Friday, February 4, 2011

My New Weekday Morning Routine

Coffee Update, four hours after last post:
Ugh...crashing...hard.  Hard to concentrate.  Tired, fuzzy brain.  Thoughts are scattered, bad mood, cranky, snippy.  I didn't expect such a strong reaction, and I don't like it at all.

Reflection, today:
Though I couldn't wait to go back to coffee during Clean, this reaction left me feeling the worst I've felt in a month.  I could go back to my old ways, but why would I when it makes me feel like this?  The effect of caffeine was so strong!  I'm not saying I'll never drink coffee again, but I've definitely experienced a shift.  I felt horrible! As a former coffee junkie, I can see that I'm officially rehabbed.  What?!  Yes!  I'm no longer a coffee fanatic.  

Instead of the coffee maker, my new kitchen appliance of choice in the morning has become my blender.  During Clean, I made sure to add a full scoop of hemp protein to each smoothie.  It has a taste that can be a little overpowering.  Since I mostly avoided any sweetener during Clean, I decided to try a new smoothie recipe with bananas and dates to see if it would make the hemp taste mellow out a bit.

The chocolate almond smoothie from Thrive was a great inspiration.  I mostly followed the recipe.  I didn't use quite as much water, added a little almond milk, and used cocoa, not carob.  I think I used more than the tablespoon he recommended too.  This smoothie is sweetened with a banana and two organic dates, I used a little less hemp than I used on Clean, and it was perfect.  It gave me a sustained energy and left me full all the way 'til lunch.

I love the taste of coffee, so I will definitely have it again (probably on the weekends, and in moderation).  During the week, it looks like it will be protein smoothies for me.  I'll let you know how it goes!

6 comments:

Maria Rose said...

I haven't had caffeinated coffee in 2 years. I fear what would happen if I returned.

The Vegan Snorkeler said...

Thanks for your comment, Maria Rose! It wasn't pretty. I felt like I couldn't control my thoughts. It was very weird and unpleasant!

The Slow One said...

Wow! That's crazy about your reaction to the coffee.

My husband had some hemp/pea/rice protein the other day that was chocolate flavored. He mixed it with apple juice of all things, and it was pretty tasty.

Collette Osuna said...

Im definitely going to have to check out that smoothie..thanks for sharing!

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Anonymous said...

Great posting about the journey. . . but I have a whispered reminder for you. . . bananas are excluded on the cleanse!

Shout if you have any questions, we're always here to answer or guide or just listen!

xo Jenny
Clean Wellness Coach
jenny@cleanprogram.com

Kierra Amanda Jackson said...

Here's an idea ...
I'm on week one of the Clean Program.
Okay, brew some decaf coffee and chill it in your fridge. Add a quarter cup or so to any smoothie drink you make--almond milk, banana, and cacao powder, for instance. It might be enjoyable without making you crazy.
I was a coffee addict before I started. I just love it. The taste, smell, memories surrounding the drink. I don't know what life will be like post Cleanse but I intend to scale way back on my coffee consumption. I hope I don't have to ditch it completely. Thanks for blogging about this experience.