Ditching My Chemical Caffeine Romance

Coffee was a love affair and addiction I had previously felt I could not live without.

It was the first thing I had and savoured in the day. I thought as long as I drank 2 – 3 cups of it, I would not be doing myself any harm. In fact, I had read many articles stating it was actually good for you and a superfood!

However, after I had my own Soul Plan reading done and I was able to establish some physical and emotional challenges and issues which needed to be resolved. It was recommended that I undertook a liver detox. I took this advice on board and researched how to detox my liver. I started eating more broccoli, spinach and vegetables and I drank lots and lots of water. In the first few days of my detox, I had also made a huge decision to give up drinking Coffee. (I don’t do things in half measures).

It was during this time and having spoken with a nutritional therapist friend. I had realised that Coffee was behind what I thought was unexplained high blood sugars. I live with Diabetes and my blood sugars were constantly high without me having consumed any carb’ or sugar rich foods. I later established that Coffee was the prime culprit! This was after I gave this beverage up, it was quite surprising to see how my blood sugars stabilised shortly afterwards.

Coffee cessation was something I had put off for years and I thought I would never be able to do it. This was because I had previously attempted to give up drinking Coffee and I had experienced awful withdrawal symptoms, it was the headaches which I even felt when I was asleep! I just did not want to go through that ever again and give up something I had placed a lot of value on!

This time has been much easier. It helped that I was doing a detox and eating very healthy plant based food; drinking herbal teas with spices (Cinnamon, Turmeric and Ginger) and water. Another thing which I found really helped was peppermint tea. I had researched that peppermint acts as a natural pain suppressant; it is good for the digestive system and has gentle sedative affects. This helped to starve off the withdrawal headaches! The only thing was I had one day of discomfort and I ensured that I had a resting day and took extra care of myself (watching lots of movies and a box set helped).

In the early days of coffee cessation, I engaged in mindfulness and realised that my first thought of the day was Coffee. I wondered if I was actually obsessed with Coffee… I was also depending on it to give me energy and focus for my daily routine in my working life. I have found since giving up on drinking Coffee, that I have ‘natural, light and pleasant feeling energy throughout the course of the day’ and that I can have earlier and more satisfying sleep at night. I no longer have the intensely exhausting slump at round 3pm – 4pm. This was when I often felt mentally and emotionally wiped out and exhausted. That just does not happen anymore.

Coffee is now a treat (I now have one cup a week) and the drink is no longer a necessity. I used to think I ‘needed’ coffee to function, I would even tell people this (who would look at me with the `you’re addicted to this stuff` look). As aforementioned, my blood sugars have stabilised to much more healthier levels too. In addition to this, something else, which is wonderful, has happened, my stress levels have significantly reduced! It is only after quitting coffee, that I have realised that I was running on adrenalin: coffee induced output of nervous energy. I am now much calmer and manage the day without stressing over the small stuff, like I might have before. No matter what is happening, I am able to manage any situation without getting sucked into emotional upheavals, even when others, around me, are very stressed!

It is only now, that I totally realise that coffee makes you feel unnecessary stress. Who needs that?

….Unless you are running away from a hungry lion… that’s when coffee may come in very useful to spike up your adrenaline to run!

Anyhow I am a much happier, calmer and energised human, now that I have ditched my chemical romance with Coffee.. why not give it a go too…?