Deciding how to give up caffeine can be a hard task. Fortunately, cutting back on caffeine isn't nearly as hard as you think. All it takes is time, patience and a few well-chosen alternatives. Caffeine may keep you awake and alleviate fatigue, but it does have its downfalls as well. Too much caffeine can make you jittery or keep you from being able to sleep.

Giving up caffeine can be done in a few different ways. You can quit cold turkey, or you can slowly decrease the amount of caffeine that enters your body. Quitting cold turkey can be a shock to your system, and some doctors do not recommend that you try and quit in this fashion. This journey will require willpower and patience on your part. You may also want to let your close family and friends know what you are doing just in case you experience irritation during the process. This will help them understand that you are not being rude if you come across a little more harsh than normal. Either way, there are things that can help, and things you will need to be prepared to encounter as you make the move to a caffeine-free life.http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/caffeine/NU00600/METHOD=print

According to the Mayo Clinic and researchers from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, moderate caffeine consumption of 300-400 milligrams a day (approximately 3 cups of coffee) carries "little evidence of healthy risks and some evidence of health benefits."http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/pros-and-cons-caffeine-craze?page=2 Those benefits include not only the decrease in fatigue most anyone who's ever had to pull an all-nighter is familiar with, but also include help in the prevention of Parkinson's disease, liver disease and type 2 diabetes.http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/pros-and-cons-caffeine-craze?page=2

So, why give up caffeine at all? Well, like most everything else in life, moderation is the key. The Mayo Clinic recommends cutting back on caffeine if you consume unhealthy amounts. How much is too much though?http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/caffeine/NU00600/METHOD=print:

Consuming Unhealthy Amounts

According to the Mayo Clinic, heavy daily caffeine use of more than 500-600 milligrams per day (approximately 4 to 7 cups of coffee) can causehttp://www.mayoclinic.com/print/caffeine/NU00600/METHOD=print:

• Restlessness
• Anxiety
• Irritability
• Muscle tremors
• Sleeplessness
• Headaches
• Nausea, diarrhea or other gastrointestinal problems
• Abnormal heart rhythms

Approximate Amounts of Caffeine

• Coffee, regular (1 cup): 138 mg
• Espresso (1/4 cup): 125 mg
• Cappuccino, regular (1 cup): 60 mg
• Latte, regular (1 cup): 60 mg
• Tea, brewed, hot (1 cup): 47 mg
• Nestea Iced Tea, Earl Grey (1 cup): 33 mg
• Cola Soda, regular or diet (12 oz): 42 mg
• Mountain Dew (12 oz): 52 mg
• Chocolate, semisweet (1 oz): 18 mg
• Chocolate milk (1 cup): 5 mg
• Cocoa powder (1 tablespoon): 12 mghttp://www.webmd.com/diet/features/healthier-ways-to-get-your-caffeine

The first step to making your caffeine-free dreams a reality is pinpointing why you want to quit. People quit drinking coffee, soda or energy drinks for a myriad of reasons from yellowing teeth to a desire to save money or wanting to live a healthier lifestyle. Be honest with yourself; do you really want to quit and why? Once you've done that bit of soul-searching, you're ready to begin the weaning process.

Giving up caffeine is not easy and can be a hard thing to get through. You will have to deal with headaches and other withdrawal symptoms on your journey to being caffeine-free. So knowing why you want to quit can become important. You will need to be truly committed to giving up caffeine to achieve success. So if your reason is related to your health or something else that is important to you, you will often be more committed than if it is just an off the wall decision.

Be patient with yourself, this is not going to be a simple process. If you have more caffeine than you planned on during a day, don't beat yourself up over it. Caffeine is a form of addiction, just like alcohol or smoking, so it will take your body time to adjust to the change.

• Giving up caffeine is not going to be easy. While there is some debate in the medical community as to just how addictive caffeine is and you may or may not experience any withdrawal symptoms, the fact of the matter is that making any significant change in our daily routine can be difficult.

Withdrawal Symptoms

Regardless of whether you are "addicted" or just have a seriously ingrained habit, you may experience one of the following well-documented caffeine withdrawal symptoms as you eliminate the drug from your diethttp://blogs.webmd.com/busy-family-healthy-family/2006/02/are-you-addicted-to-caffeine.html:

• Headache, fatigue or drowsiness
• Depressed, irritable mood
• Difficulty concentrating
• Flu-like symptoms of nausea and/or vomiting
• Muscle pain or stiffness

According to the Hopkins' study, people's experience of these symptoms ranged from "mildly annoying" to flu-like in intensity.http://blogs.webmd.com/busy-family-healthy-family/2006/02/are-you-addicted-to-caffeine.html Withdrawal symptoms "typically began 12 to 24 hours after the last dose of caffeine, became most severe after one to two days and lasted for two to nine days."

Caffeine Reduction Strategies

• All of the following caffeine elimination strategies require that you cut back on caffeine gradually. It is not advisable to go cold turkey.

• According to Dr. John Hughes, director of the Human Behavior Pharmacology Laboratory at the University of Vermont, even light coffee drinkers can have withdrawal symptoms.http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/48/32.cfm "It's best if you gradually give up caffeine over the course of several weeks, rather than giving it up abruptly."

1. Gradually Reduce the Amount: Dr. Hughes recommends reducing your caffeine intake by 10 to 30 percent every few days.http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/48/32.cfm "If you drink 3 cups of coffee a day, drink 2 or 2 1/2 for three or four days, then decrease by another 1/2 cup a few days later and so forth. Give yourself plenty of time."
2. Switch to Tea: Tea has a lower amount of caffeine than coffee. Switch over one of your daily servings from coffee to tea. Slowly transition completely to tea, then to caffeine-free or herbal tea.
   • Blogger Jay White recommends switching to a flavored tea that you A) love and B) comes in a caffeinated and decaffeinated version so that your eventual transition to the caffeine-free lifestyle is less dramatic.http://www.dumblittleman.com/2007/10/how-to-give-up-coffee-and-caffeine.html
3. Brew Tea for Less Time: According to the Mayo Clinic, brewing tea for less time cuts down on its caffeine content.http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/caffeine/NU00600/METHOD=print
4. Use a Coffee Alternative: Cut your coffee with a healthful alternative like soy-based coffees and or an herbal caffeine-free coffee.