This article was taken from the January 2013 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by <span class="s1">subscribing online.
A constant flow of tea or coffee can seem as integral to a business as seed capital, but caffeine can strain the heart and disrupt hormone levels -- not forgetting the coffee breath. Marc Alabanza, programme director at The Ranch health farm in Malibu, explains how to kick the habit.
Know the effects
"You rely on an external force to do what the body would normally do for itself," says Alabanza. "The body compensates and says, 'OK, I don't have to do any of the things that make sure the body and brain are at top working level. The chemicals will do it for me.'"
Monitor your body
"Identify how much you take in. Gradually eliminate it for a week, or longer, and see how your body does," Alabanza suggests. It takes 24 to 48 hours for caffeine to fully metabolise and leave the system, so if it's a daily habit, you're never letting it dissipate.
Replace the ritual
"We're ritualistic," says Alabanza. "Part of my addiction to coffee was the morning ritual of grinding my beans and reading the paper." Find a new ritual that won't harm your health, and get the same energy jolt and blood flow by doing press-ups or walking up and down the stairs.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
