Why I am so sleepy!

Note: I don't want to offend any of you who are avid caffeine junkies, coffee lovers, or tea -aholics...I share the following as it is simply what I am going through right now, you may or may not relate, or even agree...just don't get mad at me, kay!? :)

I have lacked the extra spunk to even post on my fun blog. I am sorry to my readers, but I have been on a yerba Mate' vacation, and without my daily Mate, I am wondering if I am completely useless. It's true, I even feel less smiley, less happy, less motivated....

And all of that strengthens my resolve to STOP! It all started last April when my good friend and I started going to a local Yerba Mate tea shop, where enthusiasts claim all the health benefits and that it is not caffeine, not addicting, not a bad stimulant. It took one cup before I was addicted and 8 months later, I have had a cup about every single day. And I love it! My family has quickly learned that it's best to talk to me Post-yerba mate' vs. pre-yerba mate'.

But, when a couple of months ago I started realizing that I was waking up less and less rested and that in the evenings, when I'd settle down on the couch to read a book my heart was skipping beats, adding fast beats in and seemingly doing somersaults in my chest, I started to realize that yerba mate' had tricked me with all it's health promises and my body was telling me enough is enough. It took another month for my mind to grab a hold of this and ban all stimulant drinks (Yerba Mate's, coffee, green teas etc.)

and it's been almost a month and I am still detoxing! I am still super sleepy all the time. I am still grumpier. I am still thinking about the fact that I am one Yerba Mate away from bliss again, but I am also one Yerba Mate away from being addicted to it!

Most of my readers probably drink coffee or tea and I am stepping on a big issue here. You have to do what is right for you, but you must know that I am married to the "Caffeine Nazi", as coined by one of our best friends, and coffee lover. StudHusband is thoroughly convinced that it is not good for our bodies to have a stimulating drug like caffeine coursing through our systems. He contends it's better for our bods to run on it's own energy systems, even if some days we are plain tired vs converting over to needing caffeine...but I LOVE MY cup of joe! I do! I do! I do! So I have to sneak it! But, he figured it out over the last 5 months as I got moodier and sleepier that I had slipped back into a bad habit.

I hung my head low and said I'd stop.

I finally did some extensive research on the effects of caffeine and realized I am not going nuts - it does cause all that I am dealing with, sugar imbalances, moodiness, irritability, sleeplessness, heart palpitations, higher blood pressure (my BP has gone up!! in the last 6 months) and on and on.


This blog is here to encourage a healthy spirit, mind, and body in all of us through healthy eating, an active spiritual life, exercise, and a focus on God. I don't run, bike, ski, or hike so I look good in a bikini, I am active and eat well so that I am able to vivaciously embrace life and be as effective for God as I can be. When I was sick for that one year and tired, I became alone and isolated, barely going to church, loving on my neighbors, or serving in my community. The contrast in my life now that I feel amazing is what fuels me to keep finding ways to eat cleaner, seek God more purely, and love more deeply.

So, kicking the caffeine habit is a resolve that is just a part of this balance. The first 3 weeks off of my mate friend were super hard, but today, I am starting to notice that I am waking up a little more, naturally. And I feel even more alert already with this natural energy vs the yerba energy. My irregular heart beats in the evening have stopped, after about 2 weeks. Today, at the doctor office, my blood pressure is already back down to normal (it had gone up over these last 8 months of drinking caffeine, which is very typical for caffeine to cause). And it's only going to get better as my body shifts from outsourcing it's energy source to generating it itself.

This week I will highlight health issues surrounding caffeine, how Europe is banning more and more caffeinated drinks, and stances schools are taking about the increase in caffeine consumption for their students and then you can decide for yourself.

Blessings!

In a regular cup of coffee there are about 170 mg of caffeine and in decaffeinated coffee there are about 30/40 mg of caffeine.

On the stock market, Coffee is a 90 billion dollar industry but what is significant is that just in North America 85%+ drink 3 to 5 cups of coffee per day. A huge number of people are at risk for many of the issues surrounding coffee consumption.