I’m Quitting Caffeine..
I gave up caffeine this week. I’m not much of a coffee drinker but I was up to 4 cups of green tea a day. Every time I sat down to give my body a moment of stillness I would have this deep gut feeling that I needed to cut back, but for weeks I’ve been ignoring this feeling.
On Monday morning I woke up at 4am and when I’m up at 4 and can’t sleep I meditate. This is a good time to meditate because the veil between worlds is thinnest. Meditation at this time can be very deep, the pineal gland is still secreting melatonin and it’s a spiritual hour.
I made a firm decision that morning to give up all caffeine for a few months….. and I’ve felt like a total zombie since then. My body is recalibrating to produce it’s own energy again without the aid of green or black tea.
When I’ve stopped caffeine in the past the first week is hell. Headaches, weird sleep, grogginess, digestive issues, some sadness etc. After about 10 days my body seems to have a new source of energy and balance that is less jagged like an EKG.
One of the reasons I am stopping is to balance & slow down my nervous system. Caffeine stimulates the stress response in the body and often the body is stressed enough with our day-to-day lives. I have a podcast episode about nervous system dysregulation and not being able to lose weight. You can check out the episode here
Here are some things I’m using in place of caffeine to give me a boost:
Ashwagandha powder
Amazing for sleep, energy, endurance and balancing of hormones. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen, which helps our body resist physical and mental stressors. It’s also great for focus without the spiky feeling of caffeine. Bonus benefit it helps with sleep too!
Dandy Blend Tea
My friend Mary made me this concoction and it tastes like a delicious latte. Dandy blend (that is the actual name of it) it a blend of dandelion root, chicory root, barley and Rye. It’s bitter like coffee (and looks like coffee) and tastes a bit like coffee but my taste buds are not totally fooled. Here is how to doctor it up (thanks Mary!):
A heaping scoop of Dandy Blend
Boiling water
2 drops of liquid stevia
A dollop of heavy whipping cream (I love fatty milks, they’re better for you!)
Mushroom Blend Supplements
Mushrooms are a potent brain helper! I harvest them when I’m in Alaska and make tea out of them. Currently, I buy supplements with Lions Mane, Chaga, and Reshi. Same as Ashwagandha, they help me with energy, focus and sleep.
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