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I’m Cutting Out Caffeine For 30 Days

John Solokas

Key Takeaways

  • Caffeine has cast its intoxicating spell on up to 85% of Americans and it’s estimated that over 1 billion cups of coffee are consumed each day.

  • Caffeine consumption has been shown to:

    • Improve mood

    • Enhance cognition and focus

    • Boost performance, strength, and endurance 

    • Increase energy expenditure 

  • Side effects of caffeine include:

    • Restlessness and jitters

    • Anxiety

    • Fatigue

    • Disrupted sleep

    • Headaches

  • I’m addicted. I’ve consumed caffeine every single day for over 6 years.

  • I’m cutting out caffeine for the next month to:

    • Reset my tolerance 

    • Assess how it affects my sleep

    • Reduce my reliance on it

Full Story

IS THERE ANYTHING BETTER THAN A STRONG CUP OF COFFEE? CAFFEINE MAKES US HAPPIER, STRONGER, FASTER, AND MORE ALERT. IT EVEN MAKES US FEEL LIKE WE’RE THINKING AND LIVING WITH THE CAPS LOCK ON. 

Caffeine is the most widespread legal drug in the world. It has cast its intoxicating spell on up to 85% of Americans and it’s estimated that over 1 billion cups of coffee are consumed each day (1).


Caffeine consumption has been shown to:


Plus, it’s cheap, tasty, and coffee and tea - the 2 most popular caffeine vehicles - are the most potent sources of antioxidants in the average American diet (2-4).

 No wonder it’s so popular.

The Dark Side Of Caffeine Consumption 

Caffeine consumption is not all rainbows and sunshine. Side effects of caffeine include:

You may experience the dark side of caffeine if you’re not used to drinking caffeine, consume too much, or if you’re one of the few people that are extremely sensitive to it’s effects. 

Remember, caffeine is a drug. In rare cases, when people drink way too much, it’s even resulted in death (5).

Personally, the effects of caffeine are amazing and healthy. I use it to facilitate productivity and improve my physical performance. In fact, I rely on it every day.

That’s why I have to stop. 

I’m Addicted To Caffeine

I’m addicted. I’ve consumed caffeine every single day for over 6 years. Within 30 minutes of waking each day, I need my coffee or I’m grumpy, sluggish, and foggy headed. 

I don’t need to cut out caffeine. I don’t consume absurd amounts (about 2 strong cups of coffee/day) and it doesn’t noticeably disrupt my sleep or induce jitters, anxiety, or other negative side effects - but it’s still time to take a break.

Millions of people have lived long, healthy lives drinking caffeine every day and there is nothing inherently unhealthy about consuming it in reasonable amounts. There is, however, a lot inherently wrong with developing a dependency on any substance, let alone a drug. So, I’m going to break free from caffeine’s overwhelming grasp (at least for a month, anyway).

My Caffeine-Free Challenge

After 6 years, I’m taking a break from caffeine. I’m cutting out caffeine cold turkey for the next month to:

  • Reset my tolerance 

  • Assess how it affects my sleep

  • Reduce my reliance on it


I fully expect to jump out of bed on July 1st, chug a cup of coffee, and hop back aboard the caffeine express. However, I will not take another sip of coffee for as long as I live if I experience:

  • More energy throughout the day (I seriously doubt it)

  • Remarkably improved sleep quality (1 hour+ increase in deep or REM sleep)

  • I gain 20lbs of muscle, lose 20lbs of fat, or transform into The Rock (how cool would that be!)


Barring these unforeseen immaculate benefits, I’m won’t be completely quitting caffeine any time soon. But hey, you never know. 

Wrap Up - Join Me

I’m going to document each day during my caffeine-free month and track my:

  • Mood

  • Workout Performance

  • Energy Levels

  • Sleep Quality/Resting Heart Rate


(Follow @solokasfocus on Instagram if you’d like to stay in the loop)

Check back in a month for an article covering the ups, downs, and unbearable withdrawal headaches of the process. If you’d like to join me for the caffeine free challenge, let me know below or email me at solokasfocus@gmail.com - we can hold each other accountable and create a support system to deal with times of weakness.

See this form in the original post

If I survive, I’ll update you in July.

Sources:

  1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24189158/#:~:text=Results%20showed%20that%2085%25%20of,%C2%B12%20mg%2Fday

  2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14988447/ 

  3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14506489/

  4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1043661807000291 

GIF Sources: Snow White Can’t Sleep Ross

(giphy.com)