How I gave up coffee for a week: an editorial experiment

The editors of WANT.ua took the risk of changing their diet for a week. I decided not to drink coffee for 7 days.

How to make coffee healthy

When the editors were discussing what someone could refuse, I, following the Brother Rabbit principle, avoided certain items in every possible way: not into the thorn bush, not sweets, bread, etc. Because it’s really hard for me to give up coffee and alcohol. I'll explain. If they tell you that they choose a profession, do not believe it. Sometimes a profession chooses you if you love coffee and cognac. Give me a cup of coffee and a couple of drops of cognac - and I will convincingly tell you how snowdrops bloom in the Sahara with comments from eyewitnesses and an expert. By the way, no one from the editorial office dared to give up alcohol - the Muse is not to be trifled with :) But I, under the influence of a complex character, decided to test my strength and finally risked giving up... coffee for a week. For reference: I drink mostly espresso or Americano 2-3 times a day.

The first difficulties began the day BEFORE, when I found out that there is basically no coffee-flavored tea :) Seriously, by lunchtime of the first day I felt slightly tired. Here is an important clarification: my blood pressure is low, so coffee at 21:00 does not have a stimulating effect on me, but a calming one. In other words, throughout the day it’s very difficult for me without it. On particularly difficult cloudy days, I had to open a bouquet of tea in the evening with two or three drops of cognac. By the way, I have never drank such strong tea. The brew was reminiscent of 50 shades of darkness.

Over the weekend, the longing for coffee intensified, because on the weekend morning, while everyone is sleeping and there are no messages, I traditionally read something I love with coffee and dessert. On Saturday at 8:00 I went to the store in search of chicory, which was recommended to me as a decent coffee substitute. This disgusting thing is rare, of course, but if you consider that there is nothing left before normal coffee, then you can drink such a “placebo”. In general, withdrawal caused a slight fog in the head, which intensive work negated. I’m sure that by and large you can give up coffee, but why???

Well, purely as a reason for pride: I never lost my temper, I wasn’t rude or killed, I didn’t chase people in the morning with glasses of this invigorating drink, I didn’t eat coffee desserts. In general, I didn’t drink coffee for a week, but I promise that it won’t happen again :).

Making such restrictions is definitely useful, because they relate to a greater extent to frankly harmful products or relatively harmful ones (if they are abused). The restriction should be chosen after self-analysis: I think everyone knows about their “drug product” and some discomfort that it subsequently causes (excess weight, rashes on the face, insomnia, etc.). You should not make a 100% refusal of the product, because... our subconscious comes from childhood, when any prohibition caused a completely opposite reaction. Subsequently, after some time of such “food celibacy”, an irresistible craving for a forbidden product arises. And the reason is not so much the habit of regularly consuming a specific product, but rather a psychological factor.

Adviсe:

1. Allow yourself a prohibited product 1-2 times a week as a reward for self-discipline during the week. Or, reduce portions of the prohibited product during the day - this is an easier option. In search of a healthy alternative, you will always discover new tastes, products, recipes that are likely to suit your taste even more than the usual product.

2. The purpose of such restrictions is to improve your diet and create, on an ongoing basis, a food set from the most natural, unrefined products. Therefore, the very concept of “restriction” should be correctly replaced with a comfortable “replacement with a healthier option.”