One of the tiny joys of my life each morning was to sit down at my desk and enjoy a Lactose Free double shot latte. This routine had been such a part of my life each day that I couldn't remember not doing it. Coffee was always there in the good times and in the bad. It was like an ancient Sage who in the coffee clouds could allow you to refocus or to inspire.So for me to even contemplate giving up the Bean was something that was never on my spectrum. I always thought that maybe I had a problem with the milky drug but never realised how much it actually shaped my life, If I didn't have my morning cup by 9.30am , things became pretty dicey I would become foggy and sometimes moody, if I didn't my cup before 12.30pm , the withdrawals really began, headaches and slight nausea, low energy levels and the the emotional stability of Charles Manson.
On a recent flight home from Singapore ,due to be being caffeine free I spent around 3 hours of the flight in the tiny bathroom throwing up, so for me it was time to address the issue . It didn't happen straight away , I would find 10,000 excuses why I couldn't give up my Morning Joe . So 6 weeks ago today I decided that it was going to happen, I was so ready for it , I decided to make myself unavailable for a couple of days ,no work or events to attend. I increased my water intake and decided to treat myself to a couple of days of bedrest.
So things started off pretty well , I was Hydrated and relaxed I decided to park myself in front of the TV and decided to Binge watch some Netflix. Around 3pm things were not well in my world, I was feeling dizzy and just wanted to die. My head felt like it was going to explode I began vomiting which did not stop till around 1.15am the next morning. My partner decided to stay away from me as he thought that maybe I was emotionally unhinged and I may just snap and murder him.
The Ill feelings didn't subside till around 11am the following day after just 3 hours sleep the night before. I had no idea how much my body depended on Caffeine. It was such a shock on how much my body reacted to not having its daily fix. When the sense of normal returned I had noticed something almost straight away. I seemed to be so much more calmer , my emotional state seemed to be just more centred, the usual daily stresses just didn't seem to affect me the way they did in the past. I replaced my morning coffee time with a green juice and water and if I had to have a meeting at a cafe I would have a decaf coffee , just to have a little bit of normality . I decided I would't replace my coffee needs with herbal tea's I decided It was time for a new routine. I quit smoking around 6 years ago and I thought that was pretty tough ,but the addiction to caffeine was for me was equally difficult to cut.
After around Day 5 ,I decided to look at some of foods that I ate which i knew were no good for me. I decided to put an end to another go to emotional eating items... CHOCOLATE , I made a deal with myself to try and not have any chocolate just for a week to see how different I could feel with out my two emotional go to items.
I'm glad to report that its been around 5 weeks being Chocolate free , and I'm still alive and more importantly I haven't murdered anyone. I have noticed so much since giving up the two vices, my skin is much clearer and I'm feeling really great, because Caffeine is a diuretic I have managed to gain 1.25kgs in 6 weeks. I seem to have firmer Stools and go to the bathroom less times than before. All in all its probably one of the best things I have done for my health since quitting smoking.
If you think that you would like to give up the Coffee , I would say give it a go. I'm happy to help with any hints and tips that got me though the tough day and I am only to happy to help.