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3 Products That Got Me, a Coffee Connoisseur, Through Giving Up Caffeine
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Ever since my cousin introduced me to the concept of mocha in middle school with the help of Nestle's Nesquik and hazelnut K-cups, I've been the kind of person who's always had coffee in hand. Just like my precommute makeup routine and weekly workout sessions, it's an essential part of my day-to-day life. So when I gave up caffeine a month ago, you bet it wasn't by choice.
Back in late April, I was told that I was likely going through interstitial cystitis (IC), which is a scary word that ultimately means painful bladder syndrome. It often has UTI-like symptoms such as frequency and urgency to pee and, as the name suggests, pain with urination. There's no known cure, and doctors haven't found exactly what causes it yet, though there are some theories such as changes in the nerves that carry bladder sensations and a defect in bladder tissue.
Cases range from mild to severe (reading up on IC assured me that I'm on the mild side), and the urologist I went to had good news: you can manage your symptoms to the point where they might subside significantly. I learned that certain diet choices — anything high in acid, potassium, alcohol, and caffeine — can exacerbate the pain. Patients are often told to cut out these foods and drinks to see if their symptoms change.
I was given a sheet of paper listing all of these foods, and we decided on two main changes for me to try, since cutting out all of them would have been unrealistic for me and, as my urologist pointed out, not helpful in uncovering which ones were best to eliminate:
- I would drink more water — specifically enough so that my pee comes out pale yellow — because that tends to help ease symptoms, too.
- I would, despite my broken heart, cut out caffeine. Completely.
I won't go into the specifics with you quite yet (I'll save that for another time), but long story short, after almost two weeks of withdrawal symptoms — which, contrary to what I thought going into this were 100 percent capable of making me regret all those college nights revved up on Starbucks Doubleshot Espressos — I survived.
I've been able to make it out of this with a newfound appreciation for people who've also quit caffeine. It wasn't easy, and I had days where I needed to incorporate half a cup of the real stuff to keep my migraines at bay, but there were a few things did along the way to make me feel like I was still having my morning and afternoon cups of Joe. Ahead, you'll find the three products that have gotten me through it; they taste great and (almost) make me forget about my days of Nesquik mocha. Find tips on cutting out caffeine here.
1 Bigelow French Vanilla Decaffeinated Black Tea
I'm not a tea person at all, but I've found that drinking flavours that remind me of lattes helps. When I first had this Bigelow French Vanilla Decaffeinated Black Tea ($21 for a pack of six, 120 tea bags total), it made me smile because, when I added milk and some sugar, I almost felt like I was actually sipping on coffee. Plus, I had no idea french vanilla tea existed — and I'm never turning back.
2 HealthWise Low Acid Hazelnut Decaf K-Cups
My doctor specifically told me that, if I still wanted to drink coffee (because, duh), I'd need to stick to decaf and brands that are low in acid. So, HealthWise Low Acid Hazelnut Decaf K-Cups ($12 for 12) have been a true friend to me. I was obviously drawn to this flavour because of my childhood obsession with hazelnut mocha drinks, and there's no shame in that!
3 Twinings Pure Rooibos Herbal Tea K-Cups
Rooibos tea is a naturally sweet, caffeine-free herbal tea with a slew of health benefits for your body and skin, as well as anti-inflammatory properties. I am a huge fan of Twinings Pure Rooibos Herbal Tea K-Cups ($12 for 24 cups) because they taste almost like Japanese red bean Mochi ice cream (random, but I swear I see the comparison).
Adding milk to cups of Rooibos tea makes me, for the most part, forget about coffee. You can also try these Twinings Rooibos Tea Bags ($18 for a pack of six, 120 tea bags).
