's only about 15mg of caffeine.
  • What's great about any sort of tea though is that 
    if it's left unsweetened it's a completely calorie 
    free drink!
• A mixture of lemon and water
  • Not only is it excellent for hydration, but lemon 
    also helps carry toxins out of the liver by promoting 
    the production of bile. So you're in for a natural 
    detoxification as well as hydration!
• Munch on an apple!
  • They have naturally occurring sugars that can keep
    you awake just as long as a cup of coffee can. Not 
    to mention they're healthier and full of vitamins.
• Chewing gum
  • Not just any chewing gum though. There are certain 
    types of gum that can provide you with the same 
    amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee. This, by no 
    means, is a good way to kick a caffeine addiction, 
    but if you're more worried about the health risks 
    associated with drinking coffee (i.e. heart disease, 
    raised cholesterol, acid reflux, etc.) than the actual 
    presence of caffeine in your system, then this is 
    the cure for you! A few of the brands that are 
    available are Jolt Gum, Gorilla Gum, and Stay Alert Gum.
• Exercise in the morning
  • It burns calories, you don't need any extra stimulants, 
    and it will snap you out of your sleepy state in the 
    morning faster than you can say “Drop and give 
    me twenty”.
• Increase your B Vitamins intake
  • Not only will taking B Vitamins keep you feeling 
    awake without feeling jittery, they are also great 
    for maintaining healthy skin and muscle tone, 
    increasing the rate of your metabolism, strengthening 
    your immune system, and helping to prevent anemia.
• Meditate
  • Even if you do it for as little as 10 minutes a day, it's 
    a good way to relieve stress, organize your thoughts, 
    and keep you feeling energetic throughout the day.
• Get the proper amount of sleep
  • You can pull out as many mystical cures and magic 
    tricks as you want, but nothing works better than
    getting the right amount of sleep. Go to sleep when 
    you feel tired at night, and make sure you don't 
    oversleep because during your REM cycle your brain 
    is just as active as it is when you're awake, causing 
    your body to expend more energy than usual while 
    you are sleeping. This can make you feel exhausted 
    and groggy all day and may cause you to resort to 
    alternative ways of gaining energy.
    
    

**Info via Allie from The Vanity Lair