Day 6 & 7 no caffeine but I got help with my headache, yes I said headache. I think the withdrawal symptoms finally caught up with me. However, I got some help, I got a cold. With a cold came some NyQuil, therefore help with my headaches.

It really has made going with no caffeine much easier. Being sick tends to deter me from coffee and draws me towards herbal teas. I have been drinking a lot of Yogi Tea’s Peach Detox. I love the way it smells and the way it makes me feel. I figure it is a good idea to detox after using cold medication like NyQuil.

Feelings: I love not being attached to the coffee cup, when I get up in the morning I have a choice now. No longer, COFFEE!, but now I can choose a glass of ice water and not suffer any ill affects.

If you have an addiction, really to anything, you should try a gradual reduction system that works for you. Work with your doctor or homeopath (your choice) to set up a program that works for you. I have really seen good results in reducing addiction symptoms with coffee by using a Paleo diet plan to clean out my system and satisfy the nutritional needs my body was lacking.

I think a lot of my problem with caffeine use was because I was lacking nutrients and vitamins that my average American diet simply wasn’t giving to me. I don’t remember the last time I ate this much fruit, vegetables, and lean protein. My diet consisted mainly of carbs and processed food.

Look to your right, click on the Paleo cookbooks link and get started. I can’t highly recommend it enough, plus you will be supporting this site. Win-Win-Win

Things that helped:

• Cold medication: Just a coincidence.
• Paleo meals
• Will power
• Accountability through this site.

Related articles:

• Caffeine Reduction: Day 2-5 (paleoaddict.com)
• Quitting an Addiction – No More Coffee (funkykaraoke.com)
• Caffeine Reduction: Day 1 (paleoaddict.com)
• Caffeine reduction (paleoaddict.com)
• Love your cup o’ Joe? (thindependence.com)

This is day 1 of my caffeine reduction 30 day challenge. I want to keep a similar format on each day to make it easier to follow along. So the format I use on this post will be used on every post. I am type A like that.

Feelings:

So 2 cups of coffee (roughly 12 oz) is all the caffeine I have had today. I feel alright. At the moment it is 2:52, a time where I am normally pretty tired.

Diet:

I think having a good breakfast (eggs/bell peppers/spinach) and lunch (spinach salad with carrots/cabbage/olive oil dressing/apple sauce) has really helped. I have also been drinking a lot of ice water, which I think has helped a lot. I just feel slightly run down.

Caffeine content:

115 milligrams x 2 = 230 milligrams of caffiene

Normal intake: Coffee 115 milligrams x 4 = 460

Headache?:

Nope

Things that have helped:

• Paleo meals
• Ice Water
• Plenty of sleep the night before
• Walking outside (its currently 43 F outside. Nice and brisk)

I am slightly surprised how easily I have stepped down to 50% of my caffeine intake with no pain medication. I was expecting a large headache. I may have a small cup of coffee towards the evening hours by the way I am feeling. I have a busy evening and might need the good effects of the drug in order to keep going. Again, I am controlling it, not the other way around.

Keep it lean!

Related articles:

• Caffeine reduction (paleoaddict.com)
• Quitting an Addiction – No More Coffee (funkykaraoke.com)
• High-Octane Caffeine May Trigger Headaches (nlm.nih.gov)