Life After Caffeine

I really didn't think there would be such a thing ever in my lifetime. As long as can be remembered in adulthood, the extra boost of coffee in the morning FULL CAFFEINE has always been present. If it wasn't consumed by 9am, it set off a headache for the rest of the day until treated with either a double shot esspresso or advil. It's hard to get used to life without it. The cleanse is officially over and I am proud to report that I made it through the seven days with no sugar, dairy, or caffeine. It was difficult up until the day that it was okay to add protein back into meals. It's pretty much how we eat at regularly sans dairy, breads, and sugar. Well, I'm back to eating sugar (just in time to devour some post Halloween treats!) and dairy which is good news. Oh how cheese and a sweet or two was missed! But that is the whole point of the cleanse I suppose. What I have continued to keep out of my world is the jump start from the ever powerful caffeine. It's nice to have that monkey off my back and know that it's not required to start the day without too much pain. Mind you, I'm still not Miss Cheerio in the morning but I don't have to wait for the coffee to kick in to feel human. Could be helping with better sleep at night too. There is still one thing to overcome--decaf doesn't taste like the real thing. I'm hoping to get used to it over time but there's just something missing. Well, obviously, the caffeine! The taste is lacking a bit and I can't quite place my finger on it. It's still a joy to stop by Cafe Commons for a double shot latte every morning, now it's just a bit less on the octane side of things. I did notice on Saturday when I was super sleepy around noon that caffeine was missing as there was no gas left in the tank. In the past it was easy to press onward because the old pal triple shot was at my side whenever needed. This is going to take some getting used to, that is for sure!

The first meal Miss B and I shared together to break the cleanse was dinner at La Corneta. We went for burritos and my god they were the best thing ever! We split a super baby veggie and that was enough to eat without feeling gross or like there was a ballon in my belly. Since then there have been several meals prepared which utilize the foods avoided during the cleanse however it seems that I am a bit more conscious of them and don't eat quite as much which was the whole point. Miss B and I have also been having breakfast together in the morning before she leaves for work. It is nice to actually see the food we are eating and take time to think about it rather than inhale it while driving or shoving it down my throat before my first meeting in the morning. Oh, and believe it or not, the bagel and cream cheese habit every day has been broken as well. Now it's an english muffin with PB&J for me and hash browns for Miss B. Not bad eh?