For years, one of the highlights of my day was making myself a frothy coconut latte in the morning, but when health reasons forced me to abandon my coffee habit I was at a loss for how to manage. Get the latest top news stories sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter We have more newsletters Get the latest top news stories sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter We have more newsletters The simple joy of popping a pod into my Nespresso machine and savouring a frothy coconut latte used to be one of the highlights of my day. Adding a dash of sugar-free vanilla syrup or half a teaspoon of brown sugar, I was ready to tackle the day with enthusiasm.
Since my teenage years, starting the day with a coffee has been a ritual, so when health reasons forced me to give up my morning routine, I was unsure how to cope. Switching to tea, also caffeinated, wasn't an option, forcing me to face one of my biggest fears: going cold turkey. I never thought my daily morning coffee was a particularly harmful habit.
In fact, drinking two to five cups of coffee a day has been linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson's and depression, according to Frank Hu, chair of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, , reports Surrey Live . So, when I started experiencing withdrawal symptoms after missing my morning coffee for two days, I was surprised. A pounding headache and unusual daytime sleepiness were the main symptoms, .