If you are, then the thought of giving up caffeine and fasting long hours without an energy stimulant may seem daunting! Don’t wait till Ramadan to reduce your caffeine intake. Start a few weeks earlier and try to cut your caffeine intake sooner.

Here are some tips that can help you.

-If you are currently drinking more than 2-3 cups daily, start by cutting down each cup weekly. If you are at 3 cups then reduce to 2 cups for one week then to 1 cup the following week. This will allow your body to get accustomed to reduced caffeine. Most find weaning off coffee to be easier than reducing it cold-turkey.

– During the weaning process, you can also switch from high caffeine beverages to ones that have a lesser amount. For example if you are an espresso drinker (2 oz Starbucks Espresso contains 150 mg of caffeine) you can switch to a tea (8 oz black tea contains 47mg and green tea contains 35 mg of caffeine). This will help in “adjusting” your body’s dependency on caffeine. It may also cause milder effects of caffeine to withdrawal later on.

– Be sure to eat high energy foods during suhoor and iftaar to get the same energy stimulating effects can can provide. Stay tuned for an upcoming post!

– If you must have caffeine in Ramadan, I would recommend to consume it when you open your fast (an hour after iftaar). Caffeine has dehydrating effects on the body and can increase your thirst during the day if you consume a lot of caffeine during suhoor.

Hopefully these tips can help you wean off caffeine in the coming weeks in preparation for Ramadan! Reducing your caffeine intake or going caffeine-free completely can be a great form of detox! While caffeine can provide various health benefits, A caffeine-free cleanse can be very helpful to overall health:

-caffeine-free diet can reduce anxiety and anxiety related symptoms.

-caffeine can reduce the absorption of some nutrients such as calcium and iron. A caffeine free lifestyle can result in better absorption of nutrients.

-caffeine has stimulating effects on body that can last for hours. For those wanting better sleep, a  simple caffeine-detox may be the perfect thing your body needs to help you fall asleep better.

-caffeine beverages such as coffee and black tea can stain enamel on your teeth so removing them from your daily diet can help with whitening your smile.

-A caffeine detox may boost healthier looking skin. Caffeine can interfere with collagen formation. Collagen is a structural protein that holds tissue together and is important for cartilage formation, joint health and for healthy vibrant skin and nails.

– if you have a sensitive stomach, some caffeine beverages can affect your gut and contribute to reflux.