Once You Give Up Black Coffee, You’ll Never Go Back
Coffee is the third most consumed drink in the world, closing tailgating the likes of tea and water. Men and women both consume around 1.6 cups per day, with the average cup size nine ounces. In the US, that amount jumps up to 3.2 cups which is over 1,000 cups per year. Even the Brits are getting in on the action as the UK drinks over 95 million cups of coffee per year.
It’s easy to see why so many people start their day with a mug of Java. It’s also simple to understand why Starbucks is a huge success and indie coffee shops are popping up everywhere. Caffeine is a stimulant and makes people feel ready for the day, especially if there is a bout of grogginess in the morning.
Of course, like all things which you enjoy, a cup of Jo isn’t extremely healthy. The idea of quitting might bring on the cold sweats, yet there is a method to the madness. Here are five potential reasons you’ll never go back after breaking the routine.
Independence
Like the pretentious coffee stores which are everywhere nowadays, you want to be independent of your addiction. And, it is a form of addiction because you are showing all of the signs. Wake up in the morning and reach straight for the beans? Check. Regularly top up your fix throughout the day? Check. Drink too much to the point where the stimulant doesn’t work as effectively? Check, check and triple check.
You might think it’s no big deal, like not getting hooked to a narcotic, yet the impacts are there for everyone to see. Falling to sleep becomes a major problem due to the amount of caffeine coursing around your body. Stress starts to build as the fatigue affects your mental health. There are massive mood swings which are hard to control. These are the side-effects which millions of men and women suffer from but don’t address.
It’s amazing how much healthier the body and the brain feel after caffeine lay off. It’s as if you can think clearly and aren’t compromised.
Cash Rich
Okay, cutting down on coffee won’t turn you into a billionaire. If recent history is anything to go by, you’re going to have to create a social media platform for that to happen. Still, the average saving for a coffee-lover who drinks an average amount or more might be in the thousands. It all depends on where you buy your beans and how you prepare them.
Let’s say you like to go to Starbucks and cut out the hassle of brewing your own. A grande latte is $3.65, and you have seven of them a week, give or take. Over a year, the amount spent on coffee comes to $1,405. With that amount, you could buy a new car or pay for a family vacation or contribute more to your mortgage. Maybe it’ll pay off a few debts along the way.
Some things are worth paying for, but $1,400 is a hell of a lot of money to blast on beans each year. Cutting back might transform your lifestyle and make life that little bit easier.
Weight Loss
It’s holiday season, which means there’s going to be a countrywide drive to lose weight in the next few months. Whether you break your resolution or not, it’s still something you want to achieve. And, it makes sense as you only get one body and should treat it with respect. Losing those love handles is one way to put a couple of extra miles on the clock.
At first, you’ll cut out the big stuff and try to keep your calorie intake to a minimum while exercising. However, your body will get used to your workout after a while and you’ll plateau. This is where the empty calories, such as milk and sugar, play a massive role. Eliminating them from your diet can help you reduce your calories by 50 per cup. That’s 150 kcal for anybody who consumes three per day.
A cup of Jo doesn’t seem like it impacts your weight because it’s a liquid and not a fatty food. The reality is there is nothing worse than empty calories, especially when you consume 350 of them per week at a minimum.
Overall Health
Quitting coffee is a great way to regulate your overall health too. Everyone knows about caffeine’s effect on the stomach, mainly how it keeps you regular. But, that’s if you’re lucky. The unlucky ones suffer from bowel trouble later in the day due to damage coffee causes. Cutting down on beans is one of the first IBS treatments doctors provide to suffers – that’s what you’re dealing with.
If you don’t mind a dodgy gut, you should consider your blood pressure. Some people experience a short, sharp burst of up to ten points after a single cup. The effects aren’t long-lasting, yet it’s not healthy to spike your levels a handful of times a week.
And last but not least, there are headaches and yellow teeth to worry about. The latter is cosmetic but Americans do spend thousands on dental care so it’s worth mentioning. The former is down to a lack of water, as well as too much caffeine, which results in pains and migraines. Nasty stuff.
Time
Imagine not having to stop off for your fix every single morning: wouldn’t that be amazing? You might even get to sleep in for an extra thirty minutes because there’s no need to prep the coffee machine, which is even better.
Time isn’t as valuable as money to most people, yet it has a huge impact on life. For example, you can use those extra hours to go into work and get ahead or to complete errands. In short, cutting out caffeine will make you more productive and that will affect your happiness.
There’s no need to quit cold turkey because a cup of coffee now and again is delicious. But, you might want to think about lowering your intake to benefit from the advantages above.