For years I’ve been drinking coffee and hearing how, contrary to popular thought, coffee has plenty of health benefits. But my recent experience seems to prove otherwise.
In July my family and I stayed with Grandma and Grandpa in England. It was our first time in 3 years, since my family and I are unvaccinated and refused PCR tests as well, so the dropping of those conditions enabled us to travel again. Grandma and Grandpa love a strong coffee – too strong for my liking. So I thought I’d have some tea instead, it just seemed lighter and, since I was on vacation anyway, and not working, I didn’t need full concentration to get my work done.
Having more tea in England, instead of coffee, had a positive effect on my body regarding appetite, sleep and, much to my surprise, concentration. So shortly after returning to Israel I decided to replace the only coffee I still did have during the day, the morning coffee, with a tea as well. The result was good.
Here are the overall benefits I felt from the switch to tea:
- Appetite. When I was having 3-4 coffees a day, I had a very strong appetite. A good lunch kept me satisfied for a limited time only. But after switching to tea, I felt I can go for much longer with a smaller meal. I’m more satisfied with the same food, or less, and my blood sugar feels stable, without sudden drops. I’m more able to delay meals and work longer. This had an influence on my concentration (next item).
- Concentration. My ability to concentrate for longer periods improved immensely since I made the switch to tea. This surprised me since one of the main reasons for having coffee was to improve my concentration. Before the switch, when drinking 3-4 coffees a day, I had to drink a coffee or two every morning to get rid of brain fog. I mixed up words, names and syllables in my speech. Same when waking up from a mid-day nap whenever I had one. Now, however, after the switch from coffee to tea, this does not happen any more. I hardly ever mix up syllables, names and words, if at all, whether I’ve had my tea or not.
- Better capacity. Before the switch to tea I had to take a leak pretty often. Coffee is known to have that effect. My capacity was a bit like that of an old man. However, after the switch, I found I could make long journeys without having to stop anywhere for relief. Capacity is back to normal at last. That in itself improved my ability to work and concentrate, since I could work for longer periods without having to go for a break. This in turn effected my sleep as well.
- Better sleep, less sleepiness. When I was on coffee, I used to have to wake up 2-3 times every night. But since switching to tea, I only need to wake up once, or sometimes not at all. This greatly improved my sleep and my general feeling of well-being. Since the switch I also don’t feel so sleepy when driving. In the past I had to try to keep myself awake and force my eyelids to stay open while driving, especially in the evening. Now, however, I feel generally alert and able to concentrate on the road without any problem. It just feels great!
In retrospect it feels like coffee was an unhealthy addiction with undesired side effects. I’m happy to experience this change by moving to tea.
How I Have my Tea
I drink a strong, black English tea, with a little bit of milk and no sugar. The milk acts like sugar by taking away the bitter taste that tea can have. I have one tea before breakfast, one during or after breakfast, one in the late afternoon and occasionally also one in the evening, though not a strong one if it’s after 19:00 or so.
I do still drink coffee with friends and visitors, about once a week, for enjoyment, but it’s no longer part of my daily diet. I feel so much better and would recommend you all to try switching to tea for a a week or two in order to see what effect it has on you.