Drinking coffee in the morning, for me, is not just about consuming the caffeine. It is the ritual of it and it is the sweetness of it. It’s a decadent thing I did to give myself some love and tenderness. So when I decided to quit drinking coffee, I needed something to replace my morning cup. And just going to decaf wasn’t gonna cut it. The process by which they denature caffeine to be decaffeinated is not good for you either. And if you are gluten intolerant you may have issues with digestion proteins in coffee regardless of caffeination.
When I quit coffee, I had several tools in my arsenal to help me quit without having cravings or detox symptoms.
One tool was a product called Dandy Blend. I don’t like to drink tea in the morning so Dandy Blend gave me something that was very similar to coffee in taste and texture but is an all natural herb. Dandelion also helps with the detox symptoms as well.
I also took an amino acid supplement called L-Tryptophan. This greatly helped with the detox symptoms and my cravings for caffeine. You can read more about L-Tryptophan in the book I am always raving about, The Diet Cure.
By the time I decided to quit caffeine all together, Penelope was about 6 months old. I had weaned myself down when I got pregnant, but I maintained one cup of coffee per day through my entire pregnancy and early postpartum. But after doing more research, I realized that even that one cup was doing lots of damage to my body, regardless of me being pregnant and nursing.
Now I think that there probably are some people who could truly do ok and be healthy on one small cup a day. But if you are exhausted and your adrenals are overworked in any way, any amount of caffeine is going to be really hard on your endocrine system, which pretty much governs everything in your body.
But you really have to keep it to a bare minimum, caffeine is basically a natural toxin and makes your liver excrete sugar into your bloodstream. So part of the caffeine high is from that rush of sugar into your bloodstream. This affects your body’s ability to stabilize your blood sugar levels for the rest of the day.
I have had several friends ask my how I got my belly to go down and I think that cutting out my morning coffee was one of the biggest factors, because this past month I have been drinking a cup of coffee (half caffeine and half dandy blend) a couple times a week and my little belly has pouched out more. It’s still way better than it was in this picture, but it is less flat than it has been. Again, it was super flat last summer before I got pregnant and then I sorta had to go back to square one again. It’s never just one problem or one solution, I am just saying I think the caffeine contributes to fat specifically around your waist, because of what it does to your blood sugar levels, which for a lot of people, me included, is the last problem area when you have been on a health and wellness journey.
Post miscarriage, I started craving caffeine again (and sugar for that matter). I am not sure why. I think it might have more to do with needed to do LOTS of things to take care of myself in a decadent, loving way. But I am sure my hormones are still making there way back to normal as well. On the days I want coffee, I am going for it, for now, because I know how to reign it now. I will do one small cup of half Dandy Blend and half regular organic caffeinated coffee and wean myself back down to just Dandy Blend when I am ready. With Penelope sleeping through the night since last fall and she sleeps in till at least 8a, I feel pretty good in the sleep department and I am not worried about my adrenals right now. But it is a very slippery slope and I am gonna to have to be very vigilant and not let my twice a week half/calf cup slide into an every day thing and then to a full cup of caffeinated coffee.
But if I do fall off the wagon, at least I know what to do to get back on again. Dandy Blend and L- Tryptophan, my friends, that is all you need!
I mean ABSOLUTELY no disrespect when I say this, but you know what this post made me want to do? Have a cup of coffee!
I am not a big coffee drinker. I certainly don’t have it every day. But about once a week I like to have an iced coffee. I also like a nice hot cup of coffee after a holiday meal- Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. The smell reminds me of my grandparents. All of them are deceased now, but all of them were big coffee drinkers. My parents did not drink coffee so it is not a smell that I remember from my own home. Definitely from my grandparents homes though.
LOL. What was it that made you want a cup of coffee? The picture? It does look pretty enticing. I hear ya on the emotional ties. I started drinking coffee when I was 20 when I lived in Spain. Some of the best months of my life there, and oh how wonderful the coffee is in Europe.
Yes! I think it was the picture. My in-laws have the same mugs and I could just picture my mother-in-law offering me a cup with a slice of pie. We have an almost 7 month old who has had many health problems as a result of prematurity (sepsis at 2 weeks and then a liver disorder most likely caused by a combo of prematurity and the sepsis). He is totally fine now and is completely recovered, but while he was sick we were basically not leaving the house at all. We are slowly getting back to our lives but all the talk about coffee made me want normalcy to return sooner. Coffee is a real social thing for me. So I associate it with seeing friends and family which I have not been doing lately. Sorry for my response being so long winded!
i love a long winded response! thank you! so many bloggers are talking about the lost art of commenting with social media and the option to simply just “like” a post. Comments are very important to bloggers, so you never have to apologize for leaving a long, thoughtful one! I am all for real food and eating as clean as possible, but I do think emotional health is just as important as physical health and while caffeine consumption can throw off your hormones and hurt your mood and chemical emotional balance in the long run, I do say do what you gotta do to survive and get through tough times.
You know, I’ve never researched it, but I’ve felt for a while that the coffee I drink has a negative effect on my body–I’ve never heard how caffeine effects blood sugar levels, but that hits the nail on the head for me! It definately is having an impact on how my body processes food during the day. I don’t have to have a cup in the morning, but I just so enjoy coffee, you know?! I think it is part ritual. I’m trying to move myself to hot tea…but I’m afraid I won’t be completely giving up coffee just yet
Coffee is such a mood lifter for me. Like a cup of comfort and smiles and hugs. Even decaf gives me a boost. I don’t drink more than one cup a day now but I definitely destroyed my body with coffee overload in college (we’re talkin’ 4-5 cups a day, sister) and couldn’t drink a drop for years because of my body’s reaction. I’m grateful that my body seems to be fine with one cup in the morning for now. Do I get any points for not putting sugar or honey in it anymore?
I will definitely refer to this post if I ever have a negative reaction from coffee again and need to cut out my morning cup or if I’m convicted to give it up for Lent (please, no!).
Hi Stephanie! It’s been awhile since I have commented
I’m very interested in quitting coffee, I have a large belly compared to the rest of my body and I really feel my large cup of coffee EVERY SINGLE DAY has something to do with it. I’m interested in the Dandy Blend, do you brew it like you do coffee in a coffee pot? Also I really feel like I need more energy during the day, do you have any recommendations on vitamins or any natural remedies you take to help you stay so energized. I have a 3 year old and a 1 year old and I am a SAHM and I feel like I have no energy every. Also my daugther (1 year old) does not sleep through the night ever so I don’t nearly get the sleep I should to stay healthy 
Well, honestly quitting the caffeine will give you more energy. It may not feel like that at first, but I do notice if I have a little bit of caffeine in the morning after being off it for so long, those are the days that I am dragging ass in the afternoon. If you take caffenine out of the equation your body has less work to do, and more energy to spend on other areas of functioning and will just plain function better. I would suggest Protandim to give you some energy, among other things it helps reduce inflammation in the body, which can take up a lot of your body’s resources and energy as well. As for your question, I just heat water on the stove and mix in the Dandy Blend. It comes in a powder form, similar to instant coffee. Good luck!
Im typing this as I am literally trying to do anything but go in to the kitchen and make coffee. I’m already missing the ritual and the taste and it’s been an hour haha. Thanks for the tip on the Protandim and I’m going to the natural market today to see if they have the Dandy Blend!!
I worked as a barista on and off for years and weaning myself off daily cubanos is a serious accomplishment in my mind haha. I dont know if I will ever give up coffee. I gave up all (numerous) bad habits before getting pregnant and coffee is my one last habitual moment I have all to myself everyday. It’s very sentimental to me
That is an accomplishment! Well, if it’s the only thing unhealthy that you do, and you feel good, then like I said, I think that some people can totally handle one cup a day and be fine. But if you start feeling really run down and tired, maybe look at it again. The Dandy Blend tastes really good to me, so I still get to sit down with a cup of something coffee like and have my little ritual of a moment.
I should definitely try that. My energy is up and down lately with the new baby. I keep buying a larger mug for my one cup a day haha, not good!
Yeah, with a new baby it’s hard to tell whether your adrenals are exhausted or if the you are just damn tired from having a new baby.
I quit coffee cold turkey and switched to decaf tea last year around Thanksgiving. I had a 3-4 cups of coffee a day habit (plus tons of cream and sugar). I started drinking 2 cups of hot tea sweetened with a teaspoon of honey daily and instantly felt a difference. Not to say the withdrawal headache for days wasn’t fun, but in one week I had dropped 2 pounds and an inch off my waist. I never realized how bloated all the coffee made me. One month later I was down 4 pounds. I never changed my eating or exercise habits, just the daily drink of choice. Now I’m down to one cup of hot tea most days of the week and will occasionally have 1/2 a cup of coffee at work if I just really feel drained around 3 am. I still crave coffee occasionally but not like I used to. I used to wake up in the middle of the day (work nights, sleep days) thinking about the cup of coffee I could have when the alarm went off.
Wow, I never thought that those last couple of inches around my waist could be due to my coffee habit. I also didn’t realize that decaf wasn’t good for me. Like you, the coffee ritual is what entices me more than the coffee itself. I don’t ever reach for a cup of coffee to stay awake, its always because it feels nice to drink it with my morning paper or after a nice dinner. I don’t like dandelion so I may have to try the other product you mentioned. Does the decaf thing go for tea as well? I love a cup of decaf English Breakfast tea.
You know that is a good question, I don’t know!
It’s remembrance of good times as a kid. First time I had coffee was on relatives houseboat, fishing late at night; instant coffee (ick) with cream and sugar, but it was a bonding family time. Later I tried brewed. Loved it ever since.
I just can’t quit you, coffee! (caffeine)
; )
I know! I can’t tell you how many people healhty people I know, that just not give up coffee! So reduce the consumption of it as much as you can and call it a day!
I have a bad coffee habit. Half a pot everyday. It is bad and I feel terrible. My parents put it in my bottle as a baby and I’ve been drinking it for as long as I can remember. So yeah, it is BAD! But I have been wanting to it out apart from special occasions.Reading the post was like the angels singing to me from heaven! So I am wondering if you use any creamer in your dandy blend. Also, when do you take your l-tryptophan? What time of day?
Shut the front door. Why on earth would they put coffee in your bottle?! That is just insane. I am so sorry! Sounds like you are starting an health/healing journey, so good for you! I do use creamer with the Dandy Blend. I usually use raw milk and add no extra sugar, because to me it tastes sweet enough, but you could certainly add sugar if you needed it to get used to not drinking coffee. Right now I am using a coconut milk coffee creamer because I am trying the GAPS diet for a month to try and heal my digestion even more, so no dairy right now. When I was quitting I would take the L-tryptophan in the morning when I get up and then another mid-morning, and another in the afternoon if I was feeling tired and craving some caffenine. After I quit, I still took it for a couple of months to build up my nutrtional stores, and now I just take it here and there, like when I went on vacation and had coffee every morning, and needed it to get back to my routine.
Why? Who knows! My parents were young and did as their parents did. My grandmother suggested my mom put coffee in, and so I probably had 1/2 cup mixed with my milk each day from age two or so. I have NOT done this to my children!
I am going to give this a try. I have always thought I would need to wean myself to avoid withdrawal symptoms. I am hoping this will work well for me! Thanks for the suggestion.
Wowza, I am still in such shock, I have never heard of such a thing! Great job on not continuing the cycle. Weaning yourself will still help out. I went from one cup to no cups. So quitting from a pot to nothing might be harder.
Thanks for your Quitting Coffee post, Stephanie (I have a cousin Stephanie who’s very pretty like you!). Since high school I’ve been a big coffee drinker, plus my husband and I ran a coffee house for about five years, and I learned to dearly love espresso too. Recently I discovered I’ve inherited my mother’s (and grandmother’s) high blood pressure and urgent bladder, both of which are exacerbated by caffeine. Therefore, as sad as I am about giving it up, I think it might be wise to give up my favorite drink *gulp*. As a first step I purchased some Dandy Blend over the holidays after reading many reviews which were overwhelmingly positive. And now, with your post, I figure I have nothing to lose but a bad habit. Regarding the DB, I have to say I really like the stuff and hope it helps in my ultimate goal of cutting out the coffee habit. PS – I shared your post with my sister, another coffee addict who like me is blessed with high blood pressure.
So glad to hear that you are making changes in your life towards better health! I know you are going to feel so much better and you can always indulge on rare occasions!
Is the blend safe to take while pregnant? I do enjoy coffee & but would like to give it up atleast during pregnancy.
As far as I know yes.