How do I take my coffee? Green please.

Since college my mornings have always started the same. Medium flavored coffee with two artificial sweeteners and half and half please. It was the only words I could mutter before that hot (or iced) cup of sugary creamy heaven was in my hands. I recall when I worked in travel camp eve the campers knew not to speaks to me before I've had my coffee.

Now... Before I go into the coffee green tea show down, there are two things you need to know. As so many other overworked, Jewish guilt ridden women out there, I have always had issues with anxiety and sleep. Once my doctor described me as not having an off switch. When I lay down to go to sleep my mind is like well hell no, you have so much to do! With his being said, coffee became what I thought was the solution to my insomnia and the only way I could figure out to get through the day after a night of tossing and turning...boy was I wrong.

In my first meeting with my nutritionist I laid my vices out on the line immediately. I told her "wine and coffee, those are deal breakers!" She looked at me and asked how I take my coffee...when I explained, she was mortified. She said, " no wonder you feel like garbage, you are drinking over 350 calories before ten o'clock with a side of way too much caffeine!" I was mortified. What will I do without my sugary pumpkin delight as I walked into the office! She made a deal with me, you can have whatever you want from dd just order a small.

The remaining time we talked about artificial sweeteners and refined sugar and how that could be affecting my inflammation and joint pain. I felt guilty and a little stupid....all these years I thought getting the little yellow packet was helping my figure and making smart decisions when all along that was making me retain water and cause inflammation. She went on to explain that as a part of my diet, she wants me to have 3 cups of green tea a day. I could have my coffee but I needed to have the green tea too.

Going home that day I thought long and hard about coffee and green tea and how much my feet hurt. I made a decision about the way I would look at this experience...if it might help, try it. I told myself, I'll do one week with green tea instead if coffee and see how it goes. The next week was a life changer and a game changer...

Currently I'm 2 months coffee sober and I feel great. What has changed you ask? The first thing I noticed was I became much less jumpy and anxious as work. Green tea is my new addiction so I do get my caffeine fix but it's a lot less harsh. My stomach has also calmed down quite a bit. It feels like my own little daily detox. On top of everything, I fall asleep and wake up A LOT easier. BAM!!! Mind blown!

From time to time I will still indulge in a good cup of coffee but green tea has defiantly become an essential part if my diet and the elimination of the daily 16oz cup of sugar, chemicals, and caffeine has made all the difference. Don't believe me??? Try it for just one week....I dare you!