Your morning does not start without coffee. Your afternoon cannot continue without it. You daydream about coffee and your social media accounts have about as many pictures of coffee as they do of anything else. But maybe it’s not working out so well between you and coffee these days. Your stomach hurts and your doctor has given you a stern talking to about sugary drinks. Here are four reasons it might be time to let go of your coffee and some coffee substitutes you can turn to instead.

1. You’re having stomach problems. Coffee is often linked to heartburn and coffee drinkers frequently complain about stomach problems. The jury is still out on whether this irritation is caused by caffeine, other elements of coffee or if these side effects are even caused by coffee at all. Individuals may all react differently, so if you are a regular coffee drinker experiencing stomach issues, it might be worthwhile to talk to your doctor and try a different morning beverage.
2. Your coffee has nearly as many calories as a meal. Maybe you hate the taste of black coffee or maybe you just really like cream and sugar. Unless you drink your coffee black, your morning drink could be 100-600 calories and have almost as much sugar as soda. If you are trying to lose weight or cut fat and sugar, removing your morning latte can be a great step.
3. You can't sleep at night. It might help to keep you up in the morning, but caffeine can make it harder to sleep at night, which then makes you more tired in the morning, and the cycle continues. If this sounds like you, you might want to cut back on the caffeine. This might mean cutting out caffeine entirely or finding a coffee substitute that gives you sustained energy so you only need one cup.

Finding a Coffee Substitute That Works for You

If you just can’t part from a hot morning beverage, there are a variety of coffee substitutes available. The one that will work best for you depends on your goals. If you are looking to cut caffeine, but keep the taste of coffee, you might want to try Ayuvedic Roast or Cafix. If you would like to keep the caffeine but try something different for your stomach and avoid the typical crash of coffee, Zest Tea’s high caffeine teas are a great option. An added bonus of tea is that it comes in a variety of flavors you might find more appealing than black coffee. It can be a great way to cut the sugar out of your morning routine.

Whatever reasons you have for cutting coffee, we wish you luck!