Just Too Damn Busy

I think the title says it all. I'm not bragging about being busy. I don't want to be busy.

In fact, I totally hate those people who act like it's a badge of honor to be totally swamped. Stop it you pretentious pricks. Insert eye roll here.

I can't seem to catch my breath since starting my new part-time job in the wee hours of the morning, and it's been much worse since the time change. Ugh!

In fact, I can't believe I have the time to update today but I brought my laptop to my doctor's appointment and I finished my feedback for this morning's classes...

So here I am.

No. I haven't died. I've just been busy and when I have a break the last thing I want to do is blog.

Between work, the gym, physical therapy, and trying to get a healthy dinner on the table, most days I nap or I want to binge-watch Netflix and relax.

I actually started writing this post last week, waiting for a doctor's appointment to start and after she came in, I closed my laptop and when I got home, I fell asleep on the couch, until #leohusband got home. Man, talk about being completely drained.

Me and My BFF (My Back Brace) on Vacay

I've also been out of the social loop, on vacation, so I tried to spend a week catching up, with friends, family, and doctor's appointments. Gosh, there's only so much energy to go around y'all.

To further complicate matters...? We've got our favorite festival coming up, the Texas Renaissance Festival. Once again, I'm going for gold to try to win the costume contest. I love that I have something to funnel my creativity into but I always end up waiting until the last minute to get my costume together, even though I started it in August.

Now, and here is the big news. We're getting a puppy, the day after Ren Fest, because I'm apparently a glutton for punishment. It's not good timing but it's never good timing to get a puppy so we might as well jump into the deep end.

Well, that about sums it up. I'm guessing you probably won't hear from me for a while since I'm going to be adding puppy training into my already charlie foxtrot schedule. I'm hoping to be back up and blogging in January 2020!

Wish me luck! Much love to my readers!

7 Steps for Learning to Live with Joy

I am learning to really live with Joy and Gratitude because I honestly think it's going to help with my pain.

That sounds weird simply because I have always thought I have been happy but the truth of the matter is that I'm not.

I have been coming to this conclusion for a while now, and what really blows my mind is that I don't think I've ever been joyful and happy. I don't know how to live in joy.

Sure I've had joyous moments like getting accepted to grad school, meeting my husband, getting engaged, getting married. However, I don't actually live in joy. Joy in the good times and the bad.

My mom always told me when I was growing up the story of the wrecked car. You can be happy and have a wrecked car or you can be upset and have a wrecked car, but either way, you have a wrecked car.

I couldn't ever do it though. I have been a slave to my emotional state since, um, forever.

7 Steps for Learning to Live with Joy
I've completed You Are The Placebo and am clued into the fact that to get out of pain I have to literally become a completely different person. Living in negativity for my entire life got me here, I turned on genes that are damaging by being addicted to stress and when tragedy struck, pain.

That's right.

Addicted.

You know how I truly figured this out in the last week?!? I honestly have been doing so well with my pain and working on transitioning to my new positive self that I totally sabotaged this direction by thinking that #leohusband is secretly having an affair everytime he works late.

How insane is that?

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I'm doing better in my consistency and my positivity that my brain simply said no I need stress like a crack whore on the street.

I want to bitch slap my conscious brain so hard.

Honestly though, how do you live each day in joy?

Well, this is what has worked for me.

1. Happy Memories

I like to first conjure up a moment of pure joy. Oftentimes I picture me walking down the aisle toward my soon to be husband. As soon as I came out I peeked around the corner because I just couldn't wait to see him. We locked eyes and it took my breath away.

I can feel the overwhelming happiness enter my chest and almost explode out of my limbs. Everything is affected and I feel my energy change. I feel lighter.

2. Joy for All Occasions

I know what you are thinking, how can I be joyful all the damn time? Well, it's a choice. I had a ton of stuff planned to do today. In fact, I even had this post completely written out and somehow deleated it. After one choice word, I reached inside and pulled up some joy. I was able to recover and not go into Disterville USA. The old me (literally a few days ago) would have bemoaned the rest of the day losing all that good writing.

So I turned to laundry, and I know what you are thinking, seriously Adina, how does laundry bring you joy?

A. First go watch Tidying Up with Marie Kondo (which is a joy bringer in and of itself)
B. It feels good to pour love into and thank my clothes

3. Breathe and Step Back

Part of this journey of learning to pull those joyful feelings up throughout the day is forgiving yourself when you fail. Be flexible with your emotions and don't feel guilty for a slip back into negativity. I've spent the last 30+ years being negative, this is going to be a long process. For instance, the day I had my breakthough I ended up driving almost 200 miles around my city.

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There's nothing like a little road rage to put you new positive, joyful, mindset like terrible traffic. When someone cut me off I felt that negativity and anger fill me and then I took a breath and pulled up that joy. I told myself that I actually had plenty of time to get where I'm going but the person ahead of me might not. I didn't berate myself for my slip.

4. Know your Triggers

Learning to live with joy everyday is also about knowing your triggers. Too much on my plate is mine. I feel overwhelmed and that leads to stress. Negative people could be one as well, or surrounding yourself with drama...sorry Handmaid's Tale you are just going to have to be put on the back burner.

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5. Immerse Yourself in Happiness

On that note, drive into fun and happiness. Start a family game night or spend time with entertainment that makes you laugh. We've started watching Brooklyn 99 and it's one of the funniest shows I've ever watched. You know the old addage about The Laughing Cure where the man healed himself from cancer by immersing himself in comedies. Then try it for you.

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6. Practice

So let's recap. To live in joy remember one of your happiest moments. Feel that feeling. Then try in 5 minutes to bring up that feeling without the memory. Practice throughout the day. If you don't succeed the first time then repeat the memory or try a different one and start again. Practice bringing up the joy throughout the day, especially if it's a task you don't want to do. Try bringing up the joy first. I find it amazing for my energy level as well as my ability to do more throughout the day.

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7. Bring Someone on your Journey

Tell friends and family, journey's are always more fun when shared with others. You are changing into a new, more positive person. Who do you want to bring on this journey? It will benefit the both of you more than you know.

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Tell me about your Joy Journey in the comments!

Does Routine Lower Your Pain Levels

We are now at the end of January and I'm posing a very big question for the rest of 2019. Does consistent routine and schedules lower your chronic pain?

Right now, I'm at the end of reading You Are the Placebo by Dr. Joe Dispenza and one of the several key points he makes about pain is always feeling overwhelmed, rushed, out of time, and panicked.

Um, yes. All of the above. All the damn time.

I constantly feel overwhelmed and behind.

I feel like I'm never going to catch up or gasp, get ahead?!?!

I've noticed that the more things I have left undone on my to-do list, and the more things I feel stressed over, my pain does skyrocket. As evidenced by this last December rushing around to get things completed by the time family arrives and I went into one of the worst pain flares of 2018.

I'm mentioned several times that my word for 2019 is consistency. Part of that consistency is developing a schedule for each day, tasks to follow at particular times, things to do each day. Ok, I've totally failed at it so far but I do get up and try every damn day to follow some sort of routine. More on that tomorrow.

What I'm thinking is, if I follow this daily, even if it's just a 30 minute allotment, I will eventually get caught up and then get ahead of my to do list.

Therefore taking the fight or flight burden off of my brain.

The next tricky part is getting my brain to quit the addiction of stress. That is a topic for another day.

Understanding Chronic Pain Sufferers

Last week I was contacted by a fellow health blogger, Shannon Johnson, who asked me a very pivotal question.

What do I wish I could do that I cannot because of pain?

Understanding Chronic Pain Sufferers

Honestly, I almost hate this question because admitting that I alter my life because of my pain is something I'm actively trying to overcome. My psychologist is convinced that I can completely overcome my adhesive arachnoiditis with the power of my brain, and gosh I sure hope she's right. However, that is another post for another day.

That said, I want to bring awareness to my readers that don't suffer from chronic pain to hopefully understand what it's like and what you take for granted on a daily basis. Maybe your spouse has chronic pain and you just don't get it, maybe it's your mom, or an uncle. Either way, I feel like their answer to this question would be very similar to mine.

What do I wish I could do that I cannot because of pain?

I wish I could bend over and wash my face without pain shooting through my back and up my body.

I wish I could be spontaneous without having to plan out social events, day trips, or vacations to finite details to ensure I'm not going to be in so much pain I can't go.

I wish I could go bowling with my family or play board games all day.

I wish that my life never fell apart.

I wish I could have children.

I whish I could sneeze without bracing myself for a wave of level 8 or 9 pain.

The fact is, there are too many wishes that I wouldn't even be able to narrow it down to three for the geine in the lamp.

I wish, I wish this never happened to me.

5 Tips for Chronic Pain and The Whole30

As I mentioned last week, I'm kicking off 2019 with a January Whole30.

While I consider myself a Whole30 veteran, I still find new ways to make Whole30 more accessible, especially since my last three Whole30's have been post-Adhesive Arachnoiditis.

If you have never heard of the Whole30, it is a 30-day eating program with two goals. First is health, detoxing your body by eating healthy whole foods and meals. Second, teaching you how to cook healthy, make menu plans, and realize that cooking is not hard.

So I already know all this, my problem is that I know cooking isn't hard and that eating healthy definitely makes a huge difference in my pain levels. However, due to my limited mobility, I can't stand up longer than 15 - 20 minutes to food prep! I had a food prepping nightmare back in the fall that took me 3 weeks to recover from.

I had to get smart this time around.

5 Tips for Chronic Pain and The Whole30

1. Precut Veggies

Every grocery store has them. Cut up onions, celery, carrots, butternut squash, just to name a few. Yes, they are slightly more expensive but it is worth it if you are going to stay on track. Plus, it will enhance the desire to cook your own food if you are not doing massive amounts of chopping vegetables. My local grocery store even has pre-washed and chopped cilantro!

2. Frozen Veggies

I cannot praise frozen riced cauliflower enough. It is my best friend. Along with, frozen green beans, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. Frozen veggies are my go-to for almost everything. They're inexpensive and easy to cook with. Toss them in a bowl with olive oil, S&P, and Herbs de Provence...veggies are done!

3. Plan your Whole Month of Meals and the Grocery Lists to Match.

They really stress planning. In fact, all of the literature you read about the Whole30 emphasizes planning. Plan when you are going to do the Whole30, plan out your month of meals...in fact, plan for when you can plan. LOL!

I take mine a step further and also write out my grocery lists. This is because I want to
A. Maximize my time and not be wandering around a grocery store during a pain flare.
B. It also helps me keep track of what I bought when...exactly how old is this avocado?

With chronic pain and illness, the last thing you want is food poisoning. Our immune systems are already compromised, our guts are definitely leaky, let's not add to that.

4. Make a Pinterest Page Just for the Whole30 (or put post-its in your cookbooks with dates)

This year I took my planning to the next step and made an entire Pinterest page. All the recipes for my January Whole30 are there, maybe not in the exact order, but easy to access and get to when I'm ready to cook.

Not a Pinterest fan or maybe you have a snazzy Whole30 or Paleo cookbook you are going to use. Then grab some post its and write the days and dates down that you are cooking that meal and mark them in your book. I do this on a weekly basis after my meal planning.

5. WalMart has Whole30 Approved Frozen Meals Y'all!

Ok, so Melissa Hartwig has been super awesome in 2018 about making Whole30 accessible to more people and through a partnership with WalMart, they have created frozen dinners.

I have all 4 in my freezer as an emergency back up meal. I have not tried them yet, but let's be honest, if you are in a lot of pain and need to eat something immediately to take your medication, this is it! As soon as I try one, which will probably be next week, I'll get a review up.

For any and all things Whole30, check out the Whole 30 website and their many books!

Whole30 and Paleo Mexi'cauli Rice

I would love to say that I'm totally prepared for this January Whole30 but I'm not. This will be my 4th Whole30 since 2015. I do cook paleo on an 80% basis so I'm not completely caught with my pants down, still, I don't feel prepared.

Actually, the only thing I'm not really prepared for is breakfast and snacks. First I know what you are thinking...snacking is not on the Whole30.

I have stage 3 Adrenal Fatigue and I have to snack. It's part of my functional medicine doctor's program. Whole30 is about a healthier you so snacking at designated times is healthy and necessary for me. #youdoyou

Second, we had a lot of family and friend time during the holiday's and unfortunately, some of our guests departed 3 days early due to health issues. That left us with a fridge full of uncompliant Paleo and Whole30 food. I froze what I could, gave away to friends what I could, but I'm still left with a great deal of tempting food I can't eat.

So I did what any good Texas girl would do. I threw everything into a skillet and made Tex Mex.

Boom!

Whole30 and Paleo Mexi'cauli Rice

20oz (two bags of frozen cauliflower rice)
1 t of Cumin
1/2 - 1 t of Salt (to taste)
1/4 t Smoked Paprika
1 t of Minced Garlic
1 can of Rotel or Hatch Tomatoes and Chilies
1/4 c of Pace Picante or any salsa without Sweetener
Avocado Oil
Guacamole
Raw Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds)

Make it!
Heat the oil in a deep skillet. When oil is hot but not smoking add the minced garlic. Sautee garlic until aromatic, about 1 - 2 min. Add the cauliflower. Break up any clusters with a spoon. Sprinkle on the cumin, smoked paprika, and salt. Stir well to combine and saute about 3-4 min to really let the spices meld with the cauliflower. Add in the Rotel and Pace. Bring to a simmer and stir frequently. Simmer about 2-4 minutes.

If you're vegan you may just stop there! Top it with guacamole and pepitas and you're done. Easy peasy.

We topped ours with my instant pot pork carnitas. Look for that recipe next week! Yum!

Why Was 2018 So Damn Hard?!?

The last five years of my life has been rough y'all.

Seriously, the last time I felt happy and carefree for extended periods of time was 2012. I know what you're thinking...surely it can't be that bad and I'm exaggerating...

Well, it's not that I haven't been happy in the last five years...it's that it's short-lived and usually only occurs during celebrations, good life events, and vacations.

The moment family leaves or the holiday or birthday (not necessarily mine 'cause I love all things birthday related for friends and family alike) is over and I have to go back to my normal life...I'm just let down. Ugh, I don't want to live my life it sucks...oh yeah...probably why my psychologist told me to say, "I love my life," every morning.

Why Was 2018 So Damn Hard?!?

I got really dang close to almost a full year of happiness when Tiger, #fluffyalarmclock, came into the picture.

From August 2017 to March 2018, I had this incredible ecstatic happiness from loving and being loved by my dog, my husband, and my family. I would stop in the middle of doing something and just think about how happy I was and that I couldn't believe it after all the pain and suffering I had been through.

I was improving my health on a larger and more specific scale from my April 2017 diagnosis of Adhesive Arachnoiditis. I started my blog and was being consistent with my content. I was also enjoying the heck out of the therapy of writing down what I've experienced.

Well, all that went to pot in March.

Tiger had surgery to remove tumors Mid-March. That got botched...they removed the wrong spot. He had to recover before they could remove the actual cancerous tumor.

By the time April rolled around, we squeezed in a quick surgery before #leohusband began traveling to Europe on a very consistent basis until the first week of December. I'd say he was in Europe 50-60% of the year.

I saw him for 4 days total in June.

Not even kidding.

It was not fun.

In the meantime, I f'ed up my left rotator cuff in yoga the second to last week in April. It has finally calmed down (I'm not going to say healed because it isn't) but it's January 1st, 2019 tomorrow and if I'm not extremely careful, I can trigger the pain cycle in my shoulder so, so easily.

Tiger's health began failing in June. He collapsed on a walk. I worked with him to lose weight and we kept him inside during the ultra hot Texas summer.

In August, he collapsed again but this time with Old Dog Vestibular Disease. Basically, it's vertigo but dogs just don't know how to deal with it that well, not that humans do a great job either. We left him with our vet who gave us a 50/50 shot...he'll either recover or not.

Thankfully, he did.

Mike was constantly in Europe. I held the fort down but didn't do a great job at keeping the fort running.

I eventually did what was easy instead of what was good. Old habits came back into my daily activities, like binge-watching TV to avoid actually thinking about my miserable situation. I didn't like cooking dinner for just me, so I stopped cooking dinner entirely. Even when #leohusband came home from time to time, I just didn't have the energy to cook nor the desire to.

Several relatives on mother's side of the family started having very serious medical problems, so I spent time worrying about my mom, my aunt, both my uncles and my cousins.

I'm really just too sensitive. I can feel the pain others go through in my very soul. I basically checked out at the beginning of October. I was alone. I constantly worried someone in my family or Tiger was going to die. I was in pain. My husband wasn't there and I was miserable.

So I got help. My #runeveryday bff and I had a heart to heart and we agreed we both needed to find someone professional to talk to and to check in with each other.

I sort of like my psychologist, she is very mystical, which at times I rile against. Overall, she has brought several things to my attention that I appreciate. She also gives great book recommendations.

She also helped me with Tiger's death.

We got another 3 months with him until he got an infection his elderly immune system just couldn't fight. Tiger died the day after Thanksgiving and #leohusband got on a plane the very next day to go back to Europe.

Ugh.

Man, have to be honest, I'm totally tearing up right now. It was hard. H-A-R-D.

My mom came and stayed with me for a bit while things were still super raw but it was just a band-aid covering a bullet hole so I eventually thanked her and sent her home so I could actually deal with his death.

Just so you know, I'm still not quite over it. It lurks in the back of my mind and decides to slap me in the face when I least expect it.

During Tiger's passing I was also trying to recover from a skin cancer surgery that got infected (probably with whatever Tiger was fighting) and now...my sutures that were supposed to dissolve underneath my skin are being rejected by my body.

That's right. You can see them popping out of the scar and coming through the skin on my forehead. I'd also like to mention that I'm now apparently allergic to Scar Away by finding out the hard way.

Two weeks into December #leohusband wrapped up his business in Europe (thankfully) and his family came to visit. We had a nice memorial for Tiger since he was given to me by my in-laws. For the rest of the week, I watched them bowl, play laser tag. I played board and card games with them and it was fun...even though I could barely walk two days.

Once my pain flare ended I was able to enjoy Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I think #leohusband felt guilty (?) for being gone so much this year because he spoiled me rotten. I got an Xbox One, assorted gaming gear, and several books from the Throne of Glass series.

We spent the week having fun with some of our couple bff's and prepared for the next wave of family. They came in early due to their own family tragedy but left just as quick due to my niece getting sick. I loved having them here even if it was only for a night.

So here I am, one day before 2019, reflecting on all the shit stuff I want to get done before 2019. I definitely feel a day late and a dollar short.

However, I've got my to-do list down in my bujo and I'm checking things off as I go. I will get my list done.

I'm ready for 2019. I'm ready to love my life. I'm ready for happiness. I'm ready to fulfill the role I was meant to play in this lifetime. More on that tomorrow...

How to Make Iced Tea without an Iced Tea Maker

I was cruising the web yesterday because I was wanting to answer the age old question...could I set my coffee maker up to brew tea in the morning. Yes. I am ready for the switch to tea.

I am perfectly capable of turning on my electric kettle and pouring my cup of tea, but frankly, I was wanting that smell of the brew and also to set the timer on my coffee maker so it would be ready at 6:30 when Fluffy Alarm Clock wakes up.

I want my pre-breakfast treat immediately so to speak.

However, this post is not about making tea in a coffee maker, well sort of.

So can you make tea in a coffee maker? Yes.

What shocked me was the number of people who made iced tea in the coffee maker, so they didn't have to use their iced tea maker.

So I nearly died of laughter.

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I remember my amazing mother making fun of all the people who owned an iced tea maker growing up as she taught me to make iced tea.

I'm going to say this.

Maybe those people who had parents and grandparents were A. not southern and B. must have not been affected by The Great Depression the way other people's parents or grandparents were. Maybe they were just never taught to make iced tea and they think they need a machine?

Most things we've learned to make are usually passed down through the generations...

The article mentioned that you could boil a pot of water for iced tea but then you are having to clean more dishes.

Seriously!?!

People iced tea is not rocket science.

How to Make Iced Tea without an Iced Tea Maker

First, you need a pitcher. My mom has this amazing depression glass one that has been handed down through our family. Until I find one in an antique store, I use just a regular gallon sized pitcher.

Ingredients:
4 - 6 Black Tea bags of your choice depending on how strong you like your tea. I usually go for 4.
1/4 cup of raw unfiltered honey (I do my sweet tea paleo style)

Supplies:
Tea Kettle or Electric Tea Kettle
Gallon Sized Pitcher
Clothespin or Clip

Make your iced tea:

1. Fill your kettle to the max or live on the edge and go a bit past the max line
2. Turn your kettle on
3. Clip the tea bags to the side of your pitcher
4. Drop in your honey to the bottom
5. Pour in the boiling water to below the tea bag line
6. Stir the honey in with the boiling water
7. Pour in the rest of the water - usually to the 2L line for me

8. Let the tea steep for 1 - 2 hours
9. Top off the tea with cold water until it reaches the 3L line.

Boom.

Iced Tea.

One dish used.

Store in the refrigerator it will keep for 1 week if it stays around that long.

Vitamin C The Superhero Supplement

I've always been a lover of Vitamin C. A long time ago in a lifetime far away I was an art teacher. Somewhere in the middle of my teaching career, I was doing my open house duties, meeting all the parents of my high schoolers, and I was sick.

I always got sick around the second week of school and I think I hosted open house with a terrible sore throat and congested more often than not.

One mom came up to me after my introduction and what your kid is going to learn in art this year, to tell me that she was an ER nurse and that if I feel a cold coming on...you know, the first tickle in your throat, to take a Vitamin C every hour and drink a gallon of water that day.

I've since added on a zinc lozenge to this routine, and let me tell you it works. It kicks the common cold in the ass and prevents my tendency to get a sinus infection, that gets treated but then turns into bronchitis.

However, I will say that if it is bacteria - like strep - this will not keep you from getting sick because bacterial infections need antibiotics, but viruses, on the other hand, it works like a champ.

And that is what we usually get right? Viruses?

However, what if Vitamin C did so much more?

Vitamin C The Superhero Supplement

If you have chronic pain, illness, or adrenal fatigue, Vitamin C is your powerhouse. It is the foundation you should be building your new health routine on.

Most people think that the best way to get their Vitamin C is through oranges or orange juice.

This is actually the least effective way to get Vitamin C. By the time ripened oranges get to your grocery store most of the bioflavonoids that give you the vitamins are depleted, and the part we eat - the delicious fruit part, has the least nutrients.

The best part to eat for actual nutrients is the rind and who the hell wants to eat that?

Most juicing processes do not use the rind either and if it does use it, then you are probably exposing your body to a host of chemicals that have been sprayed on the orange in the growing process.

So stop saying you are getting your Vitamin C from oranges and orange juice because you actually aren't.

You can get relatively good amounts of Vitamin C from dark leafy greens like Kale or sprouts, but if you have a chronic illness, pain, disease, or a highly stressful and erratic lifestyle, you need to take a supplement.

I'm taking about 3,000 U of Vitamin C a day. This is a good amount for me especially since I do suffer from several illnesses, take multiple medications, and I have adrenal fatigue. The max amount for an adult over 19 years of age is 2,000 units a day.

When you do take more than 2,000 units it should only be for a short time period. For instance, recovering from surgery, a night of zero sleep, heading off a cold, and other stressful situations like moving or grief.

When you get ready to back down to your normal dose decrease by 500 units a day. You can have an adverse reaction if you go back to your normal dose overnight.

Also, check to see where your supplement is getting its ascorbic acid. Some companies use ascorbic acid from corn products, which can be counterintuitive if you are avoiding corn.

How to Give Up Coffee

As I've mentioned here and here, I've given up coffee before.

Why am I giving up such delicious nectar from the gods?

Well, my thirty day hormone test results came in and I have severe adrenal fatigue. Which is good because in August of 2017 I had Adrenal Failure. My cortisol was at zero, meaning my adrenal glands were completely depleted.

Adrenal Failure if not given proper medical attention can lead to organ death...in other words, it can kill you.

So most of 2017 and 2018 has been to get out of Adrenal Failure, which I have achieved, but I still have a long way to go because I'm now in severe adrenal fatigue.

Like all things in my life I immediately started researching.

This led me to two different paths.

I already did yoga and meditation which are key in dealing with adrenal fatigue. I knew I was going to treat this with diet changes because my mantra is food is medicine, but which diet?

The so-called adrenal fatigue diet, which has a lot of criticism based on some of the food recommendations or the anti-inflammatory diet which doesn't address key issues of adrenal fatigue?

Either way, both diets suggest giving up coffee because elevated cortisol is indicative of inflammation and adrenal fatigue.

How to Give Up Coffee

I don't want to give up coffee. Talking with my #breadwinnerbff this morning we discussed that the ritual of coffee, the smell, and the richness. You just don't get that richness from tea. You just don't.

Therefore after my adrenals heal, I will probably go back to coffee. Maybe.

When I gave up coffee in my 20's it was easy, I just switched to green tea and that was it. Easy peasy.

In my late 30's (I'm a year and a half away from 40) it's damn near impossible. I'm treating giving up coffee like a Whole30. I'm planning it out and stepping myself down slowly.

1. Pick a Good Date to Start

Just like a Whole30, where they advise you to pick a time when you are not traveling or have a special event - like a birthday or wedding where you would want to eat cake - I started my journey on August 15. I don't have anything special planned for the next month. I'm not going on any trips. I don't have any commitments beyond physical therapy and yoga.

2. Step Down Slowly

There have to be thousand of caffeine charts out there that show you the caffeine content of each drink, I know because I spent a good hour looking at them.

In summation of my research, if you drink a Starbucks Tall Coffee, you may have a problem. It has the most caffeine out of any coffee product on the market weighing in at an average of 260-300 mg per 12 oz cup. Comparatively, Dunkin Donuts (in store) has an average of 150-200 mg per 12 oz cup.

Home brewed espresso at 1.5 oz has 50-80.

Decaf coffee actually has 4-8 mg per cup.

Why ranges? Well, it really depends on how much coffee you use. I like weak coffee, according to #leohusband, so I do 1 Tablespoon for 16oz. This is because I drink it black. Most people who add cream to their coffee like it much stronger so they still have the coffee taste. #leohusband's family would do 2 Tablespoons to my 1 Tablespoon, or 1 Tablespoon for every 8 oz.

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So obviously it would have more caffeine...

Step down the amount of coffee you are brewing, and if you are using a K-Cup, stop.

A. Heating up plastic alters your body chemistry and hormones.
B. Heating up plastic has shown to create or accelerate abnormal cell growth which leads to cancer.
C. Molds and fungus have been found in the holding water tanks.
D. K-Cups are extremely bad for the environment.
E. It's expensive.
F. K-Cups taste like s---

Need I go on.

3. Make the Switch to Tea

After stepping down the amount you are brewing, start mixing in a little decaf.

This was my first step. My scoop is 1 tsp or 5 ml of coffee grounds. So for my '4' cups of coffee that is three scoops. 2 of those scoops are regular and 1 is decaf for this week. Next week 2 scoops of decaf to 1 regular will be next week. My step down day is Saturday because I don't have die-hard commitments on the weekend so it's easier on me.

The half-life of caffeine is about 4.9 hours so at about 10 hours it's technically out of your system.

Once you are down to 2 decaf scoops and 1 regular scoop for about a week, make the switch to black tea.

4. Step down your caffeine intake to Green, White, or Herbal Teas.

You need to decide where you want your caffeine intake to be. Green tea has less caffeine than black tea, white teas have even less, and herbal teas have none. This is where I recommend you treat yo self. If you love a tea - for instance, I love, love, love Numi's Organic White Rose Tea, it feels indulgent with the rose smell and the taste is delicious.

Side note - I love the smell of coffee so I need to replace it with something equally as aromatic.

It's a little expensive but I see it as worth it to stay track on my goals. It won't be forever and if it helps me from falling off the wagon back to my coffee, I can spend a few extra dollars.

5. Make a New Ritual

I'm so happy to be receiving a teapot in my fall Fab Fit Fun Box. This is going to make the transition so much easier. I do love the ritual of making coffee, and I'm going to replace that with using a beautiful teapot. I suggest getting something that gives you joy to use or maybe you have a family heirloom that needs to be dusted off and appreciated. Marie Kondo would be proud.

Soft Boiled Eggs

When I’m tired or I have a long week ahead of me, I always turn to soft boiled eggs.

It’s so simple to grab my smallest saucepan, fill it with water, and set it on the stove. Turn the burner on high and get an ice bath ready while the water comes to a boil.

In next to no time the water is at a rolling boil and I’m slipping the eggs in, setting a timer for 6 minutes, and relaxing on the couch while my breakfast cooks.

When the timer is done, I scoop the eggs off with a slotted spoon into the ice bath and then begin peeling the shells off the eggs.

Sometimes I pair it with leftover meat from the night before or today I had it with one of my sweet potato muffins.