| If you want to lead a truly healthy life, it is best that you | | | | forms of caffeine, such as caffeinated sodas and |
| avoid all addictive drugs, no matter how socially | | | | caffeine containing teas. Caffeine is a drug and the last |
| acceptable some of them may presently be in our | | | | thing any of us needs is the regular use of an |
| society. Caffeine in all its forms in coffee and sodas, | | | | addictive, physiologically deleterious, mind altering |
| and many teas too, is one of the primary socially | | | | substance in our lives. If you are physically addicted, |
| accepted addictive drugs that a person might | | | | you will need to endure the withdrawal symptoms for |
| incorrectly feel is not a serious problem. Yet it is now | | | | several days while consuming caffeine-free |
| scientifically accepted that caffeine is a very unhealthy, | | | | substitutes. It may be of interest to you to know more |
| addictive drug that creates a strong dependence, not | | | | about why you get a headache when you skip your |
| just chemically, but psychologically and behaviorally too, | | | | morning cup of caffeine. Caffeine acts as a powerful |
| and one which can lead to strong withdrawal | | | | vasoconstrictor in the brain. That is, it constricts blood |
| symptoms. Many unhealthy and sleep deprived people | | | | vessels, lowering oxygen flow to the brain because of |
| feel they cannot function without their regular morning | | | | the deceased circulation. When caffeine is no longer |
| coffee, and without an ongoing ingestion of caffeine | | | | present the vessels dilate resulting in a sudden |
| during the day by either having more coffee, or by | | | | increase in circulation and oxygenation that results in |
| having caffeinated sodas, as they go through their | | | | headaches. The most common caffeine withdrawal |
| workday. The truth is that a moderate caffeine user, | | | | symptom is a throbbing headache, usually occurring |
| whether it is in coffee, or another type of food, is a | | | | within 18-24 hours after the last dose of caffeine. |
| rare individual. Caffeine is so addictive that most | | | | Other symptoms may include drowsiness, lethargy, |
| consumers of it end up consuming a lot of it. 90% of | | | | irritability, nervousness, depression, and nausea. |
| Americans consume caffeine every day. If they try to | | | | Sometimes people who are just reducing caffeine |
| suddenly stop, they get terrible, splitting headaches as | | | | intake, report being irritable, unable to concentrate, |
| blood vessels in the brain dilate. So people are quickly | | | | nervous, restless, and feeling sleepy, as well as having |
| driven back to taking more caffeine.Caffeine is much | | | | a headache. If you're chronically tired as you gradually |
| more addictive and much more of an actual drug than | | | | switch to caffeine-free sodas and teas, herbal coffee, |
| the general public is willing to fully admit to themselves. | | | | and other alternative beverages, try to sleep more |
| Yet, anyone who misses their regular coffee or sodas | | | | each night, eat healthier foods, and exercise regularly. |
| will tell you that they experience typical signs of | | | | While withdrawal symptoms force millions of addicted |
| substance withdrawal. These may include headaches | | | | people back to the caffeine habit and make them |
| and irritability, and the inability to function in their usual | | | | reluctant to give it up, the good news is that people |
| manner. You may not know this, but every can of | | | | can often avoid this pitfall by very slowly weaning |
| soda, except for specific non-caffeinated ones, | | | | themselves off caffeine over a two to three week |
| contains about one quarter of the caffeine in a cup of | | | | period. There is a good chance you will be able to |
| coffee. Diet sodas, you may be surprised to learn, | | | | avoid the headaches, and at the same time gradually |
| contain even more added caffeine than the regular | | | | adjust your body and mind to being less reliant on this |
| ones. This could be compensation by the soda | | | | stimulant. Cutting back by a half cup of coffee per day |
| companies, who are well aware of the psychological | | | | or having one or more less caffeinated sodas each |
| effects of their products on people, for the fact that | | | | day is a recommended pace. . If you find yourself |
| diet sodas do not provide the stimulus of the usual high | | | | needing a cup of something try to experiment with |
| sugar content of the regular sodas. This extra caffeine | | | | caffeine-free herbal teas.Some people might think of |
| is added specifically to create a drug effect, making | | | | trying decaf during the weaning period. But it is |
| the soda even more of a stimulant that keeps people | | | | important to keep in mind that most decaf, even some |
| coming back for more. This sells more soda but | | | | that say "naturally decaffeinated" on the container, has |
| undermines the health of the consumer by using a | | | | been made with methylene chloride, and a significant |
| harmful drug that is known to cause a physical and | | | | amount of this toxic chemical is left as a residue on |
| psychological dependence. Even though soda | | | | the newly decaffeinated coffee making it unhealthy. |
| companies say that caffeine is put into their products | | | | Decaf coffee is also highly acidic and many feel that |
| for its taste, most people when tested cannot taste | | | | because of this it is not health promoting. The best |
| the difference between the same soda with or | | | | choice is a Swiss water processed decaf. |
| without caffeine. The great popularity of caffeinated | | | | Unfortunately, drinking only decaf coffee will not free |
| soft drinks is driven not so much by subtle taste | | | | you from caffeine addiction, and may end with your |
| effects as by the mood-altering and physical | | | | eventually desiring your regular coffee, or other |
| dependence of caffeine that drives their daily | | | | sources of caffeine, like commercial sodas. The |
| self-administration. Subjectively, people report that the | | | | reason is that, contrary to what most people think, |
| caffeine in sodas gives them a "lift." Temporally they | | | | decaf still contains a small, but significant amount of |
| feel less drowsy, less fatigued, and more capable of | | | | caffeine.One product I regularly recommend to my |
| rapid and sustained intellectual effort. A common | | | | clients who love the taste of coffee, but who wish to |
| example of trying to utilize this effect is when students | | | | improve their health by eliminating caffeine entirely |
| who are trying to get by on an inadequate amount of | | | | from their life, is an herbal coffee called Teeccino. It |
| sleep, eagerly purchase energy soft drinks containing a | | | | comes in a variety of flavors, and most of my clients |
| great deal of caffeine. These are drinks that contain, | | | | who try it find the taste of it quite satisfying and don't |
| on average, 75 mg of caffeine, approximately double | | | | miss their past caffeine-laden morning cup of coffee |
| that of a regular size coffee. Ultimately, the caffeine | | | | at all. It can be brewed in the same way as regular |
| masks their deep need for proper sleep. Unfortunately | | | | coffee is brewed, so that you don't even have to |
| for them, studies show that students who use caffeine | | | | change your morning routine. For those freeing |
| to study late into the night find their short-term memory | | | | themselves from caffeine this way, it is recommended |
| is poorer on the next day's exam.And if you are not | | | | that you gradually reduce the percentage of your |
| intending to stay up late, the caffeine is very bad for | | | | caffeine containing coffee over a two-three week |
| your sleep. A few caffeinated sodas, or one strong | | | | period until you are drinking 100% caffeine-free herbal |
| cup of coffee, drunk 30-60 minutes before going to | | | | coffee. You should be able to avoid headaches and |
| sleep can cause restlessness and difficulty falling | | | | also gradually adjust your body to less reliance on |
| asleep, increased body movements during sleep, a | | | | stimulants.The body's reaction to the toxicity of |
| tendency to be more easily awakened by sudden | | | | caffeine can vary so greatly for different individuals |
| noises, and an overall decreased quality of sleep. The | | | | that you have to discover how it was uniquely |
| best way to deal with substances of this nature is | | | | affecting you. Some pains and discomforts you would |
| complete abstinence. People who use it generally are | | | | never have thought were caused by caffeine will |
| dependent on it to function in their day to day life | | | | disappear after you quit having coffee, caffeinated |
| because they have not been taking proper care of | | | | sodas and other forms of caffeine. You may |
| themselves. It is often a compensation for run down | | | | experience improvements in your skin, digestion, sleep, |
| overall health because of poor nutrition, failure to stay | | | | mood, and energy among others. You might very well |
| fit, and most of all, inadequate sleeping regimes. Its use | | | | find that three months after getting caffeine |
| leads to more deterioration of a person's health, and | | | | completely out of your life, your energy stays steady |
| with its continued use, their health is liable to continue to | | | | all day long and you feel better than you've felt in |
| deteriorate further and further.Anyone who is seeking | | | | years. |
| optimum health should stop drinking coffee and other | | | | |