Without coffee for 1 year.
As the title states, I woke up this morning and realized I've been without coffee for about 1 year. Surprisingly I don't remember the exact date I stopped.
The reason I stopped is that I was just way over caffeinated all the time. It was my means to stay awake. Without coffee I had no energy. This was compounded by the fact that I have a heart murmur which may have been the cause of some palpitation issues I had started having.
For perspective, coffee is/was a passion of mine. I roasted my own beans. I also bought single origin beans from microlots and had many conversations about coffee farming to people. I advocated for fair prices to these coffee farmers. My favorite coffees were naturally processed, funky beans. I had multiple subscription services. Owned a v60, a fancy grinder, a moccamaster, aeropress, French press, etc. I even read coffee science books.
When I initially quit coffee, I was very dehydrated and didn't even realize it. It was last July, it was a heat wave, and it was miserable. I remember the first days after I quit were miserable. I was making mistakes at work that I would normally not make. I was low energy. I could hardly hold a conversation.
The next couple of weeks I was having heart palpitations. Over the course of a month they decreased. Some palpitations are due to my heart condition (MVP) but mostly they had to be from the caffeine withdrawal. Don't worry, I see a cardiologist and did the whole thing and continue to follow up.
Things I've learned: caffeine has a grip on you. Your body gets dependent on it. You will have physical and mental withdrawal when you quit. After some time, you stop craving it. It is no longer a leash around your neck. Every now and again, on a lazy Sunday afternoon, I do still crave a cup. I don't do it, but I also feel like I could safely have a cup of decaf if I choose. I could even roast my own decaf beans eventually. Right now I rather not.
Coffee is a drug. It's not thought of as a bad drug. It helps society be productive. Yet like any drug, it can trap you. You can become a slave to it. For me, it was part of my routine. I would literally bring extra to work for extra long shifts, in fear of running out.
Now I am free from all of that. I don't even think twice.
Another side benefit, is that caffeine from my understanding interferes with your blood vessels expanding the way they should during a workout. Before I quit my resting pulse was always higher. I workout a lot and always have. Now my resting pulse is much lower and seems to have more range in general, which isn't talked about a lot here. Can't help but think it's related.
Anyways, I hope that helps someone out there. Thank you for reading!