Hello, 

I've been "flirting" for about 5 days now. I've been doing really well and adjusting okay. The only thing I can see as a challenge is cutting out coffee. What was your experience? I've started to slowly cut my amount a tad. Is it really that important to not have the coffee in your system? 

I've gone from 21 cups of coffee a week, to about 2 cups.  I usually have one before each of my 2 long runs during the week.  I cut down slowly too.  I did have some headaches, but those were gone after the first week.  I love coffee, so I'm sure I'll always have one or two a week as a treat.  But I totally feel a difference in my energy now that I have mostly eliminated it.  Particularly in the mornings.  Before I had trouble getting out of bed and could not function at all until I'd had that caffeine jolt.  Now I feel much more refreshed in the morning.

I have also had a hysterectomy 5 years ago after the birth of my second child.  Since I am still pretty young, this puts me at increased risk of osteoperosis.   Caffeine increases your body's acidity, and if you are too acidic, your body can start to leach calcium from your bones.  So for me, it is important to be careful.

Good luck to you!  K.

Thank you Kim! I'll take your points into consideration. I've had mild headaches from detoxing meat and dairy but they seem to have subsided a bit! 

If you are trying to lose any weight, remember that coffee causes your body to store fat (esp. in belly area) in order to protect itself from its highly acidic content. It can also cause you to crave more fatty foods.

Coffee (all cafeine for that matter) also messes with your blood sugar (leading to food cravings), and can even lead to a level of insensitivity to insulin, which we all know can cause another buttload of problems.

IMHO, the effects of caffeine/coffee aren't adverse enough to completely abstain from it, but if it's more than an occasional treat, it might be beneficial for you to kick it to the curb... The fewer addictive foods in your diet, the cleaner and healthier your body will be!

I know this discussion is a little old, but I had to comment..... I've been struggling with knowing I *should* give up coffee, but haven't.  It's not about the caffeine for me at all, it's the flavor.  I usually have one cup a day, typically 6 days a week.  It's not a lot, I realize some people drink WAY more.  But still, it's NOT good for me so I wanted to find something I could drink with a better conscience.  Kaffree!  I just found it at the store I shop at and had my first cup this morning.  I've tried Teeccino before, the last time I tried to give up (or at least cut down on) coffee.  It was ok, but not great, in my opinion.  The flavor just wasn't a close enough match.  But Kaffree is awesome!  It's a jar of instant coffee, you just stir in with hot water and add whatever flavorings or whatever you do.  It says "Kaffree Roma" on the label.  It's made from grains - barley, chicory root, and something else I forget.  It's caffeine free.  The flavor is VERY close to coffee.  I will probably still indulge in a cup of "real" coffee from time to time, but I just found my daily substitute.  :)