Coffee Conundrum

kristenn1989

I'm a coffee drinker. Well, in terms that I drink one cup when I wake up in the morning because I can't seem to wake up enough otherwise. (I sleep enough, I just don't think I sleep well). My issue is that coffee really really does not like my digestive track, or more importantly, my bowel. (how embarrassing). I have had my fair share of stomach/intestinal issues in the past (Viruses, imbalances, diverticulosis etc).

Any advice on what I could a) replace coffee with or b) lessen these issues?

tinylightsbelow

Maybe tea would be gentler? Black/green tea still have caffeine.

But if those didn't work, I've heard caffeine withdrawal symptoms go away in about 3 days... so if you had to quit coffee you'd bounce back pretty quickly. Best of luck!

Darkefairie

I quit coffee recently! the headache was a killer!!!! but i mostly drink green teas now there are some really nice flavoured ones about. so glad i did it now though even if it was horrible at the time!

NaomiJFoster

I take One A Day Vitamins for Active Metabolism. It contains the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee. I don't have any illusions that it's actually doing anything for my metabolism, I just find it so much more convenient than making and drinking coffee, lol.

There's also caffeine pills like Vivarin and No-Doze. And some brand out there is marketing caffeinated water. Extra-Strength Exedrin contains a lot of caffeine, but that will tear up your stomach after a while, so don't do that.

kristenn1989

I quit coffee recently! the headache was a killer!!!! but i mostly drink green teas now there are some really nice flavoured ones about. so glad i did it now though even if it was horrible at the time!

I agree with it being killer to quit! I've done it before and it was plain awful.

GGDaddy

If you have to quit coffee: day one have a 10 ounce cup, day two have a 9 ounce cup, day three 8 ounces, etc. Worked for me, and I never got the withdrawal headaches...

Been caffeine free for a year after a lifetime of 4 cups/day. The highs aren't as high, but the lows aren't as low either. I've also found that when I would have wanted a cup of coffee, a big cup of water is very good for that pick-me-up energy.

A big cup of water first thing when waking up is like magic--try it!

Good luck!

Ginoo

I gave up coffee about two months ago and yes, the withdrawal was not pleasant, but now I am so happy I did it. I feel so much healthier without all that caffeine. I am now on rooibos tea which is caffeine free. The reason I gave up coffee was that my bowels did not agree with it either.

sympha01

Many people who have digestive problems with coffee but still love it drink "cold brewed" coffee instead of coffee made with the traditional hot brewing methods -- the cold brewing apparently draws much less acid out of the beans.

The basic idea is 1 part coffee, 3 parts cold water, let steep on the counter for 12-24 hours. Strain. The resulting elixir is not actually coffee but coffee CONCENTRATE. Add 2 oz concentrate to 8 ounces water (more or less depending on how strong you like your coffee) and you have coffee. You can drink it cold over ice, or you can make the water you add hot first for hot coffee (and nuke in the microwave if you want it hotter). The concentrated elixir keeps in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

You can just google "cold brewed coffee" for lots of methods or more detail.

lintino

^^^^^^^^This makes a really smooth tasting cup of coffee!!!

jaecamp1

Do you put anything in your coffee? A lot of creamers do that to people.

SweetLilyR

I quit coffee when I got pregnant - my saving graces were two products: Teechino and Beyond Coffee.

Teechino is made of nuts and herbs and stuff that give you the taste of coffee, but without the nasty acidic side effects - I still add it occasionally to a small amount of coffee because I LOVE the taste!

Beyond Coffee is made of roasted barley chicory root, and one other ingredient. It's what people used to drink back in the days when coffee was a luxury item. It's REALLY REALLY good, and also lacks the acidity, but it's full on flavor. I think you may have to order it online, but it's still cheaper than a bag of good coffee

Hope that helps!

riblust

+1 on cold brewing (Toddy maker) to reduce the acid

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pluckabee

Even though you say your sleeping enough, if you give yourself a bit more time to sleep you might find yourself able to get going without coffee.

Try getting to bed half an hour or an hour earlier than usual and see how it goes.