For today's post I thought I would do
something a little off topic from the beauty world and talk about my
New Years resolution from January 2014, which amazingly I managed to
stick to! That resolution was me giving up tea/coffee and all caffeine
wherever possible.
I realise this isn't going to be
something for everyone, but for me personally it felt like something
I really wanted to try.
Why?
There were two main reasons – vanity
and my general wellbeing. I hated what years of tea and coffee
drinking had done to my teeth. The effort of using Crest White Strips
and other whitening products seemed in vain when I had been happy at
the results only to take my teeth back to almost the same shade
within weeks from continuing to drink tea/coffee.
I also relied heavily on my 4-6 cups of
tea at set times in the day just to get me through the day and keep me
conscious to the outside world. My energy levels would fluctuate
massively and I would get very irritated and sleepy quite quicky
after the last cup's effects wore off.
How I did it
After previous attempts whereby I
lasted 40 ish days, I realised that the cold turkey approach just
doesn't work for me. For the first couple of days I tried cutting the
last cup of tea I would normally have in the evening, and slowly cut
it down. I got to the stage where I was just having a half a cup in
the morning just to take the “edge” off, and finally felt
confident after this to also cut this out too.
Easy it was not. That first morning
after having no caffeine for 24 hours left me with a really terrible
migraine, which made even the glare of the TV seem overwhelming and I
had to have a couple of painkillers and take it easy/avoid screens
etc.
This experience is what I believe is
part of the “withdrawal stage” from caffeine. It's incredibly
difficult and you feel irritated and headachey and definitely lack
energy, but within a couple of days this should vanish completely as
it did for me.
Positives
My energy levels are much more
regulated throughout the day and I find it much easier to fall asleep
at night, and at a regular time too. I only now feel super tired in
the day if I have been out for a run in the mornings as I still
haven't got my food intake right. Otherwise I generally feel
motivated and alert throughout the day and only start to wind down in
the evenings.
I also eat far less sugary treats after
and in between meals. For me biscuits or sometimes a slice of cake
after my evening meal with a cup of tea was a given. I now fill that
gap with fruit smoothies which I make myself (in less than the time
it would take for the kettle to boil I might add!)
And finally since doing Crest
Whitestrips 6 months ago, I have noticed the results have lasted much
better this time around *not drinking any tea of coffee whatsoever*
since I last used the strips in March.
Negatives
It can be weird explaining it to people
when they offer you a cup of tea that you no longer drink it.
Sometimes the long pauses and stares are so intense that I am
expecting immigration to burst through the door and remove my British
passport at any minute – since I no longer drink the tipple most
associated with my nationality!
A cup of tea was also a nice thing to
have on a cold day or when suffering from any kind of stomach cramps. Whilst green tea is generally ok and much healthier, it still doesn't give the same inner warm as a regular cup of tea.
On the rare occasion that I do go out
for any kind of cake... it really isn't the same with a glass of
water or juice. Tea and cake are a match made in heaven which unfortunately I can no longer enjoy.
Overall
Giving up caffeine is not going to be
for everyone, and I never thought in a million years I would have
been able to last 3 quarters of a year up to now, especially as I
have had failed attempts before. However I genuinely feel much better
for it and it has encouraged other healthy changes to my diet such as
more fruit which I use as a substitute whenever I crave any kind of
sweet pick me up.
I get a much better quality of sleep
which of course is vital for skin regeneration at night, as well as
digestion and other key processes that happen whilst we are asleep.
When I wake up in the mornings I don't
reach for the kettle, instead a healthy bowl of porridge and a glass
of water. It might sound like something out of a Charles Dickens
novel for some of you, but for me it has really worked out and I am
so glad I persevered through the side effects and cravings.
It really gives you a sense of satisfaction when you battle through something difficult and come out the other side healthier.
If you are concerned about the amount of caffeine you consume, you can try this handy little test which will give you a score out of 10 for your level of "caffeine addiction". Interestingly before quitting caffeine I scored a 6/10... and I just re-took the test and now score 0/10!
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