I loved Nell Frizzell’s inspiring article on being caffeine-free (I’ve been caffeine-free for seven years. Here’s how it changed me, May 26). I’m in month 11 without caffeine and enjoying a little more sleep and a lot less excitement and anger.
My caffeine-fueled prickly sweat has noticeably disappeared. My biweekly conversations with a friend have now been redesigned, since the last time she insisted on buying our drinks (“yes, of course I ordered you a decaffeinated cappuccino”) mine feverishly sent me into a shaking, babbling mess scribble to-do lists on a napkin. I now drink cool, clear bottled water. The chats are less animated and irritable, but I feel pleasantly less exhausted afterwards.
Decaffeinated has been a bit of a struggle at times, especially when the cafes offer outdoor seating, but I’m really enjoying my gradually rehydrated, dewy skin and calmer thoughts, all thanks to a caffeine-free lifestyle. Frizzell’s wonderful article reaffirms my choice.
Vicky Hunt
Horsley Woodhouse, Derbyshire
It is a wise decision by Nell Frizzell not to recommend matcha as an alternative to coffee and tea for those who avoid caffeine. Matcha is powdered green tea and is high in caffeine because you are consuming the leaves, not just the water they are steeped in. It has long been a favorite of Japanese monks who need to stay awake during meditation.
Lynne Edwards
New Quay, Ceredigion