Breaking your caffeine addiction: a step-by-step method that actually works
To detox effectively and allow your liver to excrete toxins, you need to cut out caffeine. I know this sounds daunting, but I've helped countless clients through this process.
Caffeine is a powerful stimulant and highly addictive toxin. Beyond the obvious sources like coffee and tea, it's hiding in colas (including diet varieties), energy drinks and chocolate. You might be surprised to find it lurking in decaf coffee, some herbal teas like green tea, sodas such as Sunkist Orange and root beer, and even some over-the-counter medications.
What to expect when you quit
Depending on your level of addiction, stopping cold turkey will likely give you severe withdrawal symptoms. These include headaches, fatigue, mood swings and poor concentration. They can start anywhere from 12 to 20 hours after your last caffeine hit and peak at 2 days.
Symptoms may last as long as a week, but should decrease in severity as each day passes.
I only recommend you go "cold turkey" if you have a small amount of caffeine in your diet (like 1 shot of coffee and 2 squares of chocolate), and if you know you'll have a quiet couple of days ahead of you (is there such a thing when you're a mum?).
The gentle elimination method
Otherwise, I recommend you gently eliminate caffeine from your diet with the following weaning steps:
Day 1:
• Half the amount of coffee you would normally drink. You can do this in two ways. Either cut the number of coffees you have in half, so if you have 2 coffees a day you should reduce this to 1 coffee. Or, reduce the strength of your coffee by half. You can do this whether you buy your coffee out or make it at home. Either ask for half strength, or if making yourself use half your normal amount. You can have your coffee with unsweetened coconut, almond or macadamia milk (or no milk).
• If you're a daily chocolate eater, change your chocolate for a couple of squares of high-quality organic dark chocolate with a high cocoa content. Don't consume anything else that contains caffeine.
Day 2:
• Replace half your remaining coffee intake with decaf (I recommend an organic blend which has far less chemicals and toxins). So, if you have 2 coffees a day, make one a half strength and the other a decaf.
• Reduce to one square of dark chocolate.
Day 3:
• Have 1 decaf and 1 green tea.
• No chocolate.
Day 4:
• No decaf or chocolate. Drink green tea, chai tea, and caffeine free herbal teas.
Managing withdrawal symptoms
You may still suffer some withdrawal symptoms including headaches, irritability, and fatigue. If so, try to avoid medications if you can. Make sure you drink plenty of filtered pure water and take a magnesium supplement to help ease any symptoms.
Rest as much as possible and get early nights when you can. This will improve your detoxification process and reduce the withdrawal symptoms.
Breaking a caffeine habit can be challenging but is well worth the effort. Once your body is free of this toxin your sleep will be better and of higher quality, your energy will increase, and your overall health will improve.
My top tip for breaking any habit
Have another addiction or food habit you want to break? This method will work the same. The key is to wean off it slowly and find a good quality, natural, organic substitute.
Swap out one bad diet habit for a healthier one.
If you're trying to quit sugar for example, you can follow the same steps to reduce your quantity, and find healthy sweet alternatives such as stevia (a healthy herb that keeps blood sugar levels balanced but still has that sweet taste).
