Be Pure - Ben Warren's guide to healthy living

Last Tuesday we had the first session as part of the Healthy Lifestyle Challenge by Ben Warren, founder of Be Pure.





He told us our body completely renews itself every 7 years and that 3 billion of our cellular functions take place in water-so if we are dehydrated they are affected.

He also told us if you can’t pull the skin up in the small of your back you are likely to be dehydrated (if that sounds odd ask someone who went along to show you)!

If you want to hear more from Ben, like his Facebook page where he posts food ideas and healthy lifestyle options, or visit his website www.bepure.co.nz.

Listen to one of Ben's videos on Your ideal body with less stress which is a personal favourite of ours. This one is quite close to my heart as he discusses sources of stress, the importance of breath and posture in stress management, and the link between stress and weight loss.

Stress can make you gain fat faster than eating donuts! In the video Ben teaches you:
- This way of breathing will flatten your stomach faster than sit-ups
- How to balance your thyroid gland function for increased energy and weight loss
- Do you have the 21st Century stress syndrome?
- The right amount of exercise for you - it might be less than what you think

And if you like what you see, Ben is offering 7 free weekly email updates about how you can lose weight. Just sign up to his site.

How to deal with caffeine withdrawals

We've heard a few reports of headaches occurring after the first week of the healthy lifestyle challenge.



One possible cause could be the result of withdrawal from caffeine.

Caffeine headaches can go on for days and the only relief is – you guessed it – more caffeine. Light is suddenly too bright to bear, concentration is impossible, and all one wants is relief. Many people reach for some over-the-counter drug but whoops! They all contain caffeine.

So why do we get a headache when we skip our morning cuppa joe? Caffeine acts as a powerful vasoconstrictor in the brain. That is, it constricts blood vessels in the brain and decreases circulation. Oxygen to the brain can be decreased up to 30%! When caffeine is not present, the sudden increased circulation causes major headaches.

Of course, a well-oxygenated brain is what we want for optimal health. You can avoid caffeine withdrawal headaches by slowly weaning yourself off of caffeine.

You’ll need some rest

Often the headaches are accompanied by more caffeine withdrawal symptoms. Fatigue is the next most common experience people have quitting caffeine. If you’ve been depending on caffeine to keep you going day after day, your body is going to need some rest. Think of your adrenal glands as exhausted horses that have been whipped way too long. Take away the whip and they want to lie down in their tracks! Make time to get some rest especially in the beginning of weaning off of caffeine.

Waking up is possible without caffeine

Since caffeine artificially increases cortisol production, the hormone that makes you wake up in the morning, people going through caffeine withdrawal can experience a hard time waking up without coffee as a stimulant. Once your adrenal glands have readjusted to their natural rhythm of producing cortisol in the morning without a stimulant, you won’t need a cup of coffee to wake you up.

Get some help from supplements

Decreased alertness, brain fogginess, inability to concentrate and feelings of decreased well-being including irritability and depression are frequently experienced during caffeine withdrawal. Don’t worry, there are herbal and nutritional supplements that can aid your recovery and make the transition easier.

Some people report feeling flu-like symptoms, muscle pain and even vomiting. That’s why we don’t recommend going cold-turkey! We’ve seen too many people suffer needlessly when they trying caffeine withdrawal suddenly.

It will be easier than you think

While this caffeine withdrawal phenomenon keeps millions of people addicted to their coffee habit, the good news is that you can avoid this pitfall by slowly weaning yourself off caffeine over a two to three week period. Many former coffee drinkers report that they can’t believe how much energy they have once they recover from the caffeine-driven roller coaster ride!