Giving up caffeine is a game changer

[bucky]

The observations you guys are making here are why I think it's important to pay attention to exactly how much caffeine you're consuming. You often hear the claim that up to 400mg a day is fine, but I personally think that's way too much. I find around 200mg a day is fine and actually beneficial, but more than that and I start having a lot of the same problems that others on this thread have mentioned.

 

[Blade Runner]

It's a curious thing ... I'm open to any information and don't necessarily like the dependency that seems to come with it, but I probably drink 600-700 mg in the coffee I have in the morning, just from waking until 11am or noon at the latest. I never drink caffeine after that. It is amazing for tasks and I never have problems taking naps or sleeping at night.

It's funny when I had average to bad coffee as a teenager, the kind of buzz I got from just 4 oz of it. I probably didn't start drinking coffee (only tea) until almost age 30. The truth is now that I probably drink too much alcohol and they go hand it hand - I'll be honest.

 

[Kiwi]

It's a curious thing ... I'm open to any information and don't necessarily like the dependency that seems to come with it, but I probably drink 600-700 mg in the coffee I have in the morning, just from waking until 11am or noon at the latest. I never drink caffeine after that. It is amazing for tasks and I never have problems taking naps or sleeping at night.

It's funny when I had average to bad coffee as a teenager, the kind of buzz I got from just 4 oz of it. I probably didn't start drinking coffee (only tea) until almost age 30. The truth is now that I probably drink too much alcohol and they go hand it hand - I'll be honest.

Agree about the coffee and drinking going hand in hand. Over here both the alcohol and coffee industry are huge and continue to grow. Definitely a social aspect to both, but for sure related, as a lot of people that drink to relax and take coffee to pick them up again and the cycle continues.

This is why Fasting is so beneficial I think, and what attracts me to The Orthodox Church.
To regularly practice that discipline is probably more needed than ever before in our world.

But that first coffee after a fast? Unbelievably good.

 

[Tom Slick]

This is why Fasting is so beneficial I think, and what attracts me to The Orthodox Church.
To regularly practice that discipline is probably more needed than ever before in our world.

It was Orthodoxy that got me to examine whether I should limit my coffee drinking, and eventually, once I realized that I should not drink it daily because I was dependent upon it, and rather I should be more dependent upon God, then I gradually realized that drinking it daily was negatively affecting my health.

I think coffee and other stimulants do not give energy, they simply release energy that is stored within the body, but those energy stores or reservoirs are necessary for other physiological functions and overall good health, so when they are reduced or depleted by regular caffeine use, there are negative health effects.

Now I think caffeine should not be used daily, but only sparingly and when needed.

 

[JGB]

^Woman I used to work with would drink red bulls non stop .. and.. fall asleep at her desk.

I swore off tea, coffee and soda as a youngster. Fell off the wagon on fizzy drinks recently but.. I don't worry about it too much.

If I drink coffee I can't sleep for 36 hours or so.

That happens to me. I don't know if it's a prediabetic insulin response to the sugar in the sodas, but yeah, I had to stop drinking sodas entirely because they used to put me to sleep.

I'm the same way with sleep. I was never a big coffee drinker, but drank tea with heavy cream for years. Unless I drink it first thing after I wake up, it definitely ruins my sleep.

It was Orthodoxy that got me to examine whether I should limit my coffee drinking, and eventually, once I realized that I should not drink it daily because I was dependent upon it, and rather I should be more dependent upon God, then I gradually realized that drinking it daily was negatively affecting my health.

I think coffee and other stimulants do not give energy, they simply release energy that is stored within the body, but those energy stores or reservoirs are necessary for other physiological functions and overall good health, so when they are reduced or depleted by regular caffeine use, there are negative health effects.

Now I think caffeine should not be used daily, but only sparingly and when needed.

I have a similar theory that caffeine doesn't give you more energy or make you less tired, it just makes you feel less tired by hiding your tiredness from your brain. Thus, you still function like you're about to fall asleep, i.e. prone to making mistakes, you just make them more productively and energetically than if you weren't drinking caffeine. Obviously this is more of a problem in some professions (surgeon, electrician, etc.) than others.

I quit drinking tea for Lent this year, and it was a great decision. I finally got a cup after Lent, and that was when I realized how fake the caffeine high was. I didn't enjoy it at all, and just felt weird after going without it for two months. Since then I haven't drank caffeine hardly at all. I do miss the flavor and having a warm drink in the morning that keeps me feeling full like the tea and heavy cream used to, though, but I've gotten more or less used to it by now.

 

[Hermetic Seal]

I've heard the bit about dark chocolate and caffeine before, though I can't say I've ever really noticed it (from having 78-85% dark chocolate) for years before I started regularly drinking coffee a few months ago. I generally avoid eating that at night just in case, but if I eat some at lunch, I haven't noticed that I'm any more alert than otherwise. It's interesting how caffeine's effects seem to vary a lot from person to person. Body weight and type seem to play some role, but I have a physique nearly identical to Roosh, so that can't be all of it. Guess it just goes to show there's not a one-size-fits-all solution handling potentially addictive substances, whether it be caffeine, alcohol, or others. I have never liked beer and hardly ever drink alcohol in general, and that hasn’t changed since I started drinking coffee daily almost six months ago.

For those with an Aeropress, I usually use a minor variation of the popular James Hoffman technique where I scale it up to 15g coffee/270ml water. This is a very easy, straightforward way to make a good cup of coffee, and the ratio of coffee to water (55g per liter) is low enough that it makes a balanced cup that doesn’t give too much of a buzz. To make a more espresso-inspired coffee as Roosh prefers you'd go a bit different route, but the nice thing about this kind of home brewing is that it's easy to tweak for your individual preference, which in my case means coffee with nice flavor that's not too strong.

For me at least, the main issue I have with decaf is just that the flavor range is more limited, my preference is for the sort of fruity, chocolatey light roasted coffee that usually comes from Ethiopia.

 

[presidentcarter]

I drink decaf (preferably swiss water decaf) several mornings a week, but will often go weeks without any as well. I just really enjoy the bitter taste of black coffee. I use a Vietnamese tithafac to make my coffee.

I've found that 100% cacao chocolate is a great desert and gives that same flavor as black coffee. I only have a few bites per serving - a fraction of an ounce. You don't need much especially with 100%.

Years ago I would consume up to four caffeinated coffees (often overpriced lattes) per day and not only was it ridiculous expense but ended up causing some arrhythmia.

I think if you rely on caffeine to do your job or wake up in the morning or for any reason, you're probably doing something wrong and could drop if it you made other adjustments (more sleep, cold shower, more active lifestyle, etc.). Yes it is a vice. If you love the taste, work your way toward decaf and just one cup a day, if that. Go for good non-caffeinated herbal teas instead.

 

[inthefade]

If you love the taste, work your way toward decaf

Unfortunately decaf tastes disgusting.