How I quit coffee

MNN's lifestyle blogger ended her 20-year-old affair with coffee this year. Could you do the same?

Wed, Jul 13 2011 at 2:55 PM EST

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Photo: Lynne Lowe/Flickr

After 20 years of addiction, I've finally quit coffee — and developed a raging addiction to green tea.

The addiction swap-out, apparently, means great eco-benefits. According to GOOD, a cup of coffee requires 37 gallons of water to make (from growing the coffee, etc.), while a cup of tea requires just nine gallons.

That isn't why I quit coffee though. Though GOOD's chart compares somewhat similar choices we make in everyday life, I don't think the lower water use option is necessarily always the choice you "should" make. If it were, we should eat oranges (13 gallons) and shun apples (18 gallons), and always opt for beer (20 gallons) over wine (31 gallons). A healthy, eco-friendly diet, though, requires variety — and in my opinion, a fun factor that makes room for individual taste. Picking fair trade coffee — or an organic apple — seems to me more eco-effective than always going for tea or oranges.

But now I really am always going for green tea over coffee. Why? I finally realized coffee was making me a more anxious, less even-keeled person.

I'd been drinking coffee daily since sixth grade, so I thought my anxiety levels and daily energy highs and crashes were just part of my nature. Coffee was just a normal, daily habit, a morning routine I looked forward to. Until recently, I started each day with three cups of French-pressed organic fair trade coffee — and couldn't function without it. In fact, when I started my personal green blog, its main focus was coffee — fair trade, organic coffee, to be specific. I did lots of coffee reviews, interviewed movers and shakers in the fair trade coffee world, and gave advice on drinking the most eco-ethical cup of coffee.

But about a year ago, when I complained about low-grade anxiety, low energy in the afternoons, and some trouble falling asleep at night, a doctor recommended that I try cutting back my daily habit to just two cups of coffee. So I did. The result? I still felt my energy dip in the early afternoon, but I felt less anxious and I slept better! In fact, I felt so much better that whenever a friend mentioned anxiety or mood swings or insomnia, I waxed lyrical about how much cutting back on caffeine helped my sense of well-being.

Oddly, this did not spur me to explore actually quitting coffee altogether.

I think part of the resistance was that I'd tried to quit coffee before — and failed rather miserably each time. Usually, these attempts to quit were linked to some sort of bigger lifestyle change that sparked my interest — something that forced me not only to go cold turkey on all caffeine, but totally revamp my diet or some other big aspect of my life (one especially tortuous stab at the Master Cleanse comes to mind).

Needless to say, those "change everything" dealios gave me horrible caffeine withdrawal headaches and just made me feel crappy altogether. It's been an extremely slow process, but through the years I do seem to be finally accepting the fact that I generally do better when I try to make gradual changes over time, instead of attempting to alter everything in one go as I'm often tempted to do.

If you're like me, my method of finally quitting coffee successfully might work for you.

My attempt to go from the now two-cup habit to zero began when I decided to do the Crazy Sexy Diet cleanse — in a sane manner that wasn't too shocking to my body. That cleanse recommended, among other things, quitting coffee, but also preached moderation and going at your own pace.

Around the same time, I read Robin Barooah's post at Quantified Self about how he quit coffee due to the "growing suspicion that coffee was causing mood swings and crashes that are bad for my overall sense of well-being." His quitting method? A very gradual and exact self-devised program that required a lot of measuring — and some unfortunate coffee waste:

I made the same amount of coffee each day, using a vac-pot. Although I didn’t measure caffeine content, I did control many factors including grind, age of beans, water temperature and water/coffee contact time. From this controlled pot of coffee, I used measuring cups to discard an additional 20ml per week.

He quit successfully — and found his concentration improved to boot! So instead of going cold turkey, this time I decided to channel Robin's anal retentive methodology, minus the coffee waste. How? I counted beans. I started with 100 beans every morning, cutting back five beans every few days and reducing the amount of water I put in the French press. Finally, I had about 15 beans left in my coffee jar — with which I made my last weak shot or so of coffee.

The next day, I drank a cup of black tea instead — without suffering a caffeine withdrawal headache. I had about 20 bags of black tea stockpiled in the apartment, mostly begotten as friends or as samples for review. Those finally got quaffed. Then I moved onto the green tea — I also had about 20 bags of those to get through. After those were gone, I went entirely caffeine-free, starting my days with herbal tea. I even proudly told a number of organic tea companies to not send any more caffeinated tea samples, because I've quit caffeine, to which they replied "Congratulations," and started sending more herbal tea samples.

That caffeine-free streak lasted less than a month.

It ended when I read some nice things about green tea's many healthy properties — things I had certainly read before, but this time, could use as an excuse to enjoy some caffeine in the morning. I guess I'm just not ready to part entirely with a caffeine habit yet, because I don't see a reason to kick it entirely. The switch from coffee to green tea has definitely lessened my mood swings and energy crashes — and I'm happy with the results as they are.

Perhaps 20 years from now, I'll find a reason to quit green tea. For now, I'm slowly becoming a green tea connoisseur, so expect to see more fair trade, organic green tea reviews here. One thing I've discovered so far: Back when I drank coffee, green tea never seemed to "do" anything in terms of a caffeine kick — the effect of the brew seemed no different than just water. Now, I not only feel the caffeine jolt but also can feel the difference in the caffeine levels of cheaper, paper tea bags and the more expensive, premium silk satchel bag or loose leaf varieties. The latter definitely gives you more of a kick!

Have you quit coffee — or tried to? What's your story? And do you have a green tea to recommend?

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Love 4 Coffee 04/02/2012 21:41 PM

I started drinking coffee in 5th grade and I completely love it, but I believe it's the cause of my excessive sweating... So thank you for the tips, I've decided to quit caffeine. :)

Donna Babb 01/01/2012 15:44 PM

I have just discovered a new substitute for coffee & it`s good for U,I am amazed. Check out " CHOFFY" & see

Fletch 11/28/2011 21:27 PM

O.K. I've just quit-cold turkey. Three days now and I must say a peace is begining to seep into a body that has been on one form of stimulent for over three decades. I have boasted to more than one person that I was proud to say that I was down to one drug. They would pause look at me quizzically than I would deliver the punch line. Coffee. I'm a landscaper and a writer who normally ingests the finest java every morning in quantity-about two small pots of it. I must tell you I have an.... More

Try Teeccino herbal coffee! 07/22/2011 13:15 PM

I've found that Teeccino herbal coffee is unbelievably delicious and is the best substitute for coffee ever! Like green tea, it is loaded with antioxidants and polyphenols -- but without the acid or caffeine. You can even gradually mix it in to your regular brew to wean yourself off coffee, or make your regular cup'o'joe less jittery.Check it out at www.teeccino.com

Vince 07/21/2011 11:39 AM

My friend and I drink coffee at Caribou cafe everyday before going to work.
At home I rarely drink coffee, wish I get addicted to it but I don't . Lol

Coffee Lover 07/21/2011 11:01 AM

I appreciate that you wanted to quit caffeine and that is better for you, but let's not assume that everyone should quit coffee. I love coffee, a cup or two a day causes me no problems, I really enjoy it, and I never want to "quit" like it's some sort of drug or bad for me. The science is mixed. Coffee has some benefits, and higher amounts it has detriments. More than anything, though, it's individual. I'm so tired of seeing article after article about "quitting coffee" like it's some bad.... More

Johnny 12/24/2011 18:24 PM

Sounds like you're in denial.

Bill Dean 07/19/2011 16:33 PM

Went from coffee to green tea and then to white tea - especially Peony White Needle tea. As you move away from stronger drinks, your taste buds will adapt to the more subtle varieties available.
Enjoy!

SF Greenista 07/19/2011 14:48 PM

In place of coffee, I love green tea but have also been drinking Numi's Puerh tea obsessively. I did the company's month-long Puerh Challenge and was definitely much happier without the coffee jitters. If you're interested, check out my post: .... More

Kate 07/19/2011 10:35 AM

I just try and avoid doing anything everyday, that includes coffee. I drink it a few times a week, mostly on weekends and that makes it a special treat. I am a huge fan of a tea company called Zhena's Gypsy Tea. The founder of the company is committed to sustainable farming and packaging and their teas are amazing! I really like the Coconut Green Chai tea and the Raspberry Black tea. Google them, you won't be sorry.

Matt 07/19/2011 08:04 AM

I backed off coffee successfully by mixing regular with decaf (3/1), and gradually increasing the decaf ratio by 25% every two weeks until it was 100% decaf. I also had a cup of green tea every morning instead from there on.

TimCT 07/19/2011 07:53 AM

I've been drinking coffee every day for the last 18 years. Black with sugar. I've been having a lot of trouble with acid reflux over the past couple years and finally decided to give up coffee. I feel a lot better and it's only been a week. I could drink caffeine-free, but what's the point.

Eric 07/19/2011 03:51 AM

Studies continually show health benefits from drinking coffee, and new benefits are being discovered each year. There is no reason whatsoever for the average person to stop drinking coffee. Drinking coffee, even in "excess", is not bad for you in any scientifically proven way.

If you want to stop drinking coffee because you are particularly sensitive to it, that is fine. Bananas and peanuts are very healthy even though many people are allergic to them. Treat coffee with the same.... More

terrix2000 07/19/2011 12:22 PM

Thank you, well put.

Matt 07/19/2011 08:07 AM

Caffeine raises cortisol levels, which can contribute to overall stress to the body, and can result in weight gain and premature aging. This was the primary reason I dropped coffee in favor of green tea.

JHenryey 07/18/2011 23:06 PM

I drank 1.5 pots of coffee a day in college. Now if I drink 1 cup, the lights grow bright, I get very nervous, I feel a little dizzy and my stomach feels sick. I don't think people realize how extreme a drug is in coffee. As with anything it has it's uses, but for so many people to drink, so much of it every day it can't be good for them or even society.

YM 07/18/2011 20:42 PM

I just started to use coffee about a year ago. It only works for me if I make a very strong espresso. It really helps me to stay happy and wake up to a better mood in the morning! I am not giving it up... But I am not addicted to it either! LOL

annmarie 07/18/2011 19:41 PM

I quit coffee 2 months ago after resuming the habit for only TWO weeks (I gave it up completely last September and was on the Green Tea -one cup a day- kick) and I was immediately struck with daily headaches and withdrawal symptoms as if I never quit to begin with. It was so not worth the cheat for 2 weeks. The pain has finally subsided thankfully, but I am so nervous about caffeine that I have been drinking only decaf coffee (half cup to a cup) a day. I feel this may not be good for me.... More

Kandutu 07/18/2011 10:24 AM

I quit coffee when I began to notice that it was causing me bladder irritation. Quitting was easy, actually, as I did it during a really hot spell last summer. I would awake in the morning craving a cool glass of water, instead of something hot. I now drink tea.

Conf 07/18/2011 09:37 AM

Good for you on the healthy habit change!

As for the saving of water, where is that water now? I was under the impression that water is re-cycled. By using it you don't destroy or even necessarily waste it. Should we start saving air as well? All of us try to breathe a few times fewer each day? I must have misunderstood the teacher in grade four or five who talked about water being in a continuous cycle!???

Anonymous 01/08/2012 07:51 AM

Only 2 percent of the Earth's water is fresh water, not to mention the pollution our factories put into it. As populations grow, and demand increases, we have less usable water available to us. We can desalinate sea water, and purify our sewage water, but these require land and large facilities, electricity, and chemicals. It is costly to the tax payer and the environment.

As our technology and infrastructure develops, providing fresh water to ourselves will become less costly. .... More

Anonymous 07/18/2011 11:37 AM

WOW! Good point.....I now drink a coffee infused with 100% Certified Ganoderma - you can't taste it, smell it or see it, but it has great health benefits. Pls google "ganoderma" and see for your self...it's AWESOME....thanks

Shirley E. Brotherton 07/18/2011 09:37 AM

My dad started giving me black coffee at the age of one year. When my mother noticed it, she insisted that he add milk and suger with it. I've drank coffee all of my life in various forms, black, black with sugar, with cream and suger, with cream substitute. In January 2003, I was very ill with the flu or some kind of virus. Coffee just didn't appeal to me, and I have not had a cup of coffee since then. I wasn't trying to quit, I just lost the desire for it.

G. 07/18/2011 09:21 AM

I've Quit Several Times.

M B 07/18/2011 11:52 AM

Why Quit??? Just drink a healthy coffee or tea. There is such a thing. Someone above mentioned Ganoderma and they are exactly right. We have been drinking coffee and tea with 100% Certified Ganoderma and it is great. If interested pls let us know and will be happy to supply you with information on company. Thanks

Maryland, USA 07/18/2011 09:20 AM

When I was 22, I told my doctor, "Coffee is my only vice." He replied, "If that's true, you need more vices."

G 07/18/2011 10:00 AM

Ba dum dum...chhhhh :)

Michael E 07/18/2011 09:15 AM

I quit coffee on 12.31.10. I haven't had a drop ever since. I switched over to tea. All different kinds of tea....

VV 07/18/2011 09:00 AM

This story was like complete Deja Vu to me as I have done the exact same thing. After drinking coffee (loaded with cream and sugar) for the past 10 years, I decided to quit and have been on green tea for the past 2 years. I feel great and do not miss the coffee one bit. I do have the occasional cup of coffee when there is no green tea available, but I am so glad I switched!

hanelaine 07/18/2011 08:28 AM

I was a coffee and tea drinker until forced to give it up due to hiatal hernia. I thought it was going to be tough but it really wasn't. I DO miss the taste of the heavier teas (I now drink herbal teas) and I definitely miss the taste of coffee but, like most things, you can learn to live without it. Caffeine is NOT good for you and it's certainly not good for your stomach. However, I long for the day when I can return to that first sip of heavy black tea or strong coffee

Darrin 07/18/2011 07:57 AM

With more and more studies showing that coffee actually has many health benefits, I see no reason to quit coffee. Unless of course you drink it by the gallon.

uniq2k9 07/18/2011 07:04 AM

I loved the photo of coffee in the cup
Having grown up in a coffee plantation where my Dad was just above a coolie I have known coffee.In the plantation coolies made coffee differently.They just stir fried the beans and ground them in a granite stone using a pestle.No sugar,I mean cane sugar but jaggery or gur.(Sugar other than cane sugar was unknown to us.Even today we have only HEARD about maple or beet sugar .I think there are only these three kind of sugars)
Yes ,I was a coffee.... More

Anonymous 08/23/2011 13:15 PM

You sound adorable-where are you from?

Steve 07/18/2011 04:02 AM

My grandma drank black coffee everyday and lived to 95. Finis.

Anna 07/18/2011 03:51 AM

Lately, I am surrounded by food fundamentalists: rather than eating and drinking in moderation, entire food groups are eliminated altogether. If someone begins the day with three cups of coffee (which is definitely way too much for most people), why not just cut down to 1-2 cups a day? I do not buy the argument that even a small amount of coffee is THE responsible for a host of problems (hey, try one espresso a day instead of a "venti"!). I regard this article as yet another example of extreme.... More

User M1 07/18/2011 03:35 AM

This article and the author are both seriously retarded. Green tea has more caffeine in it that coffee, for crying out loud. If you think you're feeling better now because of the switch then it's most likely psychosomatic.

Plus a 20-year study of 50,000 men recently concluded that those who drink 6 cups of coffee per day can cut their risk of developing prostate cancer by as much as 20%.

And that doesn't even touch on the dangerously false economics of 'fair trade' that promotes.... More

eyedoc11 07/19/2011 09:00 AM

Green tea has nowhere near the caffeine that coffee does. Not even in the same ball park.

FormerCoffeeJunky 07/18/2011 01:23 AM

I recently quit coffee and started drinking a coffee alternative I found at a health food store. It's called Dandy Blend and it's delicious with a smooth roasty flavor. It's completely caffeine-free but it gives me a nice natural buzz that gets me going in the morning. It's made from roasted barley, chicory, dandelion root and beet root so it has health benefits, too. I'm happy that I can still have my morning ritual without the caffeine. Check it out>>>> .... More

terrix2000 07/18/2011 00:08 AM

Until I read on the front page, "Woman died from coffee" I will not quit drinking coffee. I agree there are some people who should not drink coffee, mainly those with high blood pressure or super sensitive to caffee, there is no reason to stop drinking it. I read more articles that coffee is benefical than I see it is harmful. The people who I see quit coffee are usually attention addicts. For some stupid reason, they seem to think they are better than anyone who does drink coffee and they brag.... More

Anonymous 07/18/2011 01:21 AM

Yes I can see giving up coffee if one is consuming several pots per day. Certainly blood pressure would improve and the nerves would settle. Of course the whole organic/fair trade crap is just childish nonsense; pseudo-idealistic liberal jibberish when there are real problems in the world. But this doesn't mean I don;'t appreciate her point. Thanks

TeaLover 07/17/2011 23:40 PM

To stop drinking coffee or tea forever, the key is to taper off slowly. Finding that missing my morning cup of tea invariably gave me a splitting headache by noon, I discovered that I was addicted to tea. It wasn't a problem for me, but I still wanted to make sure no substance had control over me. So for one week, I had 3/4 of my cup of tea, the next 2 weeks 1/2, then to 1/4 for 2 weeks, and finally I was able to live through the morning without any tea and without a headache. That was many.... More

Yogesh 07/17/2011 22:46 PM

Mighty Leaf's green tea and tropical green tea are fantastic. Especially the tropical (green tea with mango and pineapple). Until I discovered this, I used to always dislike flavored teas. This one is all-natural, the teabags are silk pouches, and the tea is the highest quality. I am hooked!

jaxo 07/17/2011 20:29 PM

your missing the boat if your giving up coffee.

jaxo 07/17/2011 20:28 PM

Coffee has many health benefits. Its is loaded with antioxidants and Tanin. Look it up. Going to the tea is much less healthy.

Art 07/17/2011 20:22 PM

I quit coffee about four months ago and can still feel the lure of coffee beckoning nearly every day. I had been drinking for many years - probably closer to 30 years. I generally drank two cups a day. I, too, felt the same mid afternoon crash and generally sluggish feeling when I did not have caffeine in my system. I am trying to kick the caffeine habit altogether - opting for decaf tea. Although once in a while I find myself sipping some regular tea to get me through some of the harder.... More

Cory Epp 07/17/2011 19:49 PM

I have an addictive personality and have always had at least one addiction running rampant in my life. Smoking, drinking, coffee and watching the news obsessively are vices I have wrestled with.

On December 31, 1973 I quit smoking cold turkey on a New Years’ resolution. I was really surprised that I could actually do it and figured naturally that drinking would be next. Well it was a little later (December 10, 2000) that I quit drinking in the middle of a marriage break up with the.... More

Halo 07/17/2011 19:47 PM

I love drinking coffee also, and like most people I depend on it daily for a quick energy booster. I have recently been diagnosed with HBP and I've noticed my BP rises quickly after drinking just one cup of black coffee in the morning.

I am slowly weaning myself off coffee after enjoying a fresh hot brew for the last 15 years.

rocknrolon 07/17/2011 18:23 PM

I used to drink 4 to 6 cups of coffee a day. The first thing I would do in the morning was to ensure my coffee was ready, no matter what. Then I would give attention to the next most important thing, which was everything else. I did this for well over 20 years. I started to realize just how much I needed coffee just to get from point A to point B during any given day. I also noticed how yellow my teeth were, and how, on occasion, my stomach would hurt. Finally, about 3 months ago, I simply.... More

Zach 07/17/2011 16:03 PM

Love coffee. And then during the work day I switch to Red Tea (Roobois) and green tea. I love the Costco brand Matcha green tea. And I love the Republic of Tea's red tea (especially their green bush tea one). My favorite herbal 'tea' (infusion) has got to be Yogi Tea's Lemon Ginger. .So freakin good.

KT 07/17/2011 15:55 PM

I quit coffee for 2 weeks to kill my tolerance, then had a cup and it did absolutely nothing except smell great and taste good. No buzz at all. Weird. So I generally have one cup a day and thats it. I certainly don't need it, but its a morning ritual that just isn't the same with any other hot liquid.