They say do one thing every day that scares you.
This is my thing today: my coffee dependency. The voice inside me is desperately trying to keep me from admitting that I need to change. “Remember that day we didn’t have coffee? If we were addicted, we would have had a headache. But we didn’t. So we aren’t.”
Yeah, that’s because I drank black tea all day long. I’ll admit it: My name is Beck and I’m addicted to caffeine. (“Hello Beck.”)
Someday might not ever come.
I’ve always said I’ll quit when I’m pregnant. For the baby’s sake. That seems hypocritical: what about the caffeines affect on my body?
Caffeine is a touchy subject, probably because people like me can’t stand the thought of quitting and are in denial. There are studies that say one a day isn’t too bad, studies that say a drop is detrimental. The Mayo Clinic suggests 2 – 4 cups per day is OK for most people. Traditional hunter-gatherers used coffee beans during special occasions, like a hunt or something like that. (I did pay attention in Anthropology 101.)
When a body consumes caffeine, the neurons in the brain start firing triggering the pituitary gland to secrete a hormone that tells the adrenals to produce adrenaline. Adrenaline is that rush athletes feel during a race or crossing the finish line, that rush that give you the courage to jump out of a perfectly fine airplane to skydive, the rush that pushed our hunter-gatherer ancestors to run away or fight animals. It’s our “fight-or-flight” mechanism.
So caffeine is putting my body into “fight-or-flight” for normal every day things, like waking up this morning (actually that is a fight) and later this afternoon. 
If this is prolonged, the adrenals become exhausted and just plum give out on us. (FYI, I’m currently reading The Help.) For women, this is detrimental because we need those adrenals when our ovaries “pass the baton” (as Nora Gedgaudas says) during menopause.
Too much caffeine is easy enough for us (or our husbands or family members) to spot: anxiety, irritability, stomach problems, insomnia.
So this is my challenge to you and me.
Let’s quit coffee for 28 days! Notice I didn’t say “consecutive” days? Maybe it’s the coward in me, but I like the hunter-gatherers’ “special occasion coffee plan” from my Anthropology class.
A 28-day challenge: 24 days of NO coffee and 4 freebie days.
On those 4 freebie days, go crazy. Drink as much coffee as you feel you’ve missed or will miss for the entire challenge! And then tell us how you feel afterward.
During the NO coffee days, we can have 1 regular sized up of caffeinated black tea or decaf coffee (even though it’s decaf, there’s still some caffeine). Green tea does not count as caffeine.
Enter To Win Over $200 in Prizes
Five participants will win one of the following prizes (one prize per person)
Grand Prize: This winner will receive two prizes. The first is a $49 coupon for Green Pasture products: High-Vitamin Butter Oil, Fermented Cod Liver Oil and Skate Liver Oils. Based on the work of Dr. Weston Price who discovered High-Vitamin Butter Oil and Cod Liver Oil in the 1930′s. The second prize is The Liberation Diet book by Kevin Brown and Annette Presley. Retail Value $79
First and Second Prizewinners: A $49 coupon for Green Pasture products. High-Vitamin Butter Oil, fermented cod liver oil and skate liver oil. Based on the work of Dr. Weston Price who discovered High-Vitamin Butter Oil and Cod Liver Oil in the 1930′s. Retail Value $49
Third Prize: The Liberation Diet book by Kevin Brown and Annette Presley.
What if you could eat real, satisfying, full-fat foods, and get thin and healthy, for life? Authors Brown and Presley navigate the minefield of misconceptions surrounding low–fat high-carb diets, soy foods, and pharmaceutical medications. They challenge common myths about cholesterol, water consumption, and exercise — and their findings will surprise you.
Retail value $30
Fourth Prize: One bar of Homemade Cinnamon Oatmeal Bar Soap and a 16 oz. bottle of Organic Homemade Shampoo:
Uses olive oil, drops of lavender oil and a natural cleanser to clean dirt and promote natural hair oils.
Retail value $15
How to participate in the Coffee Challenge.
1. Sign up for my Newsletter. You have to be on my mailing list to qualify for prizes. If you are already on it, you don’t need to do anything.
2. Use the Rafflecopter widget to get points.
Note: we don’t officially start until February 9th, so any entries before then will be deleted.
Questions? Post them in the comment box below!
Photo credit: Daily Shot of Coffee
17 comments
Jennie
26 January 2012 at 1:22 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’m in!!
Dave
28 January 2012 at 10:17 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
NO COFFEE ?? You must have found that there is caffeine in meditation or yoga or something …
Sally Fallon says that a fermented beverage before a meal is good for the digestion. Of course you would want a REAL fermented beverage and not one that comes in 6-packs. Let me know when you do 28 days based on this thought!
Beck Anderson, RYT 200
31 January 2012 at 9:54 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Dave, Sally is right: fermented foods (not just beverages) are very good for digestion. And I think if the 6-pack beverage is unpasteurized it might count!
Are you saying you’d join a 28-day challenge if it we were all about drinking fermented beverages?
Dave
13 February 2012 at 5:43 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Sure! but I’m not so sure about fermented cabbage juice though …. Maybe a fermented beverage / food of the month?
Beck Anderson, RYT 200
14 February 2012 at 8:07 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
A challenge to make a new fermented beverage or food every month?
April @ The 21st Century Housewife
3 February 2012 at 6:32 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I think you are brave to try this challenge. I gave up caffeine a couple of years ago on the advice of my yoga teacher and I stuck to my resolution for over six months. But I have to confess I gave up after that! I really do enjoy my coffee and tea, but I try to keep it to 2 cups of coffee and one of tea a day. The rest of the time I drink water and herb teas. I find on that amount of caffeine I don’t suffer withdrawal if I go without it for a day or so, so hopefully that means it isn’t too much. Good luck with your challenge – I am sure you will do well and feel the benefits! Thank you for sharing this post with the Hearth and Soul hop.
Beck Anderson, RYT 200
5 February 2012 at 3:52 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Six months is a very long time — in fact, it makes me sad to think about going without coffee that long! I’m impressed you made it that long
Thanks for your comment.
Candice N
9 February 2012 at 9:14 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I need to kick my coffee habit. I’m trying to lose weight and I use too much cream and sugar in my coffee. I’m in for this challenge!
Beck Anderson, RYT 200
9 February 2012 at 9:48 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’m glad you’re joining Candice! How much coffee did you drink per day? And what was your favorite cup of coffee?
Candice N
9 February 2012 at 12:47 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I was drinking 2 cups per day – usually french vanilla coffee with way too much french vanilla creamer. I need to limit the sugar and caffeine I’m taking in!
Beck Anderson, RYT 200
9 February 2012 at 1:02 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
All things in moderation, right? This is what I’m hoping the 4 freebie days will help me learn!
Jami
9 February 2012 at 5:22 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’m in! I’ve been 4 days without coffee- do I get extra points for that?!
Beck Anderson, RYT 200
9 February 2012 at 8:51 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
You get the satisfaction of knowing you are way ahead of the rest of us! How does it feel?
hehe
Jami
11 February 2012 at 10:41 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Actually Scott & I have been detox/juicing all week- and so it’s not just coffee that I cut- it’s been a challenge- but the first 2 days were the worst. Now we’re feeling pretty good- So I’m going to keep the coffee out for the rest of the challenge… (forgot to get my points for that yesterday!)
I did read that coffee contributes to fatigue- how ironic!
Jami
24 February 2012 at 11:23 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Oops- I see the other day when I was trying to login w/ my phone I clicked on “leave a blog comment” instead of Avoid coffee – so I better leave a blog comment now for my 2 pt.s… although guess I missed another 5. Have only had 1 cup of coffee so far! wahoo
Beck Anderson, RYT 200
26 February 2012 at 6:39 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I entered you in 2 times manually for avoiding coffee to make up for the 2 times you missed. How are you and Scott doing on your cleansing regime? Are you still detox/juicing?
Jami
1 March 2012 at 9:44 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
(Shoot- I failed the test after writing a nice long comment! I swear- I am human!!!!
Thanks Beck-
It’s been probably a month since I’ve stopped the coffee & have only had 2 cups… That’s shocking for me as I use to have 2-3 espressos/day!
Scott & I aren’t juicing anymore- it was only a week long that we did that… or I should say a LONG week! But now we’re just eating healthier- and it feels good.
I’ve been looking through Nourishing Traditions & hope to get to making some of those recipes – and also bought the book “Super Foods”, and we’re including some of those foods in our diet.