Is coffee really serving you?

Many people rely on a cup of "joe" to rev up in the morning or for an afternoon energy boost.  But, the question is does that really serve you? It truly is a gift to your body to take a break from caffeine to find out the answer. We   explore this on the Whole Food Cleanses I coach and on our Fresh Start Cleanse whcih begins  tomorrow.

Taking a coffee break presents a challenge to many because they don't feel they can abstain from coffee for a week. Through the years I haven't coached one person that wasn't up to the challenge. Prior to a Cleanse, I provide Pre-Cleanse Steps for Success. One  of the biggest steps  is to start weaning yourself from coffee. Whether you drink a few cups or one cup, start reducing that in half so by the time the cleanse starts you won't feel the detoxifying effects of going cold turkey.

So, should you consider a caffeine break? Well, do you feel any of the following symptoms:

Sluggish, fatigued, overstressed, insomnia,  excessive sugar cravings, moodiness, anxious, wired, stomach pain, headaches, acid-reflux,  elimination issues, pms symptoms, over-weight.

 If you answered  yes to even one symptom then perhaps it is time for a Fresh Start to investigate whether coffee is really serving your best interests or not. Take a break and see what happens! You might be surprised and your adrenal glands will be so grateful. Did you know that coffee really taxes your adrenal glands? I love how Dr. John Douillard explains it. When you drink coffee that surge of energy you feel is borrowed from minerals elsewhere in the body and that loan will catch up with you.

There are so many pleasant alternatives to coffee. You can upgrade to a variety of nourishing Herbal Teas to fill in the void. Personally, I love to start my day with warm water and lemon. So very refreshing and cleansing to the body. Next, I drink a daily fresh juice to energize  me.  I never resumed drinking  coffee after my first cleanse because I realized how much better I felt without it.  It made me feel like I had to use the bathroom all morning long, induced some nausea, and gave me that wired feeling.

Since I started coaching cleanses four years ago, I have discovered that many people learn that coffee really doesn't serve their best interests either. For instance, one motivated client, who is starting the Fresh Start Cleanse tomorrow, gave up coffee the morning after my Get the Skinny $20.12 Fresh Start Cleanse Teleclass.  At first, even from one cup of coffee she did experience some detoxifying symptoms such as fatigue and headache. But afterwards  she felt so revitalized and realized that her morning cup of coffee wasn't serving her. In fact, she now suspected  that coffee was the culprit in causing some digestive and elimination issues since her condiiton  vastly improved when coffee was taken out of the equation.

Another cleanse client went from drinking 4-6 daily cups, a coffee junkie you might say, and couldn't believe the impact all that excessive caffeine had on her system. She learned that feeling really stressed out and wired was related to her overindulgence in coffee. So, going forward she vastly decreased her coffee consumption.

Of course it isn't always  easy to take a break from things you love. Recently, a woman I consulted with explained  that giving up coffee is challenging because she loves the activity of drinking coffee and the way it makes her feel. She finds such peaceful solitude in her morning cup of Joe. Its kind of like a soothing ritual for her and I can see why she doesn't  want to give that feeling up.

Well, this is how many foods and beverages are. It really isn't the specific beverage or food but rather the feeling it exudes.  We all turn for foods to comfort us when there may be a more nourishng choice. The solution I offer is to create a beautiful space  to create that feeling in  a healthier way. Pick out that cozy spot and let a warm cup of a soothing herbal tea offer you that morning respite.

Of course you may find that coffee really agrees with you and doesn't offer you a negative impact. If that is the case my suggestion is to upgrade to organic coffee since coffee beans are exposed to a hgh level of pesticides.

Revitalizing Fresh Start Coffee Upgrades:

• Warm water with lemon
• Freshly squeezed juice
• Morning Smoothie
• Herbal Teas
• Teecino-an herbal coffee that coffee drinkers love
• Perk up with an afternoon smoothie
• A tall glass of water always hits the spot!

The Fresh Start Cleanse is all about learning what foods are serving you and which ones aren't. It provides a foundation to cultivatinga much healthier lifestyle.

So how do you feel about coffee? Can you take a break to see how it impacts you? Is there another food that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy but perhaps may not be serving your best interests ? Please share. I would love to hear from you.

There is still time to join our Fresh Start which begins on 2/2 but you can take advantage of my special offer through 2/29 and schedule a Fresh Start at your convenience.