Kickin' Caffeine in the Butt!!

So we've just entered into a New Moon cycle in Virgo on Sunday August 28th....will go through September 22nd.  Apparently this new moon cycle is a great time to de-clutter our life! Home, health, work...old habits that no longer serve us, old thought patterns that aren't even true, and even things we take into our bodies that may not support us in a way that keeps us feeling good and moving forward. So, I've decided to use this Universal force to help me break a long time habit that I have often wondered what I might feel like without it...Caffeine. Honestly, I do not even have conscious awareness of myself before I started consuming caffeine. We always had it as kids in the form of  sodas and tea...then at the age of 17 I had my first morning cup of coffee. : ) And being that age I made candy coffee..LOTS of cream and LOTS of sugar. And OH did I fly that day! I still remember like it was yesterday. I am currently 34....almost 35. Every day since then I have had my coffee in the morning and then some except on rare occasions. So rare that I don't even recall the experience...must not have been noteworthy! About a year ago I was facing some tough health challenges...finally facing them. My health had declined to the point that I was just very sensitive to many things in my current diet. Coffee made me feel terrible! The last day I drank it I felt so bad I could not move! I thought I would never drink it again! So, on to tea. Tea was nice...I like it, it sufficed my caffeine need. But I did not ever LOVE it like I did coffee.

I finally went to a Holistic Dr. this year to help me get some clarity on what exactly was going on inside my body. Everything she told me I had had a feeling about but just kept living in denial...trying to be like other people who could seemingly eat and drink whatever they wanted and not suffer ill effects. Getting some tests and the professional help was exactly what I needed. And off I went on my healing journey! And I got better.. so much better I decided to start drinking coffee again. Yeah, makes perfect sense doesn't it??!! I thought so.

I was very cautious at the beginning..only one cup, not first thing in the morning, had food in my belly to help absorb it...yeah yeah yeah, didn't take long to be full blown fein once again! I've been trying to be easy on myself about it and enjoy it....and enjoy it I have! But I have also noticed some things that aren't necessarily great. Crashes after the high, swollen legs, and belly, weight gain, increased appetite and sugar cravings, dehydration and my skin is really oily again (something that had balanced out). And yes, it's a good idea to have things in moderation. There are those items that are easily moderated for me and then there are those things that are not easily moderated for me. This is one of them! I have to say that when I first started back I noticed the dehydration, sugar cravings and leg swelling immediately. The rest have been over a period of a couple months.

I have decided to take myself on an adventure. I am going to see what life is like caffeine free. I have done many cleanses in the past and none have frightened me....but this one......this one feels daunting. Even more of a reason to take a peek at what lies beneath. I am pretty well studied in nutrition and know how to feed my body properly, how to exercise regularly and stay hydrated, rest and reduce stress. I am ahead of the game in a lot of ways compared to many folks who may be wanting to quit an addictive substance without knowing how to nourish the body...and soul. 

My plan is to start this Thursday September 1st and go for at least 30 days. I plan on writing during this time for a few reasons......making a commitment to myself is one thing, putting it out there to the world is another...I think it will help me filter through this process and hopefully if it turns out well, will help someone else! Stay tuned!