Did I mention I'm cutting caffeine out of my diet? No? Hmm. Must have been too busy ranting over the salad...

Yep. I've successfully quit smoking (4 1/2 years ago), eating meat (I forget how long ago), drinking alcohol (1 1/2 months ago, with the exception of one bad evening), and now I'm on to caffeine.

Why?

This is the next step in a process of elimination to try and figure out why I feel like shit a vast majority of the time. And, perhaps more importantly, to gradually let go of attachments that keep me from spiritual growth. I'm coming to understand that any chemical alteration to one's body clouds spiritual awareness, because it focus part of one's attention on the addiction based need. For example, as a smoker, I planned my day around cigarettes. Ok, I need to stop at the store before work to get cigs... I know it takes longer for me to get my work done, but I have to have my smoke breaks in order to get it done at all... Do I have enough cigarettes to get through the evening? What if I run out before morning? And so it goes...

So I'm on day 2. My head hurts, and I'm pretty cranky. So I guess that means something's working. I don't feel nearly as sluggish as I did yesterday, though, so that's a good sign.

I looked for information on the medical effects of caffeine, but I'm finding widely disparate and conflicting information. I don't think there's a whole lot of conclusive information, aside from the fact that that daily consumption of over 1000 mg (about 10 cups of coffee) of caffeine causes moderate to severe agitation and irritability. Anyway, it feels right that I cut it out, at least for a while, so that's really all I need.

Any thoughts from someone who has successfully done this?

Oh, and here's today's bad joke, since I seem to be in a Zen frame of mind:

Why can't the Buddha vaccuum under the sofa?

Because he has no attachments.