Take the 28-Day Caffeine Challenge You Know How It Is

TAKE THE 28-DAY CAFFEINE CHALLENGE YOU KNOW HOW IT IS

Morning – you wake up and you’re still groggy. You stumble into the kitchen for that all-important pick-me-up of coffee or tea so you can start to function.

But lately it takes more and more cups just to keep going. You swallow a cup or two or more in the morning so you can move your bleary-eyed self out the door to work.

Once at work, another cup from the company coffee machine and then yet another cup in the early afternoon so you won’t fall asleep during that important meeting the boss has called. Or maybe you are the boss, and you don’t want to be yawning during that crucial client meeting that might mean a big business deal.

After a while though, as your body gets used to the caffeine, it takes drinking more and more to get to the same level of alertness. Soon you’re downing several cups of coffee or tea a day SO WHY NOT PUT to keep yourself from feeling fatigued. CAFFEINE IN ITS PLACE IS THIS THE PRICE FOR GETTING THROUGH YOUR DAY? AND FEEL BETTER THAN

If caffeine is so great, how come your anxiety levels are out the roof, you’re having trouble EVER AND KEEP YOUR sleeping at night, you have headaches when you do miss that extra cup, higher blood pressure than you should, regular heartburn episodes are plaguing you, and you have WELL EARNED CASH! decreased insulin sensitivity – not good for diabetics and it’s costing you a fortune.

Sleep better – regular daily caffeine intake is associated with disturbed sleep and daytime SLEEP BETTER, tiredness according to a review of studies in Sleep Medicine Reviews. WHITER TEETH, Have less anxiety – caffeine’s role in anxiety and panic attacks is of increasing concern to medical researchers. MORE MONEY &

Have lower blood pressure – caffeine constricts blood vessels and increases heart rate, LOSE WEIGHT! leading to higher blood pressure.

Decrease headaches – those headaches that appear when you’ve missed your expected cuppa will go away if you’re not indulging at all.

Reduce, if not get rid of, your acid reflux – coffee is one of the top ten heartburn triggers (according to WebMd).

Have whiter and stronger teeth – tannins from coffee and tea build-up on teeth and coffee can erode tooth enamel over time.

More money – stop spending on those expensive “mochachino lattes” from the pricey coffee shop around the corner. Do the maths, let’s assume an average spend of £3 a day on coffee. This equates to over £1000 a year or £10,000 over 10 years and that’s without compound interest!

Lose weight – often your coffee has cream and sugar and other ingredients that can increase your fat and sugar consumption. Also for those latte drinkers all that milk is a shocker.

4 Signup today at www.oneyearnobeer.com © 2017 OYNB (One Year No Beer) All rights reserved. Signup today at www.oneyearnobeer.com 5 THE FIRST FEW DAYS CAN BE TRICKY HOW AND WHEN AM I GONNA START THIS CHALLENGE?

Quit cold turkey! It allows you to kick the habit faster and enjoy the benefits of a caffeine-free Pick a start date where your routine is already going to be disrupted so you’re not doing the life sooner than if you took a more gradual approach. But you’re the judge of what will work same things at the time as you usually would. This is how caffeine consumption usually fits best for you, so choose your method based on what you know about yourself. into your day – in a ritualized fashion. So if you know you’re going to be traveling or doing an activity outside your usual routine, choose that time to quit. Give yourself time to get through the process. The first 1-3 days are usually the most difficult, as your body detoxes from caffeine, but give yourself the time to establish new habits and Another good strategy is to quit on Friday so you have the weekend to deal with any possible replacement rituals. severe withdrawal symptoms that can happen early in the quitting process.

MAKE A PLAN

Whether you quit cold turkey or use a gradual approach, make a step-by-step plan:

1. How and when you are going to quit REPLACE YOUR COFFEE 2. Daily healthy habits or routines you can use as a replacement for the “coffee ritual” HABIT WITH A HEALTHY HABIT 3. How you will deal with withdrawal symptoms and cravings 4. What strategies you’ll use in the face of temptation to “just have one little cup” One way you can help yourself to quit is to replace your coffee habit 5. How you’ll reward yourself for hitting your goals with a healthy habit – if you get up in the morning and head for the coffee maker for that first cup, try doing a few stretches instead to help your heart start pumping and get your blood These are some of the steps you can incorporate into your quitting plan. flowing.

Instead of that morning coffee or tea, have another beverage that is similarly filling and hearty but more healthful – perhaps an herbal tea or blend such as Dandy Blend, Postum, rooibos tea, or a decaffeinated coffee. Drinking some warm lemon water first thing in the morning is also helpful. Establish these strategies as a part of your routine to replace the coffee routine.

Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. This also has the effect of lessening the bad headaches that can accompany caffeine withdrawal and helps to move your bowels.

Eat healthy meals with a balance of good fats such as plant-based oils (olive, coconut, canola, soy, etc.), complex carbs (whole grains – either in breads and cereals or eaten separately such as quinoa, farro, oats, etc.), and protein (meat or plant-based: beans, nuts, tofu, tempeh, or other meat substitutes).

Eat fruit in the morning for an energy pickup similar to what you would have gotten with coffee. Up your consumption of leafy greens and fruits and vegetables generally to replace the antioxidants you were getting in coffee.

Take supplements such as vitamin C and melatonin to help you sleep and reset your circadian rhythm that’s been put out of kilter by your caffeine consumption.

GET YOUR EXERCISE

Working out can help the body deal with the stress of withdrawal. Most any type of exercise that lasts at least 30 minutes a day and gets your heart rate up will work – for example a brisk walk – but exercises that help you focus on the mind-body connection such as yoga or tai chi may be even more effective.

PRACTICE MINDFULNESS

Another strategy for dealing with withdrawal symptoms and to make you aware of how caffeine currently fits in your life is to adopt a “meta-cognitive stance” toward your thoughts:

“I see myself having a thought about needing coffee.” (This stance is part of mindfulness, where you observe your thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations as if you were an explorer or naturalist of the mind – with open curiosity toward yourself).

Notice your cravings – are they variable? Constant? Are they associated with certain times of the day or states of being (anxiety over a client meeting, a child’s doctor appointment, etc.)?

Often caffeine cravings arise because we are stressed, anxious or tired. We think that caffeine Perhaps you’ve gone an entire day without coffee and want some way to acknowledge that will make us feel better. Bypass this need by dealing with the stress, anxiety and/or tiredness victory. Think of something you would consider a small reward for yourself – it can be an with a simple breathing meditation. activity like a five-minute foot soak, or food-based (low calorie, of course) – perhaps a small piece of sugar-free gum or a mint. Just something that lets you reward your hard work that Calming yourself down when you are stressed will minimize your need for coffee. A coffee day fighting off your cravings. won’t be as necessary if you are having a good day and your mind is light and happy. Breathing meditation can bring on this feeling. LOOK TOWARD YOUR GOAL AND THE Next time you feel stress or anxiety, close your eyes and gently become aware of your breath. Take deep, quiet breaths through your nose and exhale, feeling the flow of air into and out of BENEFITS AT THE END your lungs. Count each breath mentally up to ten complete inhalations and exhalations. This will reduce your stress significantly. After doing this, you will be much less likely to use Remember, once you’re off caffeine you will experience many of those benefits we mentioned caffeine to alleviate your anxiety. Also, the great thing about breathing meditation is that the at the beginning – better sleep, better digestion, whiter teeth, less anxiety, fatigue and effects last longer. You will not experience the low that comes after a cup of coffee. irritability, more money, and possibly less pounds around your middle!

At the end of the 28-day challenge note how good you feel and then decided if you want to revert to your old caffeinated ways or continue with your coffee-free adventure - the choice CALM YOUR CRAVINGS as always is yours.

Replacing the activities that normally used to trigger your caffeine intake with other more Good luck! healthful options is one way to deal with the cravings. If you normally take a coffee break at 10:00 a.m., instead of having coffee, take a short walk or have a cup of herbal tea or other coffee substitute – even decaf coffee can work as an alternative. Take a bottle of water with you to drink if you normally head out to the coffee house with co-workers. That way if you still want to participate in this social activity, you’ll have something to drink while your co-workers drink coffee.

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