Self experiment with coffee

Hi All,

So, for most of January & February I gave up coffee. I weaned myself off by transitioning with a Yerba mate and white tea blend (about half the caffeine of coffee), then moved onto green tea, than onto white tea. This way I was slowly decreasing caffeine and avoiding withdrawal headaches. I'm an ex-smoker so I'm very familiar with the process of giving up an addiction, and it isn't easy.

So after giving up coffee, I felt like in addition to having MORE energy, and waking up in a better mood, I also found my skin to be less red and more even toned. I also felt less oily and more normal. (I am referring to normal for me, which is still oily just not greasy) this is something I also noticed when quitting smoking. (smaller pores, less redness, normalized oil production, etc)

This was all well and good, until one morning I was really tired and in fear of being late for work, turned on the Keurig and threw in a cup of Newman's Organic Bold Brew, and then got ready for work and ran out the door. When I got home that day, I was getting ready for the gym and without even thinking brewed myself another cup to get ready to work out... After just one cup of coffee that morning I found myself craving it. So I've been having it for the past week, and let me tell you, I feel more exhausted than normal.

I looked in the mirror this morning, and noticed I was more flushed than normal. My under eyes had a bluish tinge, and I looked tired, which wasn't surprising because I felt tired. My face was definitely less hydrated than normal, too. So, this morning was the icing on cake. Despite the comforting creaminess of coffee (for the record, I don't eat dairy so I use a 'So Delicious' creamer made from coconut milk, it's delish) it's not good for my energy levels, or my skin, and my self experiment proved that to me.

I always knew that coffee wasn't great for your skin, as its highly dehydrating. It takes 4 cups of water to replace the fluids lost from 1 cup of coffee - yikes! Not to mention coffee raises cortisol in the body which is dangerous, and leads to all sorts of issues, primarily weight gain.

From a health perspective, green tea is a much better choice. Its got a little caffeine, just enough to get me moving in the morning, tons of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, and its great for your skin. Not to mention EGCG helps with weightloss.

I hope you all find my little caffeine experiment useful, and maybe you'll join me in making the switch. :)

Wishing you great skin,
Danny Vanity

P.S. Check out this recipe for a really delicious super food coffee substitute!!
http://thedeliciousrevolution.com/1048/getting-off-coffee/