Caffeine Fasting: Reset Your Tolerance

Do you struggle to get through the day without one or more cups of coffee?  You’re not alone, the FDA reported that 80% of Americans drink coffee every day, and the per capita caffeine consumption in the USA is 280mg per day, that’s equivalent of 3.5 double shot espressos a day! Drinking as little as 100mg of caffeine a day can result in physical addiction and withdrawal.   

What does this mean? If you are a regular coffee drinker, you’re probably just drinking coffee to avoid withdrawal symptoms and not actually getting the real benefits of caffeine. When you’re tired and crave that coffee, you’re most likely just feeding your addiction rather than getting the true benefits of coffee/caffeine.

There is a solution! Taking a 2-3 week fast from caffeine/coffee will reset your tolerance, giving you the same feeling as the first time you had coffee – feeling of euphoria, extreme alertness, positive feelings, increased motivation, and increased energy. Make sure you remove all caffeine from your diet, otherwise the fast won’t be very effective! Caffeine can be found in many products, such as: soft drinks (Coke, Diet Coke, etc), chocolate (yes, you heard that right!), tea, coffee, green tea, cake/sweets with tea/coffee, energy drinks, diet pills, and many other products.

Having just completed my latest caffeine fast a week ago, I can attest it really does work.  When I have a coffee now I feel great – very alert, focused, and more motivated.  Before the fast, caffeine would have very little effect on me, I’d be lucky if I felt “normal” after a coffee.  In the last 12 months I’ve done 3 caffeine fasts, and had great results after each one.  I find after 1 month of a coffee a day that coffee has little impact on me, so moving forwards I’m going to try 2 weeks off and 2 weeks on caffeine.  Another option is have coffee less frequently, for example 2-3 times per week.

You’re likely going to experience some withdrawal symptoms, and they can range from mild to not very pleasant at all.  Withdrawal usually sets in within 12-24 hours and can last up to 9 days.  Symptoms can include headaches (common), irritability, mental fogginess, muscle pain, and even flu-like symptoms. Personally I think it’s worth it, although certainly doesn’t feel like that all the time during the fast. 

Please share your experiences with caffeine fasting!