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Quitting Caffeine

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Re: Quitting Caffeine

#221

Post by cvsh »

StanislavPetrov wrote: post #209

What the author didn't mention, and I haven't seen mentioned in these comments, are the extremely beneficial health effects of coffee (not caffeine, decaf has shown the same benefits). Most significantly, studies have shown that coffee reduces overall mortality rates significantly, with the reduced chance of dying from any cause increasing with coffee consumption (up to a point). >Compared with nonconsumers, particip…

I wonder if some of this is due to a subtle intervening variable like conscious or subconscious (i.e. fidgeting) decisions to exercise more accumulated over time because of increased energy, rather than caffeine per se.

Re: Quitting Caffeine

#222

Post by heavenlyblue »

stpe wrote: post #196
gedrap wrote: post #170

I am a coffee drinker but I don't really get boost or anything. Nor do I feel tired or anything else that could be called withdrawal during the weekends, when I don't drink it. For me, making a cup of coffee is just a... ritual of sorts. Weighting the beans, pouring over water, all these things. And I really enjoy the taste, trying different beans. I don't want to sound pretentious, it's just a hobby for me. Maybe th…

I'm very much the same. And I do envy people who gets into some kind of hyper productive mode after a coffee, or like my partner who can't sleep at night if she gets a cup after 2pm. I can have a large cup of coffee at 10pm, become tired and be sleeping at 11pm. Also, during extended vacations (>2 weeks) I typically go without coffee and, what I can tell, don't feel the difference. I wonder why this is case...?

I can have a cup at 16:00 and then have a problem sleeping at night. It does not make me hyper or active though - just keeps my anxiety levels higher so I can't fall asleep.

YMMV.

Re: Quitting Caffeine

#223

Post by [deleted] »

StanislavPetrov wrote: post #209

What the author didn't mention, and I haven't seen mentioned in these comments, are the extremely beneficial health effects of coffee (not caffeine, decaf has shown the same benefits). Most significantly, studies have shown that coffee reduces overall mortality rates significantly, with the reduced chance of dying from any cause increasing with coffee consumption (up to a point). >Compared with nonconsumers, particip…

[deleted]

Re: Quitting Caffeine

#224

Post by Mtinie »

pluma wrote: post #201
Mtinie wrote: post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could be. The San Francisco drinking culture is pretty aggressive, but then again, so is NYC's, Lisbon's, Sydney's, or Shanghai's.

I'm in rural Germany. For 20-somethings it's perfectly normal to have designated drivers who don't drink, no questions asked. If you're a woman, most people will suspect you're pregnant but it's too early to be socially acceptable to ask you about it.

Transportation plays a larger role in determining "tolerance" for how socially acceptable that is. Urban environments, with their preponderance of cars for hire reduces the need for designated drivers.

I live in a suburban area in the U.S. and what you report is similar to what I've experienced, too.

It could also be that my social circle is older, and many of us are parents, so it's not as convenient to go out for a hard night's drinking.

Re: Quitting Caffeine

#226

Post by morley »

gedrap wrote: post #170

I am a coffee drinker but I don't really get boost or anything. Nor do I feel tired or anything else that could be called withdrawal during the weekends, when I don't drink it. For me, making a cup of coffee is just a... ritual of sorts. Weighting the beans, pouring over water, all these things. And I really enjoy the taste, trying different beans. I don't want to sound pretentious, it's just a hobby for me. Maybe th…

If you love coffee, the best alternative to coffee is decaf. If you buy directly from a great roaster, you'll hardly be able to tell the difference. I'm not sure I'd be able to in a blind taste test (decaf if anything takes a little less bitter in latte form).

If you have a grinder, you could buy beans from any number of places online, like Blue Bottle. I'm lucky enough to live near a ton of roaster coffee shops that will grind bags for me.

Re: Quitting Caffeine

#227

Post by nailer »

gedrap wrote: post #170

I am a coffee drinker but I don't really get boost or anything. Nor do I feel tired or anything else that could be called withdrawal during the weekends, when I don't drink it. For me, making a cup of coffee is just a... ritual of sorts. Weighting the beans, pouring over water, all these things. And I really enjoy the taste, trying different beans. I don't want to sound pretentious, it's just a hobby for me. Maybe th…

Had your DNA scanned? There are some protein configs that are associated with caffeine having a lesser effect. 23andme will show them up.

I have them, and I find coffee aids digestion - I'll finish a big restaurant meal with an espresso - but I can immediately get to sleep when I get home.

Re: Quitting Caffeine

#228

Post by virtualwhys »

Quit coffee 6 months ago after 20 years on the daily (generally 2 very strong home made double or triple espressos).

It's not so much that eliminating caffeine is a life changing experience, but rather, you're unchained from the necessity to, above all else, get your caffeine fix. Some people can take it or leave it, go without for days at a stretch, which was not at all the case for me -- the only time I ever went without was when bed ridden or on a meditation retreat.

In terms of energy, the reserves are deeper, since the energy depleting caffeine rush is gone. Also, quit consuming refined sugar, which may be a bigger win than quitting caffeine -- I think it's closer to the natural state that humans experienced long before concentrated Xs came into being.

You have to want to quit. If you're younger you probably can withstand the racing heart, having to urinate frequently, insomnia, mood swings, and other negative side effects that inevitably affect the aging caffeine drinker.

Re: Quitting Caffeine

#229

Post by throwaway0071 »

DiThi wrote: post #216
throwaway0071 wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a fairly unhealthy lifestyle. When I started getting panic attacks, trembling, palpitations, skin rashes, walking up 5x during the night, feeling exhausted all day, etc, I stopped taking caffeine... And did not change a single other thing. It took me over a month to few "normal" again. First week: headaches, back pain, vomiting, nausea, cramps, etc. Second week: feeling like shit. Had no energy for anything. T…

Did those expressos and sodas have sugar?

Sodas.. of course? Expressos, no.

I didn't stop taking sugar. I only dropped coffee and stopped taking caffeinated sodas... I didn't stop taking sodas.

Re: Quitting Caffeine

#230

Post by Sean1708 »

kahnpro wrote: post #202
gedrap wrote: post #170

I am a coffee drinker but I don't really get boost or anything. Nor do I feel tired or anything else that could be called withdrawal during the weekends, when I don't drink it. For me, making a cup of coffee is just a... ritual of sorts. Weighting the beans, pouring over water, all these things. And I really enjoy the taste, trying different beans. I don't want to sound pretentious, it's just a hobby for me. Maybe th…

Seriously, try 1-2 weeks without coffee... you'll feel it.

Some people don't though. I've gone months without drinking any coffee and months drinking 5 or 6 cups a day, and I've never noticed a difference (obviously there may be a difference and I just haven't noticed it).
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