Caffeine can kill your productivity!

[JAJT]

So the last few jobs I've had all had free coffee. Half-decent stuff to boot. I drank a TON of it. Like, almost a cup an hour for every hour I was there. Really fogged up memory, made it hard to concentrate, work was suffering, etc...

Then I would quit cold turkey. Like Whole Paradigm I was rewarded for this choice by a 4-5 day long terrible headache. Really opens your eyes to see exactly how addicted you were when you start going through withdraw symptoms...

Eventually I'd end up drinking it again a few weeks later or whatever - a glass a day or what have you. Without noticing I'd find myself with a coffee in hand almost constantly again. Damnation...

This last month I've had a very positive change - I have a SINGLE coffee in the morning and then drink water for the rest of the day. So far no crash and the jitters/scatter-brain are gone. I think this will be my modus operandi going forward.

 

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[Vigilante]

RED BULL GIVES YOU WINGS :smx6:

 

[andviv]

RED BULL GIVES YOU WINGS

And a hang over... oh wait. Maybe it was the vodka I mixed with it... not sure now.

 

[Rawr]

RED BULL GIVES YOU WINGS :smx6:

I once left a half drunk Red Bull can in a car for a day, when I came back the smell was so terrible I thought someone died. I drink it, but did you know Canada required Red Bull to take out 40 ingredients before importing, unlike the US version?

 

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[PatrickP]

RED BULL GIVES YOU WINGS :smx6:

Amazing what first to market and/or marketing can do.

Of all the people I have spoken to who use Red Bull, not one of them say they like the taste.

 

[JAJT]

I drink it, but did you know Canada required Red Bull to take out 40 ingredients before importing, unlike the US version?

I can't find reference to this anywhere - where did you hear this? I'd be interested in seeing which ingredients and why.

 

[PatrickP]

I once left a half drunk Red Bull can in a car for a day, when I came back the smell was so terrible I thought someone died. I drink it, but did you know Canada required Red Bull to take out 40 ingredients before importing, unlike the US version?

How is that possible, really?



Looks like that would leave the Canadian version at approx at NEGATIVE 25 ingredients.


Doesn't your BS meter go off when you hear or read something crazy like that?


Canadian version http://www.redbull.ca/cs/Satellite/en_CA/Products/Red-Bull-Energy-Drink-021242762475036


USA version http://www.redbullusa.com/cs/Satell...duct&pcs_cid=1242989299257&pcs_pvt=ingredient

 

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[ColtonJD91]

Looks like that would leave the Canadian version at approx at NEGATIVE 25 ingredients.

Uh, they're called anti-ingredients Patrick. Don't let them touch our American Red Bulls regular ingredients. Causes a massive caffeine explosion. :smilielol:

 

[SeanBissell]

Personally, I think coffee is super-awesome stuff.

Caffeine helps boost up your metabolic rate, and a higher metabolism is almost always positive. It's also got a good chunk of magnesium in there as well, which is a great mineral for metabolism as well.

I'm happily addicted
-Sean

 

[JasonR]

And I am still addicted. lol

 

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[JAJT]

Something that IS true about Canada vs the USA is that Mountain Dew up here is caffeine free.

We have a law that any soft drinks with caffeine need to be of "dark color".

They do sell a caffeinated version of Mountain Dew but it is branded as a natural health product, not a soft drink.

 

[Rawr]

Pat, I'll have to remember where I've heard that.

 

[PatrickP]

When you do, go ahead and punch the person in the mouth. If it was an email, unsubscribe. If it was on facbebook unfriend them lol

 

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[jilla82]

I dont see a reason to not drink coffee unless youre a health nut.
That morning buzz is nice.

 

[theDarkness]

I love the taste of a good black coffee. I sip on a mug every morning. I almost never have more than that because coffee makes me very thirsty and I wind up chugging water the rest of the day.

 

[Adam Cerantivu]

a good read

 

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[Chazmania]

I have been addicted to those stupid blue, low carb monsters for a while

Dude I can totally relate. I've been on and off those damn things for a while now myself. They seem so harmless and a good little kick when i'm tired but after drinking them regularly i definitely notice a crash kicking in. Talk later, I gotta go hit the convenience store lol.

 

[arfadugus]

I agree. Been trying to quit for two years. I guess you could say I'm weak. But anyways. Been tapering down for about two weeks. I drop my dose 20 mg every three days. I'm down to 60mg per day now and I'm already more productive I can focus on reading all day when I couldn't before when I was having 250mg plus per day. Caffeine slowly burns out your adrenals that's why people are fine for a while on it. I was at 1000mg a day a few years ago and that fried me. Your joints will even feel better after you quit. Slow and steady mate good luck.

 

[arfadugus]

Another theory is that since your adrenal get weak over time they stop producing DHEA as good (which is a precursor to testosterone) because the organ is not healthy. Low testosterone has its own disadvantages. Caffeine also makes you dehydrated no matter how much water you drink. Dehydration also has lots of negatives on cognition. The research is in the book "Caffeine blues" I highly recommend it.

 

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[William]

Drink tea.

White or Green. Black when your need more energy.

White and green both have small levels of caffeine; 10-20% compared to a cup of coffee. The anti oxidants cleanse your body.

I prefer loose leaf because of the higher grade. Been drinking tea everyday for 7 months straight. Gives you a gradual spring in the morning.

Teavana is a little to expensive for my taste. There is a place called Capital Teas that gives you more bang for your buck.

 

[JordanK]

I don't drink tea or coffee and always have plenty of energy. I grew up watching everyone around me addicted to it and decided it wasn't for me.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Bump for the old thread cuz I think it's time I quit.

 

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[Argue]

Just read this morning that coffee in the morning is bad for you because something about cortisol. I’m paraphrasing here but it’s best to drink coffee between 12 PM - 5 PM.

Morning joe basically inhibits cortisol (in the early morning).

My question is, if coffee is kinda bad, what’s an alternative? Without coffe, I feel like shit sometimes lol.

EDIT:

Here’s the article about the side effects of coffee in the morning:

Early morning is actually the worst time to drink coffee

Ignore what I said because I messed up lol.

 

[Danny Sullivan]

Yet there must be something too it.

I quit drinking alcohol when i was 19 (5 years in) cold turkey. Smoking at 21 (4 years in) cold turkey. Eating shitty stuff that doesn't belong into your body at 30 (probably 30 years in). I tried to quit coffee too since i was 30 (12-13 years in)... i haven't counted how many times i failed. I'm now 4 months in from my last cup of coffee and i think it sticks with me now. Never believed coffee would be the hardest to quit. I never had a knack for energy drinks, so i didn't replace coffee with them. I drink a lot of water and a cup of green tea every other day.

Kind of weird. Coffee - the drug no one is concious about. My parents drink about 7-10 cups each day. I think i'd rather not.

 

[biophase]

Don’t know where i read this but... it doesn’t make any sense that after you’ve slept the night that you would wake up tired. If you believe in being back in the caveman days... a human body should wake up refreshed and at its most alert state. So you shouldn’t need anything else to “wake you up”. But i totally understand that most people aren’t getting a full nights sleep. But if you are, you shouldn’t need it.

 

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[jon.M]

It's kinda easy to quit cold turkey once you're determined about it. Expect a few days of feeling like shit, sluggish and constantly walking around with a mild headache. But it'll get easier after those first few days.

This stuff is also about habits and associating certain situations with the consumption of coffee/energy drinks. For example, you might feel the need to pour yourself a warm cup of coffee when socializing with others, to down that sugarfree Monster when you hit an afternoon dip or whatever. I benefited from getting myself a caffeine free substitute for those moments.

 

[Danny Sullivan]

This stuff is also about habits and associating certain situations with the consumption of coffee/energy drinks. For example, you might feel the need to pour yourself a warm cup of coffee when socializing with others, to down that sugarfree Monster when you hit an afternoon dip or whatever. I benefited from getting myself a caffeine free substitute for those moments.

I think it was "keeping your hands busy while socializing or idling" - it plays a major role in it/habits.

 

[MTEE1985]

I’m paraphrasing here but it’s best to drink coffee between 12 PM - 5 PM.

The U.S. Army conducted a study and developed an algorithm for determing the optimal time to consume for individuals.

It is paraphrased here:
U.S. Army Figures Out What Time Drinking Coffee Is Most Effective

Full report published here: *warning* super dense read, I suggest having a fresh cup of coffee on hand!
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jsr.12711

My question for the forum is what kind of real world changes have you seen from cutting the caffeine?

MJ, if you would since you mentioned quitting, what benefit are you looking for?

Most research can go either way as far as benefits vs. drawbacks of coffee/caffeine so I’d love to hear some personal opinions and experiences.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

MJ, if you would since you mentioned quitting, what benefit are you looking for?

A variety of things that I really don't want to go into, lets just say I've been consuming way too much caffeine, the equivalent to probably a dozen cups of coffee. I know it has effected me negatively on the cognitive front, including sleep.

The last two days I've had a raging withdrawal migraine.

 

[AFMKelvin]

I must admit drinking coffee is the hardest addiction to kick for me. Maybe because caffeine is the most popular drug and it's available everywhere.

But you don't have to stop drinking coffee forever just cycle your intake. Drink coffee for a week then take a week off. If you don't cycle your caffeine intake you'll develop a tolarence for it. That's how MJ ends up drinking the equivalent of 12 cups of coffee a day because you need more of it to feel the same effects as before.