However, time and time again I was left feeling shaky, unfocused, and frazzled after finishing said coffee. On my never-ending quest to look and feel my best, it became impossible to ignore the fact that my beloved drink was no longer my friend. In fact, upon closer examination, I realized that coffee had never really been that good to me. Sick and tired of feeling sick and wired, I gave up coffee exactly one year ago and haven’t looked back since. Not only did quitting coffee improve my mental and physical health, but it also led me to my latest love—matcha. Clinging to the ritualistic nature of enjoying a morning coffee, I originally drank matcha to fill a void. However, it didn’t take long for this antioxidant-packed tea to steal my heart, truly changing my world for the better. From espresso fiend to matcha queen, here are the biggest shifts, both mental and physical, that I’ve experienced in my year without coffee: Headaches can spur from caffeine withdrawal, caffeine overdose, and caffeine sensitivity—making coffee an obvious culprit. Luckily one serving of matcha has one-third as much caffeine as a cup of coffee, meaning it’s far less aggravating (and addicting). Nearly all of my matchas follow this formula, but feel free to get creative when whipping up your own! Blend all ingredients: Thankfully, a little more effort goes into making a matcha, forcing me to become increasingly aware of my caffeine intake. Now, creating my morning matcha latte has turned into a ritual that is calming, methodical, and honestly, entertaining. The extreme highs and lows I felt as a coffee drinker made me unable to cope with these situations (which often ended in some unnecessary sassiness on my part). Thanks to matcha, I’m less susceptible to these mood swings and therefore a more patient, pleasant person to be around—a serious win in my book. Introducing matcha into my mornings has allowed me to feel like a normal human again—one who can think clearly and avoid popping ibuprofen within the first few hours of waking up. It wasn’t until switching to matcha that I learned that it is, in fact, possible to be your sharpest before noon and that I’m actually way more of a morning person than originally thought. Want to use adaptogens to make a caffeine-free elixir? Here’s how. Plus, the key ingredient your morning coffee is missing (it might be harming your health!).
