how do I get off of coffee!?

[*RayRay*]

I am realizing how seriously addicted to coffee I am! I've been drinking it since about 10 years old....coffee is BIG in my family! I quit smoking pot and cigarettes at age 20, just cause I decided to...with almost no problems and hardly any cravings....I quit drinking all alcohol about 2 years ago...with no problem, and no cravings.... But the coffee I am having trouble letting go. I've tried numerous times.....the most I've gone is about 2 weeks.... It's not the withdrawls (although I do have them...), it's the strong desire for the flavor...I LOVE the flavor! and I guess it is a big comfort thing for me....like I said coffee is big in my family.... it's always been something we do....like some families cook big dinners....we make coffee, drink coffee together, go out for coffee...!...even as I'm ordering my coffee...I know it is not good for me...but it's like a compulsion....I can't help it...! (and yes, I know it is hard on the adrenals...and just not good for you...but I drink it anyways...)

has anyone else quit coffee (or other addictions...) successfully?

any advice or tips?

thanks :)

[Colorawdo girl]

Coffee craving most time goes away. There is a non raw coffee substitute some have drank for awhile to transition. it is called teechino. It comes in flavors as well. It is made of herbs.

Might try tea. Find some great tea you like. Sometimes it is the hot cup of something. The ritual of getting up and making it. So that might work as well.

Best to you on this....

[*RayRay*]

yes, it does have to do with the 'hot cup of something'....I drink tea as well...but I just don't feel that it measures up to coffee!

thanks for the input...i might try the teechino...but like I said, nothing measures up to coffee....for me.....it's really the feeling of family that it gives me....I know coffee does not replace family...but it is like ......something that makes me feel at home.....sigh.... and i have to admit, it love the coffee rush.... I may just end up being a coffee drinking raw fooder....i dunno....

[Eva]

RayRay, I started drinking coffee when I was very young as well. I had ADHD, and the coffee would help until the doctor started prescribing Ritalin. Somewhere in there, I worked at Starbucks for five years and got to the point where I had my coffee machine in the bedroom and on a timer so the coffee would be ready before I was even out of bed.

To say that I was a coffee addict would be an understatement.

When I went raw, I was desperate. I had an ulcer and acne and was gassy all the time and wanted to not feel so dang humiliated and in pain. That was what did it. I didn't want to be unhealthy anymore. When I made that choice, that was it. I was lucky enough to find this forum and raw food.

Health is freedom!!! Coffee put me in shackles. Cooked food put me in shackles. I choose freedom. I go to Starbucks to meet friends and usually have herbal tea. I don't want coffee. It's not even appealing anymore (shocker!!!).

So, I guess at this point, you know you were able to quit a lot of other really difficult habits. What's worth more to you? The coffee or the freedom? Perhaps coffee is a different kind of freedom for you? I don't know. I can't answer these things for you. I'm just telling you the thought process that is keeping me raw and keeping me away from anything like coffee!

Also -- I figured out how to make a lovely warm chai latte in a blender. That is nice to fall back on if I want something warm and sort of coffee-shop like... but I haven't had it in a year or so at least. If that's appealing to you, let me know, and I'll dig up the recipe. It's complicated because there are a lot of options, but it's easy to make.

P.S. Detox was hell. I thought I was going to have to go to the hospital and was confused and disoriented and had a migraine for just about two days solid. Then the skies cleared, so did my skin and my stomach aches and anxiety... :)

[michigan roman]

ive gone on and off many times

once i get off it i dont crave it after a few weeks ,
but if i cheat at any time i go right back to full blast

my best method has been saving it up for a saturday
night coffee bash . i dont drink alchohol , so saturday
night is my coffee party where i can drink several cups
and spit into the wind as they say ;)

saving it up for the saturday night coffee party
gives me the strength to hold off

how about some type very chewy coffee flavored raw
candy , though it'd be flavored with unraw coffee .
or a hard type coffee candy

[Colorawdo girl]

I have coffee if I want coffee. It is what it is. I so understand you on the feel of it and all it means to you.

In the future, it may change for you. After a while, as someone said, it taste like battery acid, whatever we can imagine that to be.

Happy rawkin.

[*RayRay*]

once i get off it i dont crave it after a few weeks ,
but if i cheat at any time i go right back to full blast

this is same as what happens to me! I 'reward' myself for going so long with out coffee....with a cup of coffee!....ridiculous, I know....cause then it's back to 3 cups a day...


my best method has been saving it up for a saturday
night coffee bash . i dont drink alchohol , so saturday
night is my coffee party where i can drink several cups
and spit into the wind as they say


...lol....I do the same with my hubby! he is also sober for 1 year(and counting), and is crazy for coffee just like me! but we do friday night AND saturday night coffee parties....lol... maybe holding out for the week, knowing I can have some on the weekend will help...i dunno...

thanks for the tips!


What's worth more to you? The coffee or the freedom?


based on my behavior....the coffee....but I would like to get to a point of freedom from all addictions!
thanks for your insight Eva.....you've given me some good things to think about...I'm also having skin problems...no ulcer though....but it seems even that is not enough for me to let the coffee go....it has such a hold on me....or I on it....
I am trying to see the lesson that coffee is teaching me....maybe when I understand that, I will be able to let it go!

[michigan roman]

ive never partook but maybe this is an option =

http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/chicory_root.php

[*RayRay*]

ive never partook but maybe this is an option =

http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/chicory_root.php

interesting, i may have to try it.....and the teechino....

thanks guys...!

any other suggestions on how to let go of addictions like this...?

[Thick]

You can wean yourself slowly by mixing increasing amounts of decaf into your coffee until it is all decaf.

I really like roasted dandelion tea when I feel like I need coffee. It has a smoky roasted sweet flavor and its very dark.


Pay attention to how you feel when you go for a cup of coffee. For me, its usually that I want a nap or I'm feeling too lazy and low energy to do something I have to do. The coffee seems like it will get me going, then I sit to drink the coffee and further procrastinate.

The most dangerous time for me to fall back into the habit is first thing in the morning. If you can put off the coffee until later in the morning, maybe you won't want it. Just make a smoothie or a glass of water first, then promise yourself you can have it later.

Good luck=)

[RawSar]

Aww RayRay I know exactly how you feel.
I have been having a touch time letting go of coffee too for 2 years I've been trying after drinking it regularly since I was 13.
Funny how cigarettes, drugs, alcohol - no problem letting those extremely addictive things go so why can't I let go of coffee???

I feel like there is so much pressure from my boyfriend and another raw vegan couple (boyfriend's best friend and his girlfriend) and my family to quit drinking coffee. I can't stand the way they talk to me about me drinking coffee.

But you know what I think... When I quit smoking, quit doing drugs, quit drinking (I did not do all of this at the same time) it has just the time for me to quit those things. I'm not ready to let go of coffee.. not yet, one day I'm not sure when but I will quit for good. I want that day to come but it's not going to come until I REALLY want it to. Like when I REALLY wanted to quit smoking, it happened no problem. I figure it'll be the same for coffee... when it is time.
I have come along way, I know I have totally changed my life around. The longer I stick to raw vegan lifestyle the more and more I start to dislike coffee and the way it makes me feel.

I think the coffee substitutes will be a good idea. I am excited to test some of these specialty raw vegan drinks to find one that will help replace my coffees.

When you decide you're really going to quit it might be a good idea to not be around it for the first few weeks or months so keep your hubby away while he's sipping on his and to brush his teeth right after ;) Find something else to do instead of the Friday and Saturday night coffee outing.

[Springtime]

+1 for Chicory.

As i said in the last caffeine topic, caffeine affects me SO badly, yet i still used to love the taste and smell.
I founc chicory to be a wonderful substitute, but natural and naturally caffeine free (as well as a lot of other good things)
I still have a jar of chicory/dandelion/rye "coffee" in my cupboard. Smells yummee.

Also, as with any addiction you have to want to quit to be able to quit.

If you don't really wanna quit and do it just for others, then it's very likley you'll fall right back at some poit. Find your inner motivation and work from there. Maybe switch one cup a day to something decaffeinated. Maybe talk to someone professional, maybe use EFT. Loads of help to get, but you have to want it yourself first.

Peace

[Raisingplenty]

I just bought some chicory seeds from there and am wondering how I would go about making a substitute. I have gradually switched to mostly decaf but coffee is so comforting to me that I still feel the need to drink it. I do think that it's the hot drink part that gives me the comfort. I have found the longer I am on raw, the less I want it, so that's good:)
Crystal

[jurence]

Don't cold turkey it, whatever you do. You can wean yourself slowly with few effects.

I drink yerba mate frequently which contains some caffeine and has antidepressant like properties (i don't need them, but they are great :P)

[*RayRay*]

maybe use EFT.

ooh, good idea! thanks!


Also, as with any addiction you have to want to quit to be able to quit.


yes, so true....I guess i'm in the middle right now....i want to quit for my body, but emotionally I want the coffee....:rolleyes:

[Stina]

I finally quit for good five months ago. Longest I've ever gone. Couldn't stand myself anymore, get too irritable!

[Everchanging]

Taking a few vitamin B1's helps me. Coffee uses up alot of B1 (as does alcohol), it is part of that alert, focused feeling it gives you. Taking B1 and drinking a cup of tea makes me feel like I had some coffee, without depleting myself. Eventually my B reserves should be restored and I won't need the supplements anymore.

[islesgirl]

[QUOTE=*RayRay*;524958]I am realizing how seriously addicted to coffee I am! I've been drinking it since about 10 years old....coffee is BIG in my family! I quit cigarettes at age 20, just cause I decided to...with almost no problems and hardly any cravings.... But the coffee I am having trouble letting go. I've tried numerous times..... It's not the withdrawls (although I do have them...), it's the strong desire for the flavor....I know it is not good for me...but it's like a compulsion....I can't help it...! (and yes, I know it is hard on the adrenals...and just not good for you...but I drink it anyways...)

*RayRay* - What I didn't delete from your above post could have been written by me. I have the exact same problem. I LOVE coffee - just 1-2 cups a day at most, but to give it up is absolute torture!:( I can actually go to bed and be thinking about having my cup of poison the next morning!:eek:

I did quit for a whole year about 24 years ago and wish I had never started drinking it again. I felt so much more energetic, slept better, didn't gain weight as easily etc. etc. That is where I am and am hoping someone will come up with a reply for us that is doable for any of us who struggle with it. I absolutely swear that giving up cigarettes was a walk in the park compared to this. sigh.

I thought I might try making a glass full of "The Best Raw Coffee Ever" (posted here on this forum by Ginger) and add to it some black coffee without my usual cream and honey (see me cringing:o) just in case doing without the cream and honey might help ease the craving and help me get off coffee altogether. And I can always "gently warm up" the drink too. I have never been able to drink it "black" anyway. I wonder if it could be the cream and/or honey that I am actually addicted to? How do you drink your coffee? Anyway, this is what I am planning to try tomorrow - try some black coffee "to taste" in the above raw drink.

Sue.

[lucky lemons]

Hello!

I quit coffee a year ago this month after being a serious coffee drinker for more than 10 years (i.e. had to have lots of strong coffee every morning no matter what). I had some anxiety issues and also it was wreaking havoc on my digestive tract, and I didn't like the feeling of being over caffienated or truly addicted to anything. So I just decided to quit one day. However, what saved me was drinking caffienated tea. Not sure if your a tea drinker but I love tea and always have. When I went off of coffee I drank black tea in the morning instead (I believe one cup contains about 1/2 the caffiene of coffee). This helped with the cravings and headaches. I also took ibuprofen, but only if the headache got really bad, mostly I just tried to ride it out, knowing it would get better eventually. The headaches lasted about 3-4 days, I know it varies for different people but for me it wasn't very long until my body was ok with no coffee. Then I continued with the black tea in the mornings for another month or so. When that felt like too much caffiene I switched to green tea in the morning (much less caffiene) which is what I still drink today. I love my green tea, it has a lot of healthy properties and I probably won't give it up completely no matter how raw I am. So that's what worked for me. I'm a much happier, calmer (and richer!) person without coffee. :D

[JKS]

I tried to be raw but for coffee and did not feel it worked. I realized that everything I ate felt so pure and clean, except coffee. I began to imagine how it was staining my teeth and draining my adrenals. I realized that the energy I wanted raw food to give me was being drained away by the coffee. But what it really took was for me to finally believe all the negative things I ever heard about coffee, and thus to stop believing all the wonderful things about coffee that I had been telling myself, realizing that most of them were lies anyway.

You have to look at your thoughts honestly to get over any addiction. It is easy to rationalize why we keep some habits that we know are sabotaging the beautiful health that we are after.

Though I did not use this approach specifically to quit coffee, Rational Recovery is an addiction philosophy that is very empowering, because it encourages you to look at your own thoughts. Basically, any thought that supports drinking coffee is the voice of that addiction, and the method they propose is AVRT (Addiction Voice Recognition Technique). In the above posts, I see many of your thoughts that are the addictive voice - supporting the continuing consumption of coffee, while on the other hand you are saying you want to stop. Saying it is related to family, flavor, emotions, etc. are all expressions of the addictive voice, serving one purpose only. If you choose to continue drinking it, there is nothing wrong with that! But if you are sincere that you want to quit, then be honest with yourself, and recognize the thoughts that support coffee drinking for what they are. You can check out www.rational.org if you are curious about this approach. It is geared toward alcohol and drug addictions, but I think AVRT can go for anything.

And - I am for cold turkey, not weaning. I'm sure weaning is easier detoxing, but it keeps the taste for it alive, and to me, it feels like I'm still denying how bad it is for me. But you may need to take a couple days off work, to get through it. I had a headache for two days. It wasn't as bad as I expected. Buy some energizing green drinks and tell yourself that those are what gives you real energy - so you have something to go to when you need the boost.

Good luck!

[RawKnitster]

When I joined this forum almost a year ago there was no way I was giving up my morning coffee with honey and cream. I gave up lattes and mochas and was not willing to give up everything. Eventually I made a rich almond milk to sub for the cream. After a few months being raw I wasn't getting a good feeling from my morning cup and decided I was ready to let it go. I found a replacement, Rooibos Chai Tea with honey and almond milk. I made it a morning ritual. Then I lost the desire to add the almond milk, then the honey. Finally I lost the urge to have even the tea. I still drink it occasionally when I feel like having a special treat. I still drink a warm brew every morning but it is an herbal tea, usually nettle or pau d'arco. Sometimes rooibos.

Wait until your ready and go cold turkey. That way you suffer 2-3 days of headaches and it's over. I might have gone back to drinking it again after that, but the thought of having to go through the headaches again stopped me.

Good Luck. :)

[*RayRay*]

Then the skies cleared, so did my skin and my stomach aches and anxiety...

how long until your skin cleared up!?

[Raisingplenty]

For those of you that just have withdrawal headaches-you are lucky! Withdrawal for me includes diarrhea and vomiting. That's why I am gradually getting off of it. Progress, not perfection :)

[*RayRay*]

Update! I'm off the junk!!! I quit cold turkey last friday, and all weekend I felt like I had the flu, had terrible headaches, and my mood was horrible!! I felt angry about nothing, and super frustrated. I even told my hubby I was going to just give up and just have some coffee, but he helped encourage me! (actually he just said NO I am not letting you have coffee!) I'm drinking tea now instead, and even though it has some caffeine, i still have the withdrawls! But that's over now, and I feel absolutely wonderful! I have WAY more energy, and I don't get the energy slump in the afternoon like I used to. Plus my moods are great, I feel excited about nothing...I mean I just bought socks and can hardly contain myself...lol, I better stop before you guys think I am totally crazy...anyways, I want to say thanks for all your tips and encouragement and for sharing your stories of how you quit coffee....it really did help me!

[theresaann]

Good for you getting off! I quit about 3 1/2 months ago after daily drinking with a few breaks for 6 years. What finally made me quit wasn't the insomnia, hypoglycemia, cortisol induced body odor, destroyed adrenals or cortisol related fat gain, no, it was being prescribed a homeopathic remedy for an emotional issue that I DESPERATELY wanted to heal and the homeopath said quit coffee for 8 weeks or this remedy won't work. I REALLY wanted to heal that issue so I was finally willing to drop the coffee. For me I had to have a compelling enough reason.

I realized then if I could quit coffee for 8 weeks I can quit forever, and I have. I have had 2 cups since then and it tasted, frankly, like s**t. And I didn't even feel the caffeine buzz, which is weird.

I have no more desire to ever drink it again. And I have to say I LOVE being able to sleep through the night, and not having that infernal body odor or hypoglycemic symptoms anymore. That stuff is so bad for us. It really, really is. I am very happy to have that monkey off my back.

Bottom line to quit coffee, or anything else? Find a compelling enough reason. Period. :)

[GoingtoRAW]

I wish that I could get off of sugar like I get off of coffee. I love, love, love coffee. When I am "being good" and eating right I go cold turkey off of coffee with no problem at all. I just stop. I guess cold turkey is the way to go 100% raw too - not there yet.:o