…like, that I really really love wine.
This experiment, though incredibly difficult, was probably one of the most important things I’ve ever done for my health. Aside from gluten, it was the strictest I’ve been in overhauling my habits. (See here for the protocol I followed).
The reason why I chose to do this challenge in the first place was because my skin was a disaster. Nothing seemed to be kicking my adult acne, and I’d gotten fed up with the crazy panoply of pills my dermatologist had put me on—none of which made any difference that lasted longer than a week. So eventually I found my way to a more integrated practitioner who suggested that there could be something wrong with my liver if toxins were getting evacuated via an exit ramp to my face.
I’ll talk a little bit more about the skin’s connection to the liver next month when we delve into Green Beauty. But as far as this experiment goes, you should know that giving my liver a rest really worked. I took a makeup free selfie every morning and by the end of the month, my skin was significantly better. And to this day, even though I’ve obviously been on the retox train ever since, my face has never returned to its previous state of chaos.
If the best part of my liver detox was seeing the physical improvements in my body, the biggest lesson in the retox was discovering the emotional source of my cravings.
I’ve broken down my experience by vice, from most difficult to least. I actually tried to do sugar again this month and was much less successful than last year, if the pint of black raspberry ice cream I accidentally ate last weekend is any indication.
Read on for verdict!
From one healthy hedonist to another,
xoxo
Phoebe
1. I missed sugar like crack.
To not eat added sugar is to not eat processed foods—which is NOT EASY.
Needless to say, I was relatively imperfect on this front, though I did try my best to limit packaged foods and avoid eating out at restaurants that I knew would have a very sugar-filled menu (think any Asian cuisine).
My biggest struggle at first was breakfast. But I remedied this by switching from sugary breakfast bars to homemade smoothies. I also started eating a lot more of the things in my fridge that are not usually consumed before noon. Things like leftover kale salad or Chicken Chile Verde at 8am.
More so than the physical cravings, which were real and scary, I realized that I use sweets (specifically chocolate bars and macaroons) to reward myself for either good behavior (the excellent freelance article I wrote) or unfair misery (the 5 vaccines I had to get in my arm for my Africa trip). I missed having something that felt like a treat, so found myself spending my French cookie money on massages at the local Korean nail salon instead.
I used to also feel like I needed something sweet to cleanse my palate after a meal. At the beginning of my detox, my dinners didn’t feel complete without a bite or two of dessert. But this was surprisingly one of the easiest habits to break by the end of the month.
Now I know that I don’t want chocolate as badly as the Cadbury bunny tells me I do. And that’s an empowering feeling, even if after success or trauma I still want to reach for a sweet treat as a gift to myself.
Less empowering was how difficult sugar was to avoid across the board, even with the best intentions. While alcohol and caffeine were easy to regulate, sugar was really hard to wrap my consciousness around, so I often found myself cheating…sometimes unknowingly.
Many researchers have likened the brain on sugar to the responses seen when it encounters hard drugs like cocaine. But I found that my relentless want of sugar was less chemical in nature and more due to another type of brainwashing—the fact that it’s literally everywhere. Sugar is tucked away in every crevice of a 100 item Chinese takeout menu. It’s on the screen of our TV’s, staring me down from the top of a swirling waterfall of Twix caramel. And it’s at the checkout counter of the gas station, the pharmacy, and often times even at the doctor’s office.
Looking at food labels and trying to regulate your sugar intake is an uphill battle, one that involves a lot of middle school math, which some of us expelled from our consciousness several decades ago. Because of this, as I strive for moderation going forward, I try not to drive myself crazy calculating sugar on the back of packages. But I do try to read the ingredient labels in the first place. And if I see 36 grams of sugar on the back of a Blueprint Juice, I now know that it’s probably not as good for me as I think it is.
I definitely still fall in a big way for desserts as a special treat, if last weekend’s ice cream is any indication. But I’ve significantly cut down on my daily habits and am generally a lot more aware of what I’m eating, like that the bag of Thai flavor Kettle potato chips I recently inhaled had three types of sugar in its ingredient list.
2. Giving up alcohol made me feel lonely and isolated.
The biggest social experiment was of course the alcohol. And my issues turned out not to be what I expected.
I found that the worst part of not drinking was an intense feeling of isolation. As it turned out, sober dancing at weddings was a lot easier for me than being at a table with some of my favorite people while they enjoyed good wine and progressively started getting more fun and telling stupider jokes while I sat there drinking water as a wave of loser fatigue passed over me.
I went to two wonderful dinner parties with the best food and company a girl could ask for. So it’s a shame that not drinking made much of a difference at all. But it did. And I think it had less to do with getting drunk than feeling alienated from the group. This wasn’t a fear of missing out. I was missing out. And what I was missing involved Lambrusco and flourless chocolate cake.
By the end of both nights, I ended up craving quiet time with Charlie even more than a glass of wine. I needed to feel a sense of connection. But it was hard for him to hide his disappointment when I made him head home early instead of heading out on the town. Which just made me feel worse.
As much as I was enjoying the hangover free mornings and the fact that I was now the cheapest date ever (more money for chia seeds and kefir in my smoothies!), this healthy hedonist needed to get back on the sauce. Finding moderation since though has been an even more daunting task (see my strategies for better boozing).
If there was any immediate impact of my alcohol detox it’s that I instantly became a wine snob. This is not something I would ordinarily want to be. But it wasn’t such a bad thing to embrace in the name of my health. I’ve tried to start drinking for taste. I sip slower, and if that first sip causes my nose to wrinkle, I casually put down my plastic cup of gallery opening $5 buck chuck and proceeded to socialize hands free.
I also noticed the times when I didn’t miss alcohol—all those weeknight catch-up dinners with friends where I didn’t want to spend $15 on a glass that tasted good when there were so many other delicious things to drink up at the table (for free!)—things like hearing about my friend’s new job offer and talking about the awkward toasts from weddings past.
In New York City, it’s amazing how quickly that requisite glass of wine at dinner can start to feel mandatory, even over a home cooked meal on a Monday. It made me wonder: how many people out there are drinking just because they feel they have to? Because they feel it’s easier than just saying say no? I thought that at 29, I had out grown peer pressure. But maybe we never really do.
3. Kicking caffeine was NBD.
I was shocked how little I missed caffeine by the end of the month. After the initial hump, it turned out to be no big deal. My energy levels were great, probably partially because of the absence of tequila shots and chocolate macaroon sugar rushes. But still, if I wasn’t hauling ass, it seemed silly to drink an obligatory cup of coffee.
With caffeine, I noticed that I was driven by ritual. I needed something to signal to my brain in the morning that the day had begun and it was time to stop dreaming about unicorns. But that thing could just as easily be warm lemon water.
I haven’t really gone back to drinking coffee in the morning. I try to stick with green tea or if I’m feeling perky, something herbal. Occasionally, I miss the taste of coffee, but that is easy enough to remedy as a treat. Ultimately, I want my dependency to remain an emotional one, without getting a headache or feeling lost if I don’t have fresh ground beans in close proximity.
Did you try giving up any of these vices this month? Let me know how your experience stacked up to mine in the comments! And CHEERS to you for making it through. Now…have a drink!
The Wellness Project is now a book! It’s part memoir, part health primer, with 20 inflammation fighting recipes for clearer skin, better digestion, and a thriving thyroid. (Because who doesn’t wake up in the morning wanting a thriving thyroid?!). You can read more and order here.
Need help finding lifestyle changes that last? Let’s work together to find your path forward. My 4 Weeks to Wellness Course might just change your life. With 4-weeks worth of recipes that are gluten, dairy, corn, soy and refined sugar free, not to mention tasty AF, it’s a perfect way to explore your food sensitivities and heal inner and outer chaos.
I am loving your wellness project! The timing was perfect for me – For the month of January I also gave up sugar, alcohol & caffeine – as well as dairy & gluten (already was veggie). I am right there with you on the “ritual” aspect of caffeine and sugar. During this “blizzard” I was dying to bake cookies! And a walk in the snow without a cappuccino wasn’t the same. But all worth it in the end with 3 days to go. Thank you for the advice & inspiration!
monica
Wow Monica – go you!! Which ones do you think you’ll keep going forward? How did you find being a dairy, gluten-free veggie? that must be hard!
It has! The hardest part, as you mention, is the social isolation. I’m not a person who can go to restaurants and not eat, so I’m very much looking forward to rejoining the rest of the world. I’m hoping this experience will help me to prioritize indulgent foods going forward. I chose 30 days because I’ve read that’s how long it takes to create a habit. So hopefully the warm water & lemon first thing is my new ritual, as you said! I especially appreciated your post about how to transition off the detox wagon. This is exactly what I have been worrying about the past couple of weeks. Thanks again for all your advice!
xo
The transition is the hardest! I was kind of scared to take that first sip of wine. Good luck finding your new routine going forward. Report back! xo
Love how the time without alcohol wasn’t all about sacrifice – and instead it was the social element. Interesting how alcohol is such a social thing in so many settings.
Thanks
Thank you for reading Bren! I’ve gone off alcohol periodically since this month, and still find it’s the FOMO that gets me over the physical effects or taste. Especially with wine. It feels like such an essential part of the meal’s experience if you’re dining with people who have selected something thoughtfully.
I found a cup of licorice tea after meals took away that dessert craving. Or I reached for an apple. On the caffeine front, I found decaf green tea and black tea kind of fooled my body into thinking it was getting a lift, and the ritual remained the same. I didn’t give up alcohol. I gave it up for years once. So I know how it feels, and I got over the lonely and isolated thing. But like you, I just really like the taste of a good Pinot.
Will have to try the licorice tea! Some of the sweeter teas – red zinger and such – help me with those cravings sometimes.
It was helpful hearing about your giving up alcohol and your decision not to keep it up. I’m trying to give it up permanently, or at least save it as a very occasional treat, and finding it very difficult! (I’m quite a bit older than you.) Have cut down on sugar and down to one cup of coffee daily with less trouble. I find brushing my teeth after dinner is a good signal that eating is over for today, and no need for dessert, although I also like a square of dark chocolate after dinner. I look forward to checking out your Wellness Project – thank you!
Thanks for sharing Pam! I too like a bit of dark chocolate after dinner. Try Mast Brothers! The darker of course, the less sugar and better for you. But I also find that it wires me a bit before bedtime. I do your teeth brushing trick sometimes too 🙂 Hope you’ll follow along for the rest of the year!
It’s a plsaeure to find someone who can identify the issues so clearly
I also tried to give up alcohol for 3 weeks this month. I lasted 11 days, and then I just really wanted a nice, relaxing glass of wine with my husband. Like you said, the social aspect was so difficult! I enjoyed the health benefits of not drinking (better sleep, flatter stomach, lower weight), but I think I prefer to have a couple of extra pounds on me and not be the girl who is more concerned about her physical health than with spending time bonding with friends (which is so important for physical health).
And is that Mast Brothers chocolate in your picture? My brothers live in Brooklyn and always bring me back a 5 pack when they visit. It’s usually gone in about 2.5 weeks. 🙂
I couldn’t agree more Heather!! Social life is so important for wellness. And yes, it is Mast Bros!! SO GOOD. It’s really good quality and low sugar, so I don’t feel that guilty about it during normal months 🙂
For sugar cravings – Fried or roasted ripe Plantain… cooked down till it caramelizes! Yum!
my mom does that too!
How about eating raw honey? I am thinking a better choice since it’s natural.
Yes – raw honey is my new best friend going forward! I still try not to eat too much of it, but a teaspoon in my morning smoothie is great.
Very nice!
I have been going through a similar journey over the past few of years and I wanted to point out that, for me, the dependency on coffee was reinforced by the sugar I put in it. When the sugar stopped, coffee became irrelevant very quickly.
Also, if I eat more that one piece of fruit a day, if that, I go crazy and eat too many. I will have dextrose based sweets a couple of times a week (did you know that gelato is made using dextrose, not regular sugar?) and they don’t trigger the “Eat All The Cake” condition. Looks like fructose is what sets me off. (sucrose is 50/50 glucose/fructose, honey is all fructose)
Also, taking out bread has relaxed my gut, gluten maybe?, and has also helped me eat more real foods instead of bread with things stuffed inside it. I might start eating it again if I work out how to make it with flour ground at home from grain.
Finally, fat has been my weight loss friend. More fat, more weight loss. Who’d ever think?
That’s all!
Stay strong!!
Very interesting note about the coffee! I always used to drink mine black, so I hadn’t really thought of that. Honey actually has a lower percentage of fructose – it’s about 40/60. Especially raw honey is a great option as it has lots of other good nutritional value. Agave is the real fructose machine – 90%! Believe it or not, there is usually sugar in sandwich bread, so you might be feeling it there too. Even GF bread has sugar in it usually. So maybe find some great farmer’s market whole grain bread and try that if you want to keep it in your life – or make from scratch! xo
Great timing to find your post!! I’m jut about to embark on my own month of cutting the vices, including sugar, caffeine and alcohol. Add to that fried foods and any form of diet soda (even the caffeine-free variety) and that will be my February. I have never been very successful in past attempts, but 28 days will go by relatively quickly, right? lol It will certainly be long enough to get over the initial cravings, and identify what triggers my indulges. Thanks for the inspiration! 🙂
Go you Amy! You’ll have to check out my intro post on the Jan challenge for tips and things to pay attention to. It’s a short month at least!! Report back on how it goes xo
More people should give up alcohol for a month at a time. If they lose friends–then they should make new ones. Those who insist on getting hammered and getting their friends to drink booze are not worth being around anyway. Sobriety rocks!
It was definitely interesting to see how different friends reacted! I actually discovered that most people were more accepting than I could have imagined. Perhaps we are all just getting older. Many found it a relief that we didn’t have to have the requisite glass of wine just out of habit. Thanks for sharing!
I actually gave up sugar for 30 days twice – one in 2013 and once in 2014. I had a lot of cravings for it. But eventually those cravings went away and I was fine. I noticed a difference in my weight. As for my eczema (which is the real MVP), I didn’t notice any difference. I would love to figure out why my skin is such a mess when I drink water religiously and eat pretty healthy. I’m thinking of trying gluten free for 28 days which really scares me – talk about not being able to socialize – every dinner with friends and/or family will have bread or pasta. Whew!
Tya – I definitely would recommend trying an elimination diet for your skin. For sure no gluten or dairy as a trial. I used to eat pasta and bread at every meal and it’s totally doable now too with GF products. I promise these two are actually easier than the sugar. Let me know how it goes and there are tons of GF recipes on this site to help you through! xo
Never have had a alcohol intake issue, do love a couple beers no and then, hey I live in Mexico, like my 3 – 4 cups of coffee with little or no sugar at all. Sugar? is a loud substance, and it can be painful too. I’m at the age now, 62, where if I eat too much at one time, mainly chocolate, 1/2 hour later my head hurts and I don’t feel good. If I eat some thing sugary before bed I wake up and my eyes are puffy and I feel a little bloated. I don’t eat a lot of processed food here so I don’t overdo it with the added sugars, very little. I have tapered my sugar in my coffee down a lot. I have always listen and payed attention to my body. It also cuts down on inflammation so some pains will diminish. It gets easier to cut out the sugar even though I LOVE IT, but how I feel and look is starting to take presidence. Just listen to yourself and you can find some answers….
The best advice Spencer – tuning in is what this project is all about. xo
This was such a great read, Phoebe! I loved seeing what was tough for you to give up and why. I can really relate about the alcohol-free isolation. Although I was (am still mostly) sober for pregnancy and nursing reasons, it was a really tough transition! And boyyyy did I miss wine. Luckily I can now have a glass here and there, and like you said, I appreciate it so much more now and will only drink the good stuff!
Thank you for reading Steph!! How is the wine down in Colombia?? Very curious. I hear that you don’t crave alcohol at all when you’re pregnant, so that helps. Did you feel that way?
What a refreshing voice you are in this conversation, Phoebe! I am detoxing, daydreaming of retoxing as I type and you are a flavorful dose of inspiration.
wow Barbara! Thank you so much for reading. Good for you to take on your own wellness detox experiments! Cheers to a more balanced you going forward. Hope you’ll consider joining me for some of the other monthly challenges 🙂
Hey Phoebe,
Long time no speak! I am about to attempt the candida diet for a while and was on your site to see if I could tweak any of your recipes as I prepare for this (starting tomorrow), when I saw this post! If you don’t know much about it, candida diet is, as far as I can tell, basically strict paleo with no sugar, alcohol, caffeine or vinegar (other than apple cider vinegar). Anyway, this is going to be helpful, I think, as I go through withdrawal! Also, just a thought that probably a lot of your GF recipes already fit the bill, so you could always just tag preexisting things, if you chose to, and I bet you’d get a bunch of google hits from it, as the “candida recipes” world seems to be a relatively closed community with plenty of room for more creativity in it. At any rate, I’m curious to see the recipes you were making during this no sugar/alcohol/caffeine phase, as I bet most of them will be really helpful for me. I’m going to keep prowling around and see what I find. Thanks for always having great stuff. 🙂
Allison
Hey lady! Great to hear from you! Sorry to hear you’re having candida issues – I hope the diet helps! Great idea about tagging the recipes. Going to add that to my to do list. Check out the beet salad from this week 🙂 xo
I just stumbled across your blog tonight & love this post! Thank you for sharing. It is very inspiring & HONEST! This is my first day of no alcohol or caffeine, I never thought about sugar though! And I was very worried about the social aspect as well, but the positive benefits far outweigh the bad in the end.
I hope I can make it 30 days. It’s HARDER then I thought. 🙂 I’ll definitely keep checking back on your blog for inspiration & your articles though to keep me going.
xoxo Helena
Helena! I’m so happy you found me. That’s so amazing you are giving alcohol a little break. It’s so hard, but at least you’ll learn some things about yourself in the process, even if you end up giving in along the way. I hope you’ll try out some other wellness experiments – do keep following along, and please let me know how the detox went for you! xo
Hello, I found this site of yours today and want to make contact. I am now 60y/o In 2012 i was diagnosed with MS, Ciliac,-had a mesenteric aneurism discovered and corrected…NASH-which is Non-Alcoholic Cirrhosis, from a Fatty Liver, Beginning of Diabetes 2, I also have sleep apnea and RLS. Yes the shit hit the Fan..I am still here and of course with all of this I immediately gave up bread, noodles, cakes, cookies, flour, also fruit, which gave me migraines, –have to watch carbs..due to the diab 2…
So, eating I related to u saying u ate the chicken from the night before for breakfast…My Cholesterol the bad kind is a little bit high a few points–so now have to eliminate too many eggs and foods wi cholesterol…And I Never Drink. Sad but your brave comments about how not drinking is being left out…..was never a big drinker.. maybe 5 drinks a year..now 1 a year would be nice..but wont……and smoothies forget it sooo much sugar–I cringe at the ones Pioneer women makes with soooo much sugar foods — I had my gallbladder out at 21 so my liver was the main organ everything went thru…Now its like I found it sad how 46% of people do have a Fatty Liver and are unaware..Not everyone will get NASH but if people knew –I feel its important for people to know…everything we put into our mouth effect our liver and pancreous… So, my dear can you or your reader embrace my situation with some kind of words of encouragement…I am now facing a 3cm nodule on my thyroid…and a sonogram guided…needle biopsy -Kindest regards, L
Hi Laura,
Thank you for sharing your struggles. It’s always amazing to hear from others who have been through the ringer with health issues. I’m sorry yours has been such a difficult journey. I wish you the best of luck on the sonogram. Keeping my fingers crossed for you. Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to read about my story.
xo
Hi Laura well I am going to turn 60 years old this December 2015 and I am a regular red wine drinker a couple glasses every night I work the swing shift in a casino so I have odd hours which the wine helps me get to sleep usually around 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning then I am up around 8:30 or 9 Anna have an energy drink I have my favorite brand which is sugar free and has a lot of herbs and b12 and b5, b3. Sometimes I’ll have another energy drink before I go to work on the weekends for sure. I eat a lot of processed foods Weight Watchers Lean Cuisine I do watch my weight I used to work out at least 3 – 5 days a week but when I started drinking all the wine I tended not to want to get up in the morning and workout so I’ve decided to try some type of a detox since it will be about 30 days before my birthday and I found your site so thanks for the information I’m going to give it 100% i just want to see if I can and how it makes me feel to be clean and healthy. Say a prayer for me
Sorry, I entered the wrong name this is addressed to Phoebe
Sending you so many good vibes on your journey Cyndy. cheers to you for trying something new for your body!
I love your post. I am 3 weeks into something similar and feel pretty amazing. The social life / drinking thing is a challenge. I am thinking of creative ways to fake it. But doing that elucidates the peer pressure I am feeling at times. The rebel in me wants to fight that cultural norm. I once heard a boss say: “I’d never trust someone I couldn’t have a drink with”. That’s sad. That made me just want to toast with water purpose 🙂
I love this Matt!! Embrace your water purpose toasts! Since I first did this detox, I’ve adopted a 1 dry week a month policy. It’s actually really helped with the peer pressure. The more I do it, the easier it gets. And it helps break down those sad cultural conceptions that are still lodged somewhere in my subconscious. Thanks so much for reading and I’m glad that you’re feeling amazing!! xo
Hi, this is just the article I needed, thank you. My skin has recently become the worst its ever been and a week ago I decided to cut out the 3 main culprits you talk about in your article, as my own research have linked the forehead ache to my liver and intestines. After years of overload from daily sugar, coffee and not so much alcohol as I haven’t drank much of late; but the sugar addiction is one I’ve had since childhood started to take its toll. Knowing that you started for the same reason because of your skin has given my guidance on my path on day 6; so tomorrow as I sit in the office crunching on a carrot stick and drinking hot water I know it will get better, my skin is still kicking out some poison but I’m sure that pass in time.
Namaste X
Ah Nikki, I’ve been there. I’m sorry you’re going through it. But there is hope! I haven’t gotten a flare up of my Perioral Dermatitis since I did this detox. Occasionally my skin flares up when my diet is sub par (ehem, like during Thanksgiving week in the states), but at least I always know what I need to do to reset. The combo of these three really makes all the difference. Try to get some rest, take epsom salt baths and just treat the break as a much needed period of self care. Good luck! xoxox
On day 1 of this detox I crashed at 7pm and got about 10+ good hours of sleep. Now on day 2 and once again I have no energy by 2PM and will most likely crash again as soon as I get home at 7pm. It seems really unhealthy not being able to focus or function without caffeine and sugar. What is worse is that this may cause me to get behind on life including meeting deadlines on work projects, canceling the gym, canceling other plans… all because you can barely keeps your eyes open and brain functioning… is this normal? Does it get any better after day 2? I am thinking there is no way an unproductive work day and sleeping daily from 7pm to 7 am can be a good thing. When does your body readjust?
I’m sorry to hear this, Cee! I hope you stuck with it though. Everyone’s experience is different. I’m not a doctor, but I would interpret this as your body really requiring more rest to accompany the process of detox. Our livers work their hardest in the middle of the night, so a healthy night’s sleep is definitely something that should accompany any detox regimen. The caffeine withdrawal usually lasts just a few days. If you’re feeling headaches, I’d recommend weaning yourself off for a week by downgrading to green tea. The sugar withdrawal may last a little longer depending on how much of it is usually in your diet. Please do report back and let me know how the rest of your experience went. I know that 12 hours of sleep is extreme. But all of these short-term experiments give you valuable clues about where your body is at and things you could improve on for the future. Thanks for giving it a try no matter what the results! xo
just discovered your book and blog. Love it all.
Please add me to your mailing list for the blog.
\Thanks for the GF Paris guide!!!
i’m so glad you like it!! xoxo
Hi, 2 months ago I gave up on added sugar. If the ingredients has a form of sugar added, I don’t eat it. I have two main sweeteners that I add myself: Stevia (not in a packet or a “blend”) , and birchwood tree (aka xylitol). Local raw honey is on my approved list too.
PROBLEM —-> I get monstrous cravings for beer! My body starts screaming for something that is in beer!!!
I have NEVER craved beer, specifically, like this!! Help! What is in beer? What should I add to my diet in order to get rid of this beer crave?! Barley?
Oh goodness Arienne! Your guess is as good as mine. Have you tried Kombucha? Maybe would satisfy the bubbles and fermented flavor. It does have a little bit of sugar, but not a ton, depending on the brand. Try GT’s or for alcoholic version, Kombrewcha! Good luck…and keep me posted if you figure it out!
You really do know your stuff!! I had the inclination to buy fermented foods last night! really! I had kefir milk before bed, and some kimchee too! I’ve been nibbling on fermented sauerkrout too! The answer just may be fermented food! Fermented kombucha! Fermented Tempeh . It’s working so far! yaaay Phoebe !
I’m so glad we’re getting to the bottom of this!
You say you don’t miss caffeine, but it’s becuz you are still on it with * Green Tea. I can’t handle any caffeine and I DO feel jolt with Green tea & Yerba Mate & Black tea. I avoid those caffeine teas too, which always increase my PMS inflammation too, for each month after I consume it. #100%CaffeineFree for me.
well, you go girl!
Thanks for the honest article,I struggled a lot with alcohol addiction ,alcohol withdrawel symptomds are really worse,now I am leading a life without alcohol,its really hard to cross everyday,now I started a blog to create an awareness,keep doing this great work and keep sharing.
OMGoodness thank heavens for this blog .Its been some years that you first did your last entry but I just wanted to say it has helped .I must say I have been and going thru the worst withdrawals body pain a level of 10 almost crying and the only way really to ease the affects was to immerse my self in s bath .So hence I’ve become a middle aged water baby !!
I’m sure there will be relief at the end but have had to have a coffee to ease the pain on occasions at 4am in the morning .Love to know how all your other readers are going and whether that are still soldering on .
Wow! This was such a good read, even a few years after. I am currently struggling with hormonal and emotional imbalances. My doctor suggested cutting out sugar and caffeine! Hearing that you did this has given me so much hope! What are your best tips for getting started? I am 21 years old for reference 🙂