This is the one trick to cutting out caffeine from your morning routine for good
Relying on a piping hot coffee or creamy brewed tea to start the day isn’t a rare sight. It’s thought that 80% of people consume caffeine every day.
That may be in a neon green matcha, a can of fizzing energy drink, or in a traditional breakfast brew. Caffeine hides itself in a variety of drinks that we consume throughout the day, potentially without even realising.
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What is caffeine?
The average cup of coffee contains between 113 – 247mg of caffeine. This can vary from cup to cup; however, changing between the types of beans used, to the roasting method and the ratio of water to coffee concentrate you prefer.
Coffee is one of the most popular ways to consume caffeine, but it’s also a naturally occurring source in fruits, seeds, and leaves, alongside being artificially added to products like energy drinks and chocolate.
‘I’m personally really sensitive to caffeine and was noticing those jittery highs and energy crashes - then I discovered how wildly caffeine levels vary in coffee,’ shares Helena Hills, co-founder of TrueStart Coffee, a coffee company that regulates caffeine content in every cup.
‘One cup might have 50mg, another more than 300mg (!), depending on the bean and brew. That discovery blew my mind.’
How much should we consume a day?
On an average day, health professionals recommend that you shouldn’t be drinking more than 400mg of caffeine. That’s roughly 2-3 cups of coffee, tea, or however you enjoy consuming the addictive ingredient.
The impacts of caffeine on our bodies can vary depending on a variety of different factors, including age, health status, and weight. ‘We’re all juggling a million things and caffeine blocks a chemical in your brain called adenosine, which normally makes you feel tired,’ explains Helena.
‘So that’s why your coffee gives you that lovely lift in focus, mood, and motivation! It’s amazing how something so simple can give you a spark to get going.
‘The catch is, our bodies all process caffeine differently. There’s actually a gene called CYP1A2 that affects how quickly your body breaks down caffeine – some people are naturally fast metabolisers, others slow. That’s why one person can drink a double espresso after dinner and sleep fine, while someone else feels jittery from a single cup.’
Why should we reduce our intake?
Excessive caffeine consumption can leave a mark on our physical health and mental well-being. As caffeine stimulates our central nervous system to make us feel more energised, our heartbeat quickens alongside it.
Drinking too much caffeine can cause our heart to beat higher than a recommended amount during a time of rest, which is why you may be searching to reduce your caffeine intake if you’re pregnant or experience heart problems.
Caffeine has also been linked to causing heartburn and triggering digestive issues among consumers, which can be deeply uncomfortable if you’re drinking more than your recommended daily amount.
‘If you’re a coffee drinker, consider switching your caffeine source to tea instead of coffee,’ recommends Jaya Jaya Myra, the mind-body wellness expert.
‘Tea contains less overall caffeine. Black tea has the most, followed by green and oolongs, while most herbal teas have no caffeine. Tea also has L-Theanine, which helps to calm you down and keep you mentally clear and focused, without the jitters that coffee brings.’
Cutting caffeine completely out of your life works for some people, but it can take a toll before your body is used to the change.
As your immune system is used to relying on caffeine for energy, your body experiences withdrawal when you make a sudden shift in your diet. This can result in irritability, mood swings, and anxiety while your body adjusts.
Finding a practical solution that works around your lifestyle can be a more accessible approach to cutting out the bad habit for good.
‘You might feel jittery, anxious, or struggle to switch off or sleep properly – especially if you’re a slower metaboliser,’ explains Helena, if you’ve been struggling to cut down your caffeine intake.
‘Then you wake up tired, so you reach for more and more coffee. It’s a loop a lot of people find themselves stuck in. Caffeine can also raise stress hormones like adrenaline, which is fine in short bursts, but exhausting if it’s constant. Over time, that can mess with your sleep and natural energy rhythm, leaving you feeling more tired overall – the exact opposite of what you wanted from your coffee!’
The solution to your diet
No change occurs overnight. It takes a long-term effort to tackle how much caffeine we drink every day and cutting it out completely can leave you feeling exhausted. ‘It’s all about balance, not giving it up,’ encourages Helena.
‘We’re all different, so pay attention to how caffeine actually makes you feel – energised or edgy, calm or crashy. Try keeping caffeine to the morning, then switch to a decaf or our amazing Lightly Caffeinated coffee later in the day. Little tweaks like that can make a huge difference to how stable and natural your energy feels.’
A sudden change to your diet will deflate your energy levels and negatively impact your mood as your body finds a new routine to operate in. It’s exactly why finding an alternative drink to hit the spot can be important if you want to set goals and stick to them.
Chai is a sweet, spiced drink that’s rumoured to have been a staple part of people’s diets since 2327 BC, with origins in ancient China. Some Chai-wallas, the name for tea street vendors, claim that the drink is rooted in the herbal remedy drink kadha.
To make kadha more palatable to drink when ill, it’s thought that people started adding milk and sweeteners to the spice mix, and it then blossomed into an everyday staple for your drinking needs.
You may be more familiar with a version of masala chai that is favoured by many today, which began gaining popularity in markets in India, sold by street vendors.
A chai spice blend can feature ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, or peppercorns in each cup, with tea leaves, milk, and honey to make the drink delicious.
‘There are so many benefits of drinking chai, where to start?’ shares Jaya Jaya. ‘Every single spice in a cup of authentic chai has powerful medicinal benefits. Chai is more medicine than anything, and it just happens to taste extremely good, too. For example, ginger helps calm nerves and alleviate stress, while settling the stomach and improving digestion. It also contains curcumin, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent that reduces pain in the body.’
Chai is a powerful medicinal drink to boost vitality, immunity, and resilience
‘Green cardamom helps support lung health and healthy breathing, supports digestion, can help regulate blood pressure, boosts mood, reduces pain and inflammation, and even has antimicrobial benefits to improve oral health. The cloves, cinnamon, star anise, black pepper, and nutmeg also have profound healing qualities – honestly, it’s too much to mention in one place. If you have chai frequently, and cut back on the sugar or sweetening agent in it, chai is a powerful medicinal drink to boost vitality, immunity, and resilience.’
Compared to a standard cup of coffee, chai only has 40g of caffeine. That’s less than half the amount you’d find in a regular brew, making it the perfect switch you need to cut down on your caffeine consumption practically and realistically.
The caffeine content in chai also interacts with your body differently from a coffee or an energy drink, as it interacts with tannin in the tea leaves, creating a calming and relaxing effect on your nervous system.
Not only does it taste great, but chai has a multitude of health benefits to rival its high-caffeine competitors.
Jaya Jaya adds: ‘Because of its profound antimicrobial and immune-boosting benefits, and its anti-inflammatory properties, chai is a great practical addition to bring more vitality to life. Day to day life requires agility, resilience, focus, and strength (mentally, emotionally, and physically), and traditional chai can impart all of these benefits.’
Try a chai
Trying different blends of chai when you next order a drink can be a fun way to explore new flavours that you already enjoy in different formats. Here are some of Gathered’s favourites:
Tulsi Chai
You may not immediately think to put basil into a hot drink, but tulsi chai is the storm in a teacup medicine that’s been making people feel good for decades.
Basil is thought to improve your body’s immunity to different ailments, making the winter blues feel just that less unbearable.
Masala Chai
It’s a popular option among coffee shops and baristas as an alternative for a tempting cup of coffee, which is exactly why a masala chai may be your next go-to order when grabbing a drink to-go.
This spice blend is creamy, sweet, and an all-around pleaser.
Adrak Chai
If strong and bold flavours are your favourite, this version may be the perfect drink to kick-start your energy for the day.
Adrak chai adds grated ginger to your cup for a fiery tang in every sip, packed with decongestants to protect you during the cold season.
Kashmiri Chai
Unsurprisingly, this blend has its roots in Kashmir, where it uses green tea and boosts its flavours with saffron, cardamom, and almonds for a blush pink colour and nutty flavour.
Sulaimani Chai
For people who love an Earl Grey with a slice of lemon, this blend may be your new favourite hot drink.
Sulaimani, also called ghaya or kattan chaya, is a South Indian blend of lemon and black tea that boosts digestion and encourages a healthy gut biome.
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