Late assignments, early classes, and so, so many finals. It's difficult to not fall into the trap of never-ending coffee, especially when you're struggling to keep your eyes open for the day.
While coffee has been linked to some positive health effects, the negative effects outweigh any benefits. Personally, I cannot get out of bed without knowing a cup of coffee is waiting for me. Here are 10 reasons why ending your long-lasting relationship with coffee is probably for the better, as told by a coffee-addict.
1. Dependence on anything is unhealthy.
If you're a coffee-drinker, you most likely consume a cup or more every day. I know I do. Many coffee drinkers are addicted, without realizing it, and cannot get through the day without consuming some type of caffeine. Depending on anything this heavily unhealthy. I admit.
2. Caffeine can, and will, disrupt your sleep cycle.
A cup of coffee should not be what is waking you up in the morning, being well-rested should be enough! Sleep is important, and coffee is not a substitute for a few hours of sleep. I am guilty of pulling an all-nighter and "fixing" it with a cup of coffee in the morning. Trust me, it will only make you feel worse in the long run. BUT LOOK AT THE CUBAN COFFEE!3. Coffee makes you stressed.
You might be thinking- how does that have any correlation? According to Dr.Hyman, coffee increases catecholamines, stress hormones, and "the stress response elicits cortisol and increases insulin" causing you to stress way more than necessary.4. Your Grande Whipped Rainbow Quad-Espresso Crap-paccino is the equivalent of eating a meal.
If you're an uber-fancy coffee drinker, PSL might be on your radar. A grande Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte with whipped cream totals to 420 calories when your average meal should be equivalent to 620 calories. Whether it be a vanilla bean frappuccino, caramel macchiato (my favorite) or whatever your Starbucks instinct calls for, a number of calories in your daily coffee might be more fattening than you realize. Yes, I am a Starbucks gold member. Leave me alone.
5. Caffeine can cause repeated headaches.
I have definitely fell victim to this many times. Too much caffeine can cause you to feel dizzy, nauseous, and give you terrible headaches. Is it really worth it? I want to say yes, but the answer is no.
6. You can overdose on caffeine.
Recently, I accidentally ordered a few too many expressos shots in my latte at Starbucks (6 to be exact). I freaked out so much that I spent an hour researching if overdosing on caffeine is possible. Surprisingly enough, (depending on your tolerance) it is possible to overdose on caffeine and it could even lead to death. While this is an extreme case, the sheer possibility scared me.7. It's expensive.
No Cosette, you didn't have to. A $5 cup of coffee every morning might not seem too bad, but at the end of the month, that's around $150 you dropped on coffee. If you can do without it, you can put that money towards something useful! Disclaimer: Starbucks "rewards" are not actually worth your buck.Yes, I drink coffee. Yes, I love coffee. Yes, I post a lot of coffee. However, after a committed four-year relationship with the drink, I am taking a break. Whether it lasts a day, a week, or a year, I am going to cut out coffee from my diet and see what a difference it makes.
If you're an avid coffee-drinker like me, I challenge you to take a break and see how long you can last. You'll either thank me or hate me, but at least you gave it a shot (of espresso).
