Caffeine

@CyclingThroughLife

Hey there Cycling~ 

As I’m reading over this, it definitely sounds like there might be a “dependency” situation of some type with the caffeine? 

I think the  AMAC recommends “no more” than about 3 cups a day. So anything over that becomes a little more. 

It seems you’ve already done an audit of sorts on your overall daily intake… So the question is What do want the caffeine (or coffee) for overall? For Energy? For Headache relief? Is it simply the taste/flavor that’s appealing ?..Simply habit?!.. Etc…etc..

A way to help beat any possible withdrawal symptoms is by staying “hydrated”, (which of course is as we all know, best done with good old fashion Water)! … As The more hydrated we are the better we will feel about decreasing or trying to scale back on the caffeine. 

And honestly in the end, some people might “think” they need the caffeine to stay awake throughout the day or for more energy, but more often than not being dehydrated is the actual reason that there is a lack of energy to begin with. 

Then compound all that caffeine into the fact (as you yourself stated), is possibly causing you to lose much needed sleep? …and then in turn causes an even more lack of energy causing you to reach for “more caffeine” to continue on in your day? 

And then cycle continues to repeat & continue?! Sounds like a vicious cycle for sure. 

One of the simplest things to do being on the outside looking in (as I’m not a coffee/soda drinker, or big on caffeinated beverages), is to first try to increase your water intake! (Have you done an audit of sorts on your water level) Vs. your other beverage intake throughout the day?

And if the possible headaches are what’s bothering you from stopping, perhaps just try to start by cutting back in some way? 

Maybe start by eliminating so many ounces a day (or a week at first) and then replacing it with that same amount of water?! 

You might even find as you go on that maybe the caffeine isn’t as important as much as the “feeling” of consuming it was? Just a thought?

Not to mention if your sleep isn’t as disrupted, you might start to also gain more energy by getting better & longer sleep sessions?! 

But as with any change to what we try to do to better ourselves, starting small day by day is a good way to make better & lasting habits. 

Best wishes to you on reaching the goals here that you are desiring to set for yourself. 

@CyclingThroughLife

Hi cycling, did you know that two glasses of water can wake you up better than a cup of coffee? It is true. I start my mornings with at least a half liter of water before anything else. I also add some good quality salt in the water for added minerals and for proper uptake. Adding minerals to the water allows cells to absorb the water and not have it just pass through you. We are all dehydrated in the morning after sleep, especially if you are a mouth breather.

Most people are chronically dehydrated and what does caffeine do? It acts as diuretic meaning it encourages urination or loss of water. A lack of dehydration can cause migraines and caffeine is interesting because it can both help or cause headaches, so it is a fine line. What has also worked for me is switching out my form of caffeine. Have you ever tried matcha or yerba mate? Both of those still contain caffeine but also have other properties that provide good health benefits to the body. You will find these two items in a health food store. Look them up if you are curious. Another good tip is cycling the days in which you use caffeine. I will usually do about 5 days on and two days off.

I limit coffee intake because I have autoimmune nonsense and coffee can take a mild flare and exacerbate it. Instead, I drink moringa and/or green tea. But what I really try to do is get 7 hours of sleep regularly. Easier said than done but nothing beats a good sleep on a consistent schedule.

Thank you all for your thoughts and ideas.  I feel like I have a starting place now.  It seems the common denominator here is hydration (more water) and more good or better sleep.  I know I use a lot of caffeine, and maybe I'm making excuses here, but I think the reason my sleep stinks is because I get up so dang early(3am) for work that, even though I set alarms, I am convinced I am going to sleep through those alarms if I fall into a deep sleep and not make it to work on time...or have to be rushed because I overslept....it seems I'm laying in bed looking at the clock each day from about 1 or 1:15am until I roll out of bed at 3....because on my days off, when I don't set an alarm, I sleep until about 5 am nicely......I'm not saying the caffeine isn't part of my sleep issue, but something is going on in my head on work days that keeps me from that good sleep....I think this sums it up nicely....

and with that, I believe I just changed the topic of this thread.....lol

Adding my two cents, but I thinks it's better when you limit it first and don't cut it off completely because the withdrawal could be crazy. But I also suggest to be specific. Like taking it from your routine and cut a specific portion of protein that you take in specific time, so that it isn't confusing. Idk if this advice is helpful lol, but I wish you best of luck! I'd love to hear an update from you in a few weeks about how it's going!

Monday 23 Sept 2024

Today will be day one.....I will not start by downing my caffeine amounts this week.  I will start by forcing myself to drink more water this week.  Get the hydration going in full swing for a few days or a week, get into the habit of having the water, then maybe start replacing my pre-workout which has 100mg per serving with green tea.  I will have to play with the tea though to get the strength right for my 32oz water bottle so the exact amount of caffeine in it will vary until I know how many tea bags I'll use.  It should still be less than the pre-workout and a good way to start cutting it out of the program altogether, I think. The other thing I'm going to have to learn is to drink my green tea with less sugar.  The pre workout has zero calories and zero sugar....the green tea will have sugar in it unless I can stomach it without, which I don't think I can...again, I'll have to experiment based on taste. 

When you have coffee. You could try doing half caffeine. Many coffee companies make a half Cafe variety. As. For iced coffee. Try adding more ice. Those V8 drinks are loaded with sugar! Sugar rush then sugar crash.

Wow, I am suffering with the same thing. Can we talk?

@CyclingThroughLife

@CyclingThroughLife

I have not had a caffeine addiction but I have changed my diet to a no sugar diet...which maybe is frustrating to everyone around me.  When I was a teenager the doctor told me I was 'sensitive to sugar' and had to stay off it for six months...I used to love sweets and sugar but being told to stay off it for six months actually changed my taste buds ..from that time I have no longer liked the taste of sugar and I got used to eating fruit instead ..so I guess if you have an alternative like low caffeine coffee it might help.  If you can't suddenly stop drinking it perhaps you could gradually decrease it...or find alternatives to take the place of regular caffeinated beverages.  I like to drink green coffee sometimes as it is low caffeine, lowers blood sugar and helps people lose weight (I don't need to loose weight but anyway).  Another thing that has helped me to stay off sugar is seeing what happens when I eat it (falling asleep, tiredness, pains in teeth, bad skin etc) so this inspires me to leave it and from reading alot and listening to doctors about the negative effects of sugar...how it can increase wrinkles, aging, grey hair, diabetes, weight gain and lower the immune sysyem for a time, lowers iq and can feed cancer.  So these things: my own experience and information - whether wholly true or not has made me fearful to take any sugar and stay away from it despite the social pressures of eating it.

So I guess I was giving this example from myself which you might be able to apply to caffeine: if you see for yourself how caffeine effects you you can try to reduce it to an acceptable level with low caffeine alternatives maybe.  Also reading and learning about caffeine might help you to get relevant information as to what is appropriate or not and might help you make better decisions for your dietary choices.  Finding alternatives to increase energy might include brewers yeast or even lemon or orange juice ..or you can find something else that works for you.  I have heard too that bicarbonate of soda in water can help people doing exercise or athletics have more stamina and ability...but what works for yourself would be relevant I guess

I hope that this helps.

@CyclingThroughLife  My advice is if it's processed at all, ditch it!! I remember back when i started my healthy eating journey, and it truly is a lifestyle you have to be willing to commit to, or you will forever go back and forth with your weight, feelings, etc. Start slow, i would recommend the Yuka app. You can scan the bar code of pre packaged items to see if there are bad chemicals in it. Detox, detox, detox!!! Green juice is superior, ginger and turmeric is excellent for reducing inflammation in your body. You can actually buy these juice shots already made at the store! I like the Suga brand... Spring water is soooo much better for you!!!!! ummmm what else.... oh! watch your sodium intake, don't think "guess i have to eat everything SUPER bland and plain.. NO! Just eat basic, clean, naturally seasoned foods!! If you absolutely can't cook or begin the process, Factor meals are pretty popular prepped meals you can buy online for a pretty decent price! DO YOUR RESEARCH. Read about Nanoparticles, Mediterranean Diet, and Cruciferous Vegetables to start on PubMed or other websites that include published articles.  Good Luck!!! Happy Healing ✨