Giving Up Caffeine . . . Again!
I am once again trying to give up caffeine. I don't drink a lot of soda or even an excessive amount of coffee or tea. But apparently I consume just enough caffeine that my body reacts to removing it. I've had a headache for three days.
Three years ago I found out that I have Silent Reflux. I don't have frequent indigestion or heartburn, but I have chronic throat irritation. When I was diagnosed, I was given a prescription for Prevacid and a list of things to avoid. When I looked at the list, I remember saying to the doctor, "Are you kidding me? I have to eliminate all of this?" He said to do my best with the list, but the most important thing to eliminate completely was caffeine. And I did . . . for a while.
A few months ago I stopped taking prescription strength Prevacid because it is so expensive. I decided to try taking the over-the-counter strength. It hasn't been as effective. And I know my poor choices are a part of the problem too. My Reflux has flared up again. I've started to notice that my throat is not only irritated; it feels sore every time I eat. So I'm back on the no caffeine wagon again. And I'm also trying to reduce my consumption of foods that are bad for me. (I'm doing so-so with that, but better.)
I wish I didn't love food so much. I want all the things I shouldn't have. I have been able to manage my weight by exercising 5-6 days a week for the last twenty years and by days of compensation for the days of over-indulging. But I'm finding that as I get older, that is not enough.
Maybe it's good that I have Reflux. The discomfort motivates me to make healthy changes. Certainly, my cholesterol and overall health can only benefit from these changes as well. The one cup of Belgian Hazelnut International coffee I have enjoyed every morning for so many years has hydrogenated oil in it and yet, because it tastes good and it's a habit, I ask myself, "How much can one cup hurt me?"
I've never felt better (or thinner) than when I was sticking to a low glycemic diet a couple of years ago. Somehow, I managed to fall off that wagon too. But I remember how the pounds just dropped off and I felt so good. I thought I would eat that way forever. After I got all the white stuff out of my system (white flour, rice, potatoes and sugar), it was easier than I'd expected to avoid them. But over time I would just splurge on the weekend and then, before I knew it, I was back to eating whatever I wanted any day of the week.
So here I go again . . . trying to do better.
Oh, my aching head.
Why can't pizza and Starbucks be the healthiest foods on earth?!
Three years ago I found out that I have Silent Reflux. I don't have frequent indigestion or heartburn, but I have chronic throat irritation. When I was diagnosed, I was given a prescription for Prevacid and a list of things to avoid. When I looked at the list, I remember saying to the doctor, "Are you kidding me? I have to eliminate all of this?" He said to do my best with the list, but the most important thing to eliminate completely was caffeine. And I did . . . for a while.
A few months ago I stopped taking prescription strength Prevacid because it is so expensive. I decided to try taking the over-the-counter strength. It hasn't been as effective. And I know my poor choices are a part of the problem too. My Reflux has flared up again. I've started to notice that my throat is not only irritated; it feels sore every time I eat. So I'm back on the no caffeine wagon again. And I'm also trying to reduce my consumption of foods that are bad for me. (I'm doing so-so with that, but better.)
I wish I didn't love food so much. I want all the things I shouldn't have. I have been able to manage my weight by exercising 5-6 days a week for the last twenty years and by days of compensation for the days of over-indulging. But I'm finding that as I get older, that is not enough.
Maybe it's good that I have Reflux. The discomfort motivates me to make healthy changes. Certainly, my cholesterol and overall health can only benefit from these changes as well. The one cup of Belgian Hazelnut International coffee I have enjoyed every morning for so many years has hydrogenated oil in it and yet, because it tastes good and it's a habit, I ask myself, "How much can one cup hurt me?"
I've never felt better (or thinner) than when I was sticking to a low glycemic diet a couple of years ago. Somehow, I managed to fall off that wagon too. But I remember how the pounds just dropped off and I felt so good. I thought I would eat that way forever. After I got all the white stuff out of my system (white flour, rice, potatoes and sugar), it was easier than I'd expected to avoid them. But over time I would just splurge on the weekend and then, before I knew it, I was back to eating whatever I wanted any day of the week.
So here I go again . . . trying to do better.
Oh, my aching head.
Why can't pizza and Starbucks be the healthiest foods on earth?!
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