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Caffeine (2015)

Duration: 39:20

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Reflection Title: The No Caffeine Challenge Results!

Book – Caffeine: How Caffeine Created the Modern World

Reflection:
The universe can be pretty hilarious sometimes. I was looking for a quick listen on Audible as I had just finished a lot of really long books in a row, and I was hoping for something fast that I could finish in a day or 2. I stumbled upon this Audible original called Caffeine that just so happened to be done by one of my favorite authors in Michael Pollan.

I figured…what the hell.

I had already read the book called The History of the World in 6 Glasses earlier in this journey which went into great detail of the massive impact that Tea, Coffee, and Soda have played in shaping our modern world. I was blown away after reading that book and all I learned. I honestly didn’t know how Michael would give it a different spin but was curious to find out.

Turns out, the majority of the audiobook was about Michael’s experience quitting caffeine as he went through its history, role that it has played in shaping our modern world, and the science of how it affects our brains and sleeping patterns.

Why is this funny to me you ask?

Well, I just so happen to be about a month into my own quitting caffeine challenge literally as I type. I decided to use my monthly challenge of trying to build a new habit that I do each month to see what life would be like with no caffeine. Specifically, I had a hypothesis that drinking caffeine was somehow holding me back in my workouts that I do each day. I wanted to see if cutting caffeine out of my life would help me to breath better, sleep better, and hydrate better throughout the day so I could ultimately push myself harder in my daily workouts and in tennis matches.

Then, the universe delivered me this book about caffeine and the story of a fellow friend and adventurer that was interested in challenging themselves to break from the ranks of the caffeinated masses. I couldn’t help, but chuckle as I listened to Michael walk through his experiences of seeing the world from the other side and feeling like I knew exactly what he was feeling.

To be clear, I’m not a caffeine junky or anything. I usually have a glass of coffee or tea in the morning, and maybe sometimes one in the early afternoon if the day calls for it. However, something inside of me has been telling me for a while that caffeine is holding my body back from achieving that next level of performance physically. I always feel really dehydrated after I drink caffeine and that slows me down when physically exerting myself. This quitting experiment has been interesting.

What I’ve learned so far…

On one side, I feel like I’ve had a headache for 3+ weeks and been starving for an entire month. I hate that I’m popping Ibuprofen every morning and snacking a little more frequently than I would like to ease the hunger pangs. I don’t love this but I’m sure it will pass eventually.

On the other hand, I do feel like I wake up more refreshed each morning, more hydrated, my breathing has improved, and I’ve been able to push myself more in my daily workouts. However, I’m so tired of drinking herbal teas. I can’t take it anymore and I don’t know what else to drink other than water these days.

There was one time that I accidentally drank a mildly caffeinated beverage a few weeks into the challenge. I opened up a Kombucha as I was desperate to drink anything but another glass of herbal tea. After I drank it, I thought, “Isn’t Kombucha made of tea?”. After a quick google search, I realized Kombucha does have a little caffeine in it unfortunately. Let me tell you, I could feel it. After a few weeks of no caffeine, I felt that exhilarating rush that came back to my body and mind that only caffeine can deliver. I get why it is so powerful.

So the question remains, will this trial new habit of no caffeine last beyond the 30 day challenge?

I’m actually feeling pretty torn here on this one to be honest. I don’t think I’ve ever “identified” myself as one of those people that is obsessed with coffee and tea, so it is not like I’ll be breaking up with friends or a culture I care about. However, that rush I felt from the Kombucha was pretty awesome and I’m not quite sure if the gains I’m seeing with my workouts is worth a lifetime of herbal tea and never feeling that again.

The answer is probably to find BALANCE, like always. I don’t need caffeine every day, but I also don’t need to cut myself off completely from some of the joys that evolution has brought to this world. This test has been a good reminder to make sure that I’m always in control of my habits and not just doing it for no reason, like drinking caffeine everyday just because.

I think I found my path forward by working through my thoughts in this reflection. Thanks Year of Magical Learning for helping me through this one as usual.

Question: Are you in control of your habits or are you letting your habits control you?

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