My Love for Vanilla Lattes
I started drinking coffee in my early twenties when I started working in an office environment. Once I was introduced to the deliciousness of a Starbucks latte, and the magical burst of energy it created – I was hooked – drinking it just about every day.
There came a point where I had to have a cup of coffee in the morning, or I just wouldn’t feel right. I had withdrawal like symptoms if I didn’t drink it – headache, irritability, feeling out of focus and super tired. I needed it.
Coffee is Bad For Endometriosis
When I first started making cuts out of my diet to naturally treat endometriosis coffee was on the list. Ugh. Out of all the things that I have eliminated from my diet, coffee has by far been the hardest.
Why cut it out? Coffee is bad for endometriosis because it contains a good amount of phytoestrogens, so it raises estrogen levels in the body. (Endo is often related to high levels of estrogen already present). Coffee also dehydrates the body and increases cramping.
Most importantly, coffee wears on the adrenal glands – setting the body into a constant state of stress. The burst of energy that you feel from drinking coffee is the release of adrenaline.
If the adrenals are constantly releasing adrenaline then eventually they burnout and your body burns out with it. This results in chronic fatigue and a snappy attitude. It also messes with dopamine levels in the brain, which directly relates to depression.
I didn’t cut coffee out completely at first, but I did decrease my intake. I would stop for a week, a month then break and have some. I wanted to think that it didn’t really bother me, but this was denial.
It was negatively affecting me. It caused me cramps, it dehydrated me, and negatively affected my sleep. At times the intensity of an espresso made me nauseous and dizzy. My heart rate would often rise.
It took me stopping to really see this and to appreciate life without these negative symptoms.
I am proud to say that I have been coffee free for a year come January 🙂 Yay! I believe this to be quite a feat for me. I still crave it. Especially on mornings where I am just exhausted and dragging to go to work.
I love the smell of it. It awakens such a strong craving in me. I sit right next to a coffee brewing station at work so every morning I smell it and my husband has yet to kick the habit so I smell it at home.
And missing out on Starbuck’s wonderful holiday flavors – oh no….
But I have held strong and as each day passes it gets easier to turn my cheek away from it.
Coffee Alternative
A couple of months ago I was privy to hear about an awesome herbal coffee substitute called Dandy Blend. Dandy Blend is made from roasted roots of dandelion, chicory and beets. It is gluten free and contains no GMOs.
For its first ten years Dandy Blend was only available from health practitioners, but now it has expanded for sale to the general public. I bought a bag off of Amazon.
There are numerous health benefits with dandelion root. It has an abundance of vitamins including magnesium and zinc. It aids in digestion and is a natural diuretic (raises the frequency of urine to eliminate toxins out of the kidneys).
Dandelion helps purify the blood and enhances detoxification. It improves functioning of the liver, kidneys, pancreas, spleen, stomach and gallbladder. It also contains a good amount of antioxidants so it boosts immunity.
While Dandy Blend does not really taste like coffee, I do enjoy its roasted flavor. I mix about a teaspoon of it with 6-8 ounces of water and top it off with coconut milk and a natural sweetener like agave or honey. I’ve mixed in vanilla extract and cinnamon which is good as well 🙂
Drinking a cup of Dandy Blend in the morning fills this missing part of my routine and makes it easier when I see all my co-workers with their morning coffee mugs.
On the Positive Side?
Since dropping coffee I do feel better. In the past when I slipped up and drank it I was quickly reminded why I didn’t.
Without coffee I am more calm, less snappy and sleeping soundly 🙂
I am not sure that I’ve cast it off forever, but I recognize now that I no longer need it and also that I am better off without it. Turns out having just one cup can stir up the addiction again.
I stop occasionally at Starbucks to pick up their perfect oatmeal for breakfast and steal some smells 🙂
Peace to you…
