1. Caffeine Is a Legal Drug
Chances are you drink a cup or more of coffee or tea in the course of a day. Maybe you have a piece of chocolate or a can of soda. Maybe you've even popped a No-Doz to ward off sleep. In varying degrees, all of these items contain caffeine. Caffeine is considered the most common drug in the world. Even children ingest caffeine when they consume soft drinks. And yet no one blinks an eye, though maybe they would if they realized that caffeine is considered a drug, one that alters mood and stimulates the central nervous system. So if you're thinking about quitting caffeine, don't look at it as a negative thing.
2. What Caffeine Does to Your Health
Controlled substances, which caffeine is considered (though not lethal enough to be illegal), never have health benefits. The effects of caffeine on the human body include elevated stress hormones, a spike in blood sugar as insulin levels rise, reduced oxygen levels in the blood, tension, and a rise in blood pressure. Caffeine consumption also increases anxiety and depression. The liver, heart and central nervous system all fall victim in some way to caffeine consumption. So quitting caffeine can easily be seen as a healthy choice.
3. Quitters Can Win
In the case of quitting caffeine, less is more. You'll be less anxious, less depressed, less irritable, less dependent on caffeine and less stressed. You'll lose less sleep. Your liver will not have to work as hard to filter toxins. Your heart rate will not be increased. Your blood pressure will be lower. Your blood sugar will be far less likely to rise. Though the old saying "Quitters never win and winners never quit" is true most of the time, in the case of leading a caffeine-free life, you can simply say that quitters will be winners every time.
4. Quitting Anything is Never Easy
Walking away from something you're addicted to, whether it be a physical substance, a habit or a hobby is never an easy thing to do. In the case of a drug, we've all heard about withdrawal symptoms. This is no different when quitting caffeine. You can even expect to experience some of the same emotions and physical ailments you suffered when consuming caffeine: irritability, depression, moodiness, anxiety. You'll likely get headaches, feel tired and have a hard time concentrating on daily tasks. But hang in there for a week or two and you can overcome caffeine withdrawal.
5. Nothing is Irreplaceable
If you're hesitant at all about quitting caffeine because you're afraid you simply can't live without it, the good news is that there are alternatives. Consider decaffeinated coffee, tea and soft drinks so you'll at least feel like you're drinking everything you were before. Consume a lot of water. Drink green tea; in addition to the great health benefits derived from it, green tea contains far less traces of caffeine but enough to help ease your body out of its addiction. Even some herbal supplements like ginseng root can give you the energy boost you used to get from caffeine without all the unwanted health issues.
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