I can’t get going without a cup of coffee in the morning, and my day doesn’t start until I have that cup. While I hate to use coffee as a crutch, I’ve read enough to know that it does have its health benefits—from decreased risk of skin and prostate cancers, to protection against Type 2 diabetes, to fighting Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease! Coffee is also believed to help lower depression risk in women, help protect aging muscles, and possibly even help you live longer. So having a cup (or two, or three—I try and limit myself to three a day!) can’t be that bad, right?
However, I also know that coffee makes me anxious. It is, after all, an addictive stimulant, and relying on coffee to keep you awake will only build up a tolerance in your body, forcing you to drink more caffeine to reach those same levels of wakefulness. Many people often go through withdrawal when quitting coffee, and cite feelings of sluggishness (sometimes even exhaustion), headaches, and disrupted sleep patterns for the days following. Many who have quit claim they feel more energized, sleep deeper and on a regular schedule, and have rid themselves of the anxiety brought on by caffeine intake once the withdrawal period is over.
So where do you stand? Are you a coffee drinker? If so, why do you drink it, and how does it make you feel? If you don’t drink coffee, why not? Have you quit? And how do you feel now?