So you’ve probably clicked on this link out of anger/annoyance. And I get that.

I mean, of course I do.

I’m sitting here telling you coffee’s dead. I’m here all scornfully arrogant with my little cup of green tea with like -8 mg of caffeine, waving my finger at you telling you ditch the very thing that fuels your day. I’m amongst a clan. I’m a another smug beauty/health blogger who may as well be waving a big flag chanting “new year, new me!” I’m telling you to quit drinking coffee. To decaffeinate yourself. To remove all pleasure from your life. Oh, and while I’m at it, the wine’s got to go, too.

How completely uncivil. Unfollow.

But before you do, know that that’s not me. I’m like you. I love caffeine in all its form as much as I do a good wine buzz. Coffee is in my DNA and call me basic, but chocolate and wine have a permanent spot in the pleasure centres of my brain. It’s just how it is.

But as per my last blog, I’ve been less than fortunate when it comes to falling asleep at night. And I’m talking about a good, strong taste of insomnia that lasted for about two months. So, being the desperate woman I was, I dove deep into possible solutions that would relieve my sleep-deprived suffering. And when it got to the point where I was desperate enough, I cut the coffee. Since caffeine can cycle through your system for hours and hours after you ingest it, it didn’t surprise me that removing the dark, liquid energy from my life played a fairly helpful role in catching my Zs again.

But when it comes to coffee, I’m not going to use the word “quit.” I’m an extremest by nature and I tend to go all out with things, but as I’ve learned in recent years, balance is really the only way to stick with something long term. And therefore, I see no point in abolishing coffee completely. Since my decision is linked to my sensitivity to caffeine and sleep, I’m still going to have it on weekends or days when I’m not trying to fall asleep early.

In my opinion, since I feel my suggestion probably needs some heavy persuasion to support it, there are 5 major benefits to ditchin’ the dark stuff:

1. And trust me on this one) You’ll  feel as though you have even more energy. Truth. You’ll suffer a little for the first couple days and maybe experience withdrawal-like symptoms like headaches and lethargy, but after that you’ll feel great. You’ll even wonder why you felt like you needed it in the first place. It’s just a habit — you don’t. actually. need. it.
2.  More coin in your pockets.  Think of all the money you’ll save.      According to multiple online sources, the average Canadian coffee drinker spends between $400.00-$2000.00 per year on coffee. Just think of the possibilities…
3. Lose fat.  Since only 35 per cent of Canadian coffee drinkers take their poison black, you’re going to be reducing your cream and sugar intake, or even your milk and Splenda quite significantly— all of which contribute to stubborn waistline fat.
4. Save time.  Take a second to think about all the minutes you spend waiting in line like a slave at Tim Hortons. Or all those mornings you spend setting up the coffee machine to make your morning brew. That’s a lot of minutes. Like enough minutes to accumulate into an entire night’s worth of sleep or more.
5. It’ll do what it’s supposed to do when you do drink it again! Ever notice how coffee doesn’t affect you the way it used to when you first started drinking it? It’s because you’re body’s become so accustomed to it. A great thing about cutting coffee from your regular morning routine is that you’ll probably feel off-the-wall coffee buzzed when you really do need those effects to take action again.

And as far as the wine thing goes, every January I do Dry-uary. It’s a one month challenge to cut alcohol from my system — a mere goal for myself that I’ve found to have very cyclical benefits. Even saying no to the odd glass of wine here or there really adds up for me and especially after the gluttonous holiday season, I always see positive physical results. Not only do I sleep better, but cutting alcohol alltogether cuts a lot of sugar out of my diet, and also prompts me to eat a little better. This of course, motivates me to work out a little more, and I’m that much closer to my pre-egg nog and sugar cookie bod. It guarantees zero hangovers, so I’m also likely to be more productive on all accounts. Win, win.

Whose with me? Tea is your friend!

Oh, and another helpful tactic I credit my insomnia banishment to is Sage’s wonderful role on Sleep Well oil. Since I’ve bought it 4 weeks ago, I can think of only two instances where I had trouble falling and staying asleep. As per Sage,

Chronic sleep loss can have a number of negative health impacts, including reduced learning and memory capacity, mood swings and irritability, increased stress, and even weight gain. The Essential Oils in Sleep Well remedy include comforting Roman Chamomile, balancing Lavender, soothing Marjoram, and sedating Valerian, which all combine to act as calming agents, signalling the body to slow down and enter the natural sleep cycle. Experience a safe and natural solution for insomnia, without any risk of chemical dependency