One of the first things that clients and detoxers ask me is:

Do I have to give up coffee?

Followed closely by: do I have to give up drinking?

The answer to both is simple: the only way you can know how certain foods (or beverages) are affecting your body is to give them up for awhile and then see how you feel.

Throughout this process, it's important to examine how you feel a few days after the initial detox symptoms subside (you're likely to experience some headaches or fatigue if you're deep into a caffeine habit).

Then, after you've been off the sauce — caffeine or otherwise — for 2-8 weeks, try a small amount and see how you feel. Look for digestive symptoms, a jittery feeling, hunger cravings, etc.

For more on this process — and a personal caffeine-detox story from pro sports reporter and producer, Kristen Hewitt, check out her fantastic blog, Mommy in Sports. I was honored to be interviewed by Kristen for this piece, and am excited to share it here today.

Click here to read Kristen's post about “How and Why to Give Up Coffee.”