Your body learns to need caffeine. It's time to unlearn.

Recently, Lorena and I were talking about nutrition, foods, bad habits, and the like. It’s a topic we often discuss as it’s a passion of hers, and together we have made some healthy adjustments in our daily lives.

To date, I’ve made a number of changes in my nutrition, but there has always been one area that I never even considered changing: my coffee intake.

For nearly my entire adult life, I’ve had three cups of coffee each day — sometimes four if I’m dragging. I really enjoy coffee and look forward to that first cup every morning, and I’m fortunate that at this point in my life I don’t have any major sensitivities to it.

Caffeine hits Lorena a little bit differently, and while she enjoyed the flavor and energy kick occasionally, it wasn’t a value add in her life, so she gave it up.

So, back to this conversation. Lorena asked me, point-blank:

Would you ever consider giving up coffee?

I dismissed the idea, at first. I told her that it’s not that bad, and that it’s only three cups. I went on to explain how much I enjoy coffee, and the reasons I needed it to start the day right.

She let it go, but the topic remained in my mind.

I Have Become Coffee Dependent

Without my three cups, I just don’t feel right. I may get a headache, or be lethargic. It can impact my mood as well. When we go out of town, I always need to find a place with “decent enough” coffee, so I’m fueled for the day.

For years, I considered coffee to just be something I enjoyed. The reality, however, is that I was addicted. It eerily reminds me of the issue I had with alcohol. The negative impacts weren’t as obvious, but they were there.

But I also love having something warm, and the flavor of coffee in the morning. After doing a little research, I learned the following:

• A standard cup of coffee (8oz) has ~100mg of caffeine, give or take. I was having 300mg each day.
• The American Heart Association recommends no more than 400mg per day.

I was within the appropriate caffeine range, but that doesn’t mean loading up my system with caffeine every day (leading to a physical addiction), is a good thing. At the same time, cutting everything cold turkey didn’t sound very appealing. I still wanted to drink coffee, and I wasn't quite ready for the decaf life.

Landing on Half-Caff

I figured that I had two options:

1. Drink 2 cups instead of 3 cups
2. Drink something else

While the first option seems like the easiest, it is something that I’ve tried in the past and just never could stick to. Maybe it's a lack of willpower, but I just really enjoy three cups. After two, I start to get anxious for that third and begin to justify why it’s okay to have it. Some days I would have it, some days I wouldn’t — there was no consistency.

Which brings up the second point: maybe I just drink something else?

Thing is, I like the way coffee tastes, so teas would never work. Nor would those mushroom drinks that have become popular. I don’t care for the flavor.

That left decaf and half-caff coffee as my remaining options. I chose to go with half-caff.

Making the switch has been… interesting.

Funnily enough, the decaf industry is quite expansive. Coffee shops of all sizes try their best to make a good tasting decaf coffee, and they are quite good at it. That said, I wasn’t ready to give up caffeine entirely. Not yet, anyway.

So, I decided to search for some good half-caff beans. This came with the advantage of being able to still drink three cups in the morning, still get a little caffeine, but also decrease my body’s dependency on caffeine.

Instead of 300mg of caffeine, I’d be having 150mg. I’d still be getting a little bit of energy benefit, but less than my body has been used to for 15 years or so.

The hardest part in this process has been finding a good tasting, organic whole bean to grind. I finally found some good options by Fresh Roasted Coffee LLC, but I’m always keeping an eye out to see if there are other options.

Switching to Decaf... One Day

I’ve been at it for a couple of weeks and my withdrawal symptoms have subsided, but they are still there. Most notably, I am a little more tired in the morning, even after my three cups. I hope that this becomes less impactful as my body makes the full adjustment to the new caffeine levels, and learns how to “maximize” them.

I don’t rule out the possibility of getting completely off caffeine. I mean, it’s probably a net positive in the end. For now, I’m just trying to adjust to the new half-caff routine.

I’ll end by saying this: Take opportunities to assess, and challenge your assumptions — especially regarding what you put into your body. Just because you have been doing it one way your entire life doesn’t mean a change won’t benefit your health and happiness.

For me right now, it’s coffee. But this could be said for any routine we have in our lives.

#health

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At the time of writing this, I’m 38 years old, and I can say without any hesitation that recently I have become the healthiest I have ever been in my entire life.

There was a time when I was more athletic. For example, when playing soccer for my college. But I wouldn’t say I was healthy.

I drank a lot of alcohol.

I ate a ton of pizza, pop, and other junk on a daily basis. But, I was young, so I could get away with it. Plus, I was running so much with soccer that I never put on a single pound.

I don’t regret that time at all. I mean, it was fun to crush an entire pizza after a game or tough practice.

The younger me would find today me boring.

Remember when you were younger, and you would think about what you would be like when you were 10 or 15 years older?

Well, that young version of me would think I am pretty boring. In fact, he wouldn’t think it was remotely possible that he would end up this way.

For starters…

I rarely drink anymore.

For years, I drank a lot.

Too much.

It was how I relaxed, had fun, socialized, and did business. If I’m honest, I just loved catching a buzz. But it all came with a cost, especially as I got older. I became all too familiar with hangovers, threw-up more times than I can remember, and made terrible decisions along the way.

Alcohol does that. We think we are in control, until we aren’t. It got so bad for me that I cut it out of my life cold turkey back in 2019. There were countless benefits to doing so, one of the best was that it made losing weight a lot easier. For me, the quality of my sleep and clarity of mind were also welcomed changes.

Today, I have a drink maybe once every 6–8 weeks, depending on what’s going on in life (like when attending a wedding, for example). Even then, it’s one small glass of wine or champagne. Every time, I sort of regret it because it messes up my sleep. I’m just not as rested the next day.

By the way, I credit this book for helping me to change my mindset about alcohol. Give it a read if you’re interested.

But another shocking fact about myself today that younger me would not be able to comprehend…

I don’t eat meat.

This one is relatively new. Recently, Lorena started a vegan diet, so I decided to give it a try as well. I’ll admit, I was nervous when I first started because all I’ve known my entire life is meat, eggs, dairy, etc.

But you know what? It’s actually not that hard of a transition. It forced us to start thinking outside the box on the food we would cook, and we’ve been making some really tasty meals from plant based whole foods.

I feel pretty damn good, but more motivating is that I look good.

Vanity can be an incredibly strong motivator. It’s pretty easy for me to keep eating like this when my muscles have become more defined, I can see my abs without flexing, and my clothes fit exactly how I want them to.

How to reach your own peak health.

As I’ve started to enter middle-age, I’ve noticed that a lot of my friends and colleagues struggle with their own health.

I’m not a nutritionist, doctor, or even fitness expert. But what I am good at is pushing myself to question assumptions I’ve made about my life. I encourage you to do the same.

• Try a new weight routine that you’ve never done before. No matter what it is, you have the ability to do it, I promise. I mix up dumbbells and body weight exercises roughly four times per week for 20min to 1hr, depending.
• Pay attention to the food you eat. Track your macros for a bit (I did this, and lost 10lbs — and this was before switching to a vegan diet).
• Stop doing strenuous cardio and just walk every day. I walk 4000–6000 steps every day, depending on what I have going on. It’s a game changer. It takes me about 40 minutes to do, and I’ve found the “alone time” to be quite beneficial from a business and personal perspective.
• Most of all, have fun with it. Track your progress over time. Don’t get discouraged when you hit a wall. Just know that behavior switches like this always have a positive impact on your health, and if you have your health, you have your life.

#health

I'm about to share you with you a cheat code for losing weight.

If you exercise a little already and want to lose a minimum of five more pounds without doing anything different in your exercise routine, then you're in luck.

Ready?

Stop drinking alcohol.

I did this a couple of years ago and without changing anything else, I ended up losing weight. Same thing with my brother. Same with my best friend.

If you stop drinking empty calories, then you're in the clear to lose weight fast, at least five pounds (but because people usually people eat like crap when they drink, they often lose more than that).

You can do it! But if you need some help - this book is my #1 recommended resource.

#health

It's scary how we put things into our bodies yet don't have the slightest clue where it comes from. Source local!

Over the weekend, I tweeted a picture of me on a tractor.

If you missed it, it's the one above.

As natural as I look in that element, there's a reason I am at this farm.

Lorena and I have decided to level-up our health habits. We have always exercised, but lately have started being more regular (as in doing something daily). But as you probably know, food is arguably the most important part of the fitness equation.

Without getting onto a soapbox, let's just say that the food available in grocery stores (even organic options) aren't always the best. The reality is that you really don't know much about the produce and meat you buy unless you know the source.

And that's what we did over the weekend!

The picture of me on the tractor was taken at Urban Roots Farm in Austin, Texas. More than a farm, it's a nonprofit designed to empower the city's youth. From their website:

Urban Roots provides today's young leaders with paid opportunities to grow food, learn new skills, and make a difference in their community.

So, not only are we getting locally sourced vegetables, but by purchasing produce at the farm, we are helping their youth program as well. Double score!

We got our produce bag, which consisted of locally grown carrots, beets, sage, cilantro, eggplant, peppers, potatoes, and tomatoes. The tomatoes were remarkable. I've never tasted a tomato with such a rich, deep flavor.

The farm only has produce, so we have been trying different local farms for products such as beef, chicken, and eggs. We found these at Shirttail Creek Farm.

Super important to me and Lorena is that the chickens and cattle are treated properly according to the Global Animal Partnership's 5-Step Welfare Rating. Shirttail Creek Farm met this requirement. We picked up some grass fed beef (grass is better than grain fed), pasture raised chicken, and pasture raised chicken eggs.

I particularly loved the eggs. Unlike the eggs that you get at the local grocery store, these weren't all the same size. That alone made me feel like it was more authentic. Some were large, others a bit smaller, but all were great!

The only thing we are missing is something for fish. For now, the salmon from Whole Foods will have to do.

I will be the first to admit that all of this is pretty new to me, but I'm enjoying learning more as we go. I love that we have initiatives like Urban Roots Farm nearby to support.

I encourage you to take a minute to do a quick Google search for local produce in your area. Aside from being a great way to support your local farmers and ranchers, you get the piece of mind knowing exactly where the food you put into your body comes from.

#health

The fitness industry has a secret that it does not want you to know. Well, I am about to tell you!

I love the fitness industry. In fact, one day Lorena and I plan on having a health & fitness related business in some capacity.

But the industry has a secret. Well, not really a secret, but something that is conveniently ignored. No matter which workout program you like best, they all rely upon one critical factor for success: consistency.

If you consistency do a physical activity then you will lose weight and/or gain muscle. That's not rocket science. I think deep down we all know that.

The difficult part of fitness is the other side of the equation: food.

For years I have worked out, my entire life in fact. My diet rarely changed though. So, what I ate in my 20s I tried to eat in my 30s. It didn't work. I gained weight. I looked okay, but every metric would say I was overweight.

The big change for me was when I stopped drinking alcohol. All those empty calories were gone and so too the crap food that I would eat when drinking. Not surprisingly, I lost weight. My muscles became more defined. I had more energy. I saw the desired results.

I think humans like to overcomplicate things. We gravitate towards complex explanations and reasoning because accepting the simplest answer just doesn't feel right sometimes. The simple answer to fitness is this: do physical activity every day (doesn't have to be strenuous), and don't eat like shit.

That's really all there is to it!

#health

Let me tell you what this post is not…

• It’s not a lecture.
• It’s not demonizing alcohol.
• It’s not shaming those who enjoy drinking.

This post is far more selfish than that. It’s about me.

It’s rather cliché, but there is a saying that I am often reminded of in daily life when I feel like things aren’t going my way:

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing again and again but expecting different results.

This quote has always resonated with me, and over the years has had a way of creeping into my mind at various points in life.

For example, back when I played soccer in college, I ended up losing my starting position my Sophomore year. I was devastated. I felt cheated by my coach. I blamed everyone but myself, and I made up my mind to quit after the season.

But instead of giving up, I changed my mindset. I decided that I would play for different reasons. I would play for fun, not accolades – for the joy of being with friends on the field doing something that we all loved doing.

Long story short, I got my starting spot back before the first game of the next season and never lost it again my entire career. The accolades also came about, but those were just icing on the cake at that point. I was enjoying playing again, and these new results wouldn’t have been possible if I didn’t change my behavior.

In business, I find that sometimes I am reminded of this same quote. Usually when something isn’t going right, or I want to make something better. It forces me to think outside the box.

It has made me challenge assumptions about what is (and is not) working in regard to the product, inbound marketing, support service, internal processes, and more. It has forced the evolution of the entire business.

The result being year-over-year growth in revenue and market presence. But beyond just fiduciary results, challenging my traditional patterns has helped me meet (and befriend) so many amazing folks in my industry.

What does this have to do with alcohol?

I have always been pro-alcohol.

When I was young, it was how I partied with friends into the early hours of the morning. As I entered the corporate world, it was how I rubbed elbows with the higher-ups. As an entrepreneur, cracking open that drink was the signal that my day was over and that it was time to relax. It was also quite useful for networking events.

There is also excitement in trying something new. Each region of the country (heck, the world) has their own line-up of drinks. I thought of drinking as a way to experience the culture of a region, and I always liked the way it seemingly brought people together.

And yes, I enjoyed catching a buzz.

People have been drinking since forever. For years, I considered it a part of what makes us human.

The problem for me was that there have been times when drinking has made me feel not-so-human.

If you drink, then I know you’ve been there as well. That feeling the next morning where you wake up and question why the hell you had to have that last drink. In some cases, you feel sick, and you always end up living the next 24–48 hours in a fog. Not sharp. Not the way you should be.

I hated that feeling.

Sure, the physical side effects of it sucked. That goes without saying. But I also realized that the only time I didn’t like myself was when alcohol was involved. Period. For me, a hard reality to come to terms with, but a necessary one.

I had started to really despise the way alcohol impacted my mental health. Not just after a hard night of drinking, but in my day-to-day life.

For example, over the years I have continued to be active multiple times per week (lifting, running, boxing, soccer, etc.) but had been really mentally struggling with the lack of physical change.

There is no secret to working out. I’ve known how to do it my entire life. But I’ve come to see (and finally accept) that you can’t outwork a shitty diet. Something that is painfully apparent as I get older.

I would have a few good days of eating healthier and exercising, but then find myself having drinks multiple times during the week. What’s more, the food that I ate when I was drinking was pretty terrible. Poor food choices and drinking go hand-in-hand (at least for me).

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing again and again but expecting different results.

Which brings me back to this quote.

In my 20s I don’t think I would be ready for such an honest assessment. I didn’t want to hear it. I “knew it all” already. But I know myself better now than ever before. I also have accumulated enough life experience to know that new outcomes cannot come without real change.

I wanted different results, so I couldn’t do the same things again-and-again.

Could I really stop drinking?

Yes.

I know because I made this decision back in October 2019. Since then, I have had a glass of wine a handful of times during celebrations and toasts – but beyond that I’ve just completely cut it out of my life.

Do I miss it? Surprisingly, no.

Since I decided to stop drinking, I have found that the narrative that surrounds alcohol is completely false.

• It didn’t negatively impact my social life (quite the opposite actually, as it was after quitting that I met my fiancé).
• I can still enjoy myself at bars and parties.
• I am still able to network effectively for my business.
• Holidays are just as enjoyable.
• I’m still able to unwind after a tough day, even without a drink.
• I’ve made more money.

I now enjoy the benefit of waking up each morning with a clear head. I don’t have to worry about saying something embarrassing or hurtful because my inhibitions were lowered. I’m more creative.

The byproduct of losing weight and being in my best physical shape since college doesn’t hurt either. 🙂

But most of all: I’m proud of myself. There are few greater feelings than that. It gives me tremendous confidence, and this confidence permeates into everything I do in both my personal and profession life.

How I did it.

I’d be lying if I said that I did this just by waking up one morning. I knew for a few years that I wanted to stop drinking, but I didn’t think that I could. I was afraid of losing all the things I mentioned above.

So I did what any normal person does: I turned to both Amazon and Google for help. After reading tons of reviews for countless books, I ended up listening to this audio book, and then reading this book. They weren’t 100% applicable in the messaging, but what resource is? The point is that those worked for me.

I also journaled daily, putting to paper all my thoughts about it. My fears, what I was looking forward to post-drinking, and my thoughts on what I was learning.

About a month after starting this process, I found that I didn’t have the desire to drink anymore.

How did I make more money?

Yes, not drinking alcohol means you save on personal expenses. Your groceries will cost less. Your dinners out will cost less. That’s nice, no complaints there. You’ll be surprised on how those savings add up.

But alcohol steals something far more valuable: time.

When you’re hungover, you lose time trying to feel better. You sleep more and you’re lazy. Even if you’re not hungover, you’re taking time away from creative thinking.

When I stopped drinking, I got time back. I invested that time into my business and holy crap did it pay off (to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars). If the physical changes weren’t motivation enough, the money certainly was an added bonus.

• I used my new time to aggressively hire top-tier talent for the company.
• I added conversion systems in the pre-sales funnel.
• I more closely monitored and maximized paid advertising efforts, which is now making $10 for every $1 spent.
• I helped refine internal operations for better efficiency.
• I led the brand refresh efforts, putting my vision into the new design, messaging, and market approach of the company.

In short, I did a lot — and all with a clear head. Yes, at the end of some days I would be completely worn out. But, I would always wake up fresh and ready to go the next day.

Not drinking was very profitable for my life, and therefore my business.

Why I am sharing this story.

To tell the truth, I debated even writing about this. I generally prefer keeping my personal life personal.

But during this journey, I have benefited from others sharing their own personal stories about no longer drinking. How it improved their life and how they realized all the narratives around quitting are false. They gave me the confidence that I too could quit drinking, just like they did!

So, I decided to publish this post in the off-chance that someone out there reading this finds it helpful, motivating, or encouraging.

Whether you consider yourself a problem drinker or not, know that life does not change for the worse if you decide to pass on alcohol.

Quite the opposite, actually, it gets a lot better.

#health