Following on from my previous blog, you may have set some intentions to live a healthier existence this year and are thinking of ways to start laying those solid foundations. If that’s the case, give yourself a huge pat on the back!
Caffeine is a main culprit in most people’s lives. The coffee monster tends to be more of an aggressive character than the tea gremlin but both contain caffeine.
Here’s a quick reminder of why it is something to consider lowering in your diet:
Caffeine stimulates reactions in your body, like producing adrenaline, which shuts down the front part of your brain that is responsible for making calm, rational decisions. You are then prepped for a 'fight or flight' response and all energy is directed into being poised for attack and defence as opposed to essential growth, repair and general functioning. So a conversation that’s going on internally in your body at this point will go something like this: “Digestion? Oh sorry, NO CAN DO - I’m getting ready to run from a tiger that’s coming for me!”
Adrenaline is naturally produced by the body when real-life threats are occurring around us but most of the time we aren’t in scenarios like running from a man-eating creature but the body doesn’t know any different when we drink caffeine! The same chemical reactions take place. The rush of adrenaline puts massive strain on your adrenal glands and uses a lot of water to just be in this wired state. Hence why drinking coffee and other caffeinated drinks is so dehydrating.
Then there is the age-old classic debate – should one go cold turkey or should one phase it out gradually? My humble observation is that it basically comes down to your own character and how you, as an individual, are going to fare best through the process. Some genuinely get a kick from making a massive declaration to the world and to themselves by announcing the full departure of caffeine from their lives – woohoo! We cheer and wave and loudly support them because, let’s face it – it isn’t the easiest thing to do. And hats off to anyone who is prepared to face this challenge. It is whether they can calmly endure the withdrawal symptoms for the long-run as well as optimally supporting their bodies at the same time.
For most of us, we fare better if we take things step by step and instill a quiet confidence in ourselves along the way with, usually, far longer-lasting results. As a practitioner I generally encourage my clients to reduce things very slowly – we are, after all, usually trying to reverse a lifetime habit! I personally struggle with feelings of discomfort in any sense of the word and I prefer to still enjoy every day of my life, thriving on a feeling of balance and taking things at a pace that I am comfortable with, which is usually nice and slowly, thank you very much! Ask yourself how will you cope better on a day to day progressive stance – this is about knowing what sort of person you are – always make things as easy as possible for yourself.
So if you are thinking of cutting down on your caffeine intake, try cutting down by one cup per day. Too much? No problem – just pour half of that that cup down the sink... it’s a really good feeling and reinforces the mental resolution that you are saying goodbye to dehydration and that you are in control of this habit. Reducing your daily intake by half a cup – now that is pretty do-able and before long, it will be the full cup – you haven’t even missed it!
Next, replace. It is easier to cut out when you replace. This can actually be the fun part if you look at things positively. You get to push that coffee monster to the back of the cupboard and bring forward the halo shiners, the sparkling brigade of herbals – and don’t automatically pull sceptical faces – they deserve more from you! There is pretty much every possible flavor to suit all you lovely varied people, it’s just a matter of finding which one floats your boat.
Don’t think of it as cutting things out, think of it as Exploring More...
Don’t think of it as denying yourself, think of it as Getting More...
There is a lot more to kicking the caffeine and cultivating better habits and if your New Year’s Resolution is to get your health back and clean up your diet but you don’t know where to start or what small changes are best to start with, this is the perfect opportunity to see a Nutritional Therapist. It’s easier to keep going and keep those resolutions if there is someone else helping and supporting you personally.
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