Weening off Caffeine |
4 Comments |
I may or may not have mentioned it previously, but I love diet cola. It’s at the point where I’ll search out the cheapest price (Wal-Mart’s Sam’s Choice usually) because of the quantity that I drink. This certainly isn’t a good thing. Rather than quit caffeine completely and risk a caffeine headache, I am going to substitute in some Diet Sprite (or knockoff). This will quench the sweet tooth a bit while I make the transition. Another advantage is that there should be less staining of my teeth as I eliminate the coloring of the cola.
Hopefully over a month or two, I’ll reduce my caffeine intake and my tolerance will drop. I’m looking forward to this - caffeine will there be there for me when I need it, not just a daily ritual.
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PropellerNext: Relay For Life
August 15th, 2007 at 8:39 am
I recommend going cold turkey. Granted, I had more of a need than most people do, but it’s better to just get it over with quickly!
Try going 30 days without; you’ll actually be able to do it because you’ll know that 30 days isn’t such a long time, and you will establish it as a habit so that you can decide to keep it out at that point if the results after 30 days are to your liking.
August 15th, 2007 at 9:58 am
Coffee puts the system under the strain of metabolizing a deadly acid-forming drug, depositing its insoluble cellulose, which cements the wall of the liver, causing this vital organ to swell to twice its proper size. In addition, coffee is heavily sprayed. (Ninety-two pesticides are applied to its leaves.) Diuretic properties of caffeine cause potassium and other minerals to be flushed from the body.
Tea, coffee, cola, energy drinks and chocolate share the same nerve toxin (stimulant), caffeine. Caffeine, which is readily released into the blood, triggers a powerful immune response that helps the body to counteract and eliminate this irritant. The toxic irritant stimulates the adrenal glands, and to some extent, the body’s many cells, to release the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol into the blood stream.
If consumption of stimulants continues on a regular basis, however, this natural defense response of the body becomes overused and ineffective. The almost constant secretion of stress hormones, which are highly toxic compounds in and of themselves, eventually alters the blood chemistry and causes damage to the immune system, endocrine, and nervous systems. Future defense responses are weakened, and the body becomes more prone to infections and other ailments.
The boost in energy experienced after drinking a cup of coffee is not a direct result of the caffeine it contains, but of the immune system’s attempt to get rid of it (caffeine) An overexcited and suppressed immune system fails to provide the “energizing” adrenaline and cortisol boost needed to free the body from the acidic nerve toxin, caffeine. At this stage, people say that they are “used” to a stimulant, such as coffee. So they tend to increase intake to feels the “benefits.”
Since the body cells have to sacrifice some of their own water for the removal of the nerve toxin caffeine, regular consumption of coffee, tea, or colas causes them to become dehydrated. For every cup of tea or coffee you drink, the body has to mobilize 2-3 cups of water just to remove the stimulants, a luxury it cannot afford. This applies to soft drinks, medicinal drugs, and any other stimulants, As a rule, all stimulants have a strong dehydrating effect on the bile, blood, and digestive juices.
Get the real scoop on caffeine at CaffeineAwareness.org
And if you drink decaf you wont want to miss this special FREE report on the Dangers of Decaf available at soyfee.com
August 18th, 2007 at 9:51 am
Twice I’ve given up coffee for Lent (40 days) and considering the amount of coffee I drank at the time I was surprised that I didn’t go through any serious withdrawal. Of course, everyone is different, but Blain’s suggestion above might be worth a shot.
In any event, good luck to you!
August 29th, 2007 at 3:16 am
[…] Man is kicking the caffeine habit. Good luck… from a fellow diet cola addict. (Actually, here in Georgia, we call almost […]