Kick The Caffeine Habit and Feel The Years Roll Off

It’s the common complaint you hear uttered by friends, family and co-workers

throughout the day. “I just can’t get going without my cup of coffee!” What happened to

the days of childhood when we used to bound out of bed with plenty of energy and we

kept going at an energetic pace until night? Most people assume that age causes

diminished energy supply, but lifestyle practices may lead to fatigue as well.

Although we hope to boost our energy levels when reaching for a cup of coffee, in truth

we are actually inducing a state of stress. Caffeine drives the adrenal glands to produce

stress hormones that can remain in the blood stream up to 18 hours after consumption.

These hormones produce the “fight or flight” response that nature designed to help save

our lives when every bit of energy is required to survive an impending disaster, such as

an attack by a foe. In today’s world, where we are more often sitting at a desk, driving in

our car, or eating a meal, caffeine can put us into a chronic state of stress with no way to

burn off the extra fuel and hormones.

Caffeine-induced stress can produce mood swings and insomnia, increase muscle tension,

impair digestion and nutrition, restrict blood circulation to the brain, elevate blood

pressure, create blood sugar swings, and accelerate the heart rate. Yet the lines at the

local coffee bar are still stretching out the door with people desperate for their next

caffeine “fix”.

In addition, while the adrenals are busy pumping out cortisol to send energy to the

muscles and divert energy from the digestive and immune systems, there is a very

important hormone they aren't making: DHEA. It turns out that the adrenals have to

reduce their production of the most important anti-aging hormone your body requires for

youth and longevity in order to produce the stress hormones that ultimately weaken your

immune system and impair your health.

DHEA is the mother hormone for all the sex hormones such as estrogen and testosterone,

and it also increases your brain's seratonin levels naturally. So if you've been feeling

down in the dumps and your lover no longer interests you, check out how much caffeine

you are consuming daily in that coffee mug of yours!

© Caroline MacDougall February 18, 2001

It turns out that a cup of coffee is not your normal 8 oz cup, but a mere 5 oz cup. So

when you read that a couple of cups of coffee a day shouldn't be any problem to your

health, think of one 10 oz mug because that is what they are actually talking about. When

you add to that the statistics for caffeine content in a cup of coffee brewed at popular

coffee bars, you'll find out that you can expect up to 300 mg in that 10 oz cup, not the

150 mg you might find in a cup of coffee from your own coffee maker.

Decaf coffee drinkers who think they have switched to a healthier choice will be

surprised to find out that a Stanford University study showed that decaf coffee raises the

cholesterol higher and faster than regular coffee. A cup of decaf coffee still contains

around 7 mg of caffeine. Plus, the beans chosen for decaf coffee have a higher acidic

content than regular coffee to compensate for flavor loss during the decaffeination

process.

With all this bad news about our favorite legal drug habit, you may be wondering what is

alternatives exist. Stephen Cherniske M.S., the author of Caffeine Blues (Warner 1998),

recommends switching to caffeine-free herbal coffee over a 2-week period. Herbal

coffee, made from carob, chicory, barley, dates, figs and almonds, can be brewed right in

your coffee maker.

It is not as hard as you may think to ease yourself off of caffeine. If you use a two-week

weaning program, by slowly reducing the amount of caffeine you consume daily, you

can avoid withdrawal headaches and help your adrenal glands recover. You may be

surprised to find in two to three months that you feel better than you've felt since you

were a child and that, once again, you have an abundance of energy and enthusiasm for

life!

KICK THE CAFFEINE HABIT

Caffeine withdrawal headaches can be incapacitating. Often they are accompanied by

fatigue as your body starts to recuperate from its former caffeine-driven pace. Caffeine

constricts blood vessels in the brain and decreases circulation. When caffeine is not

present, the sudden increased circulation causes headaches. The good news is that you

can avoid this pitfall by slowly weaning yourself off of caffeine over a two to three week

period.

© Caroline MacDougall February 18, 2001

Start by making a pot of coffee by mixing 3/4 of your normal coffee to 1/4 caffeine-free

herbal coffee. Gradually reduce the percentage of your coffee in each pot over a two-

three week period until you are drinking 100% herbal coffee. You should be able to

avoid the headaches and also gradually adjust your body to less reliance on stimulants.

Try these herbal tonics to help rebuild adrenal health and detoxify the body:

• Siberian Ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus)

• Panax Ginseng (Panax ginseng or quinquefolius)

• Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

• Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus)

• Ashwaganda (Withania somnifera))

• Milk thistle (Silybum marianum)

Some serious coffee drinkers experience "brain fog" in the first month or so after quitting

caffeine. Good nutrition along with a bio-energetic supplement, coupled with some

herbal extracts including gotu kola and gingko biloba will help you clear that “fog” and

restore your normal brain clarity.

© 2001 Caroline MacDougall is an herbalist with 25 years of expertise designing

caffeine-free herbal beverages. She has designed herbal beverages for The Republic of

Tea, Yogi Tea, Uncle Lee's Tea, Seelect Teas, and Teeccino Caffé.

© Caroline MacDougall February 18, 2001