A year ago if you’d have asked me if I’d ever considered giving up my cup of morning wake up fuel coffee and evening perk up cup of joe, I’d have looked at you like you’re crazy. Seriously crazy. Give up coffee? I love that stuff! Nespresso Dulsao’s my cup. 
I’m now 8 months coffee free, bar 2 cups. Yes 2 cups of coffee in 8 months. Why?!
Sitting comfortably?
A week before my Spartan Race Super I’d had my usual get back in the evening cup of Nepresso coffee. I also had a peanut butter sandwich, like always. About an hour later my tummy wasn’t feeling so good. An hour later I was worshipping the porcelain god. All I could taste was coffee. All night during an thunderstorm I was running to the bathroom. Each time it lit up like daylight in horror movie. The next day I spent most of the day in bed, thinking I’m running Spartan next week, I can’t loose strength!
The following day I managed 1/2 a cup of coffee. It didn’t taste right. I don’t know if it was bad batch of Nespresso pods or my body wanted to cleanse out coffee. I decided to give coffee a break for the next few weeks switching out morning coffee for hot lemon and evening coffee for mint tea.
The biggest shock was that I didn’t miss coffee. My body began to crave the hot lemon over coffee. I had one cup 2 weeks later and it did nothing. No coffee buzz, it was like diesel oil and I drink weak coffee. Then something amazing happened.
I began to notice around lady’s holiday as Kathryn Budig calls that time of the month, I didn’t get one cyst spot. For years I’ve been battling cystic acne. I call them bully spots or half arsed spots. They can’t be bothered to be a ‘proper’ spot. I’m not kind to them and have paid the price with scars, but that’s another story. I researched if coffee can cause spots in particular cystic acne and there’s strong link between the 2.
Coffee triggers hyperadrenalism which make the adrenal glands produce more stress hormones. These hormones make your body produce more insulin which can trigger acne. Insulin triggers over production of skin cells leading to clogged pores, produce excess oil/sebum and increases your body’s inflammation levels which makes spots more sore, red and angry.
Coffee can also disrupt gut flora causing dysbiosis, interferes with mineral and vitamin absorption especially zinc, selenium and iron which if you’re definint in any way can lead to spots. It can lessons your bodies ability to product B vitamins which help keep skin happy. More info can be found here.
Do I miss coffee? No. I had a small cup a few months ago. I was craving it and gave in. It’s just one cup. Did I enjoy it? No, my teeth felt dirty and I felt like it zapped all the moisture from my skin. I didn’t feel a coffee buzz. In fact I felt more tired! No surprise a few days later appearing on my chin the first cystic spot in months.
Do I crave coffee anymore? No. I used to, now I crave hot lemon! I feel cleaner on green tea, darjeeling tea, hot lemon and mint tea. My skin’s clearer, my teeth are whiter, considerably less stained and feel cleaner. 
Perhaps the only thing I miss is, is on Instagram. Joining in the ‘but first coffee’ memes. That’s okay, No coffee is a small price to pay for calm skin. Replace but first coffee with but first a big kick ass cup of hot lemon. 
Coffee or tea to get up and running?
Mug, Zara Home
First coffee meme taken from Google images.