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An Unexpected Benefit from Quitting Coffee – 10 Months In

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Re: An Unexpected Benefit from Quitting Coffee – 10 Months In

#81

Post by ifyoubuildit »

jrm4 wrote: post #74
umvi wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can frame anything as being good for you if you search for reasons and ignore any downsides: - "Coffee reduces risk of developing Parkinson's" - "Wine helps reduce heart disease" - "Nicotine stimulates cognitive function" Like many other drugs, caffeine has some upsides, but also some pretty significant downsides (its dependency-forming properties being one of the big ones). And since this is HN, adding new depen…

Your code analogy is horrifically bad. It strongly suggests against, e.g. the covid vaccine.

> It strongly suggests against, e.g. the covid vaccine.

Is that why the analogy is bad? In other words, if a line of reasoning leads you away from the covid shot, then that line of reasoning must be flawed (horrifically, even)?

Re: An Unexpected Benefit from Quitting Coffee – 10 Months In

#82

Post by Animats »

SoftTalker wrote: post #18
Animats wrote: post #11

It irks me that caffeine free diet drinks have disappeared. Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi, and Diet Dr. Pepper used to come in caffeine free versions. But those were dropped to free up shelf space for new variants.

That stuff is awful anyway. I used to drink a lot of diet coke and gave it up. Tastes like insecticide now if I try it.

That usually means it was overheated somewhere in the supply chain. Aspartame starts to break down around 30C.[1] So it doesn't take much.

[1] https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9976/40/1/35

Re: An Unexpected Benefit from Quitting Coffee – 10 Months In

#83

Post by slowmovintarget »

hackitup7 wrote: post #6

Only slightly related, but I've found that traditionally brewed coffee and espresso give me a ton of anxiety. Tea, energy drinks, and even cold brew don't give me nearly the same level of anxiety. Any hypotheses on what might be going on? This has been an unsolved mystery in my life...

Cold brew is weak coffee. The hot water extracts more, faster, from the grounds. Cold brew doesn't pull as much, even overnight. You get a smoother, sweeter drink, but far fewer compounds than heat or pressure (espresso) get you.

(This is not a slam on cold brew. If that's what you like, more power to you. It's great for a make-now-drink-later approach.)

Re: An Unexpected Benefit from Quitting Coffee – 10 Months In

#84

Post by atomicnumber3 »

tensor wrote: post #17

Since we're throwing around anecdotes. I quit coffee for two years to help with anxiety. It did help with that, but there were zero other benefits, and the significant downside of not having something tasty to sip on. After the first few weeks I didn't feel groggy in the morning without the coffee, but I definitely wasn't feeling any more rested. It didn't help me get to sleep any easier either. It also didn't help m…

Do you have AD(H)D?

I clearly have some kind of thing in that spectrum, though I never pursued a diagnosis because I don't really want or need to take medicine for it.

But I have noticed I am NOT relating to anyone in this thread, or the OP, about the effects of caffeine. Yours is the closest, being under-whelmed by the effects of caffeine.

I don't NEED it in the mornings, it doesn't keep me up at night (I can have an espresso shot after a steak dinner at 8pm and still sleep fine), I don't get headaches from skipping a day, and it doesn't make me feel wired at all. What I do notice is that I really enjoy the flavor, and I do find that I feel "braced" if that makes sense. Which might just mean maybe I should get diagnosed and adderall would indeed help me.

Re: An Unexpected Benefit from Quitting Coffee – 10 Months In

#85

Post by umvi »

jrm4 wrote: post #74
umvi wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can frame anything as being good for you if you search for reasons and ignore any downsides: - "Coffee reduces risk of developing Parkinson's" - "Wine helps reduce heart disease" - "Nicotine stimulates cognitive function" Like many other drugs, caffeine has some upsides, but also some pretty significant downsides (its dependency-forming properties being one of the big ones). And since this is HN, adding new depen…

Your code analogy is horrifically bad. It strongly suggests against, e.g. the covid vaccine.

I'm having trouble following your reasoning. Covid vaccines are not physiologically dependency-forming, unless you just use your own will power to decide that you want to turn it into a dependency in your life. though they do have other trade offs (risk of getting ill, etc).

Re: An Unexpected Benefit from Quitting Coffee – 10 Months In

#86

Post by boston_clone »

vorpalhex wrote: post #68
tensor wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep. Fuck those of us who take two hours to fall asleep because that's just the way we are. Useless people the lot of us. eagerly awaiting all the suggestions for why I just need to do X or Y to get to sleep. Definitely haven't tried those!

Well backed RCTs have generally shown >95% of sleep issues are solvable, with sleep hygiene (this means using your bed only for sleep and sex, keeping your room dark and quiet eg no blinking leds, and getting up and getting light exposure if you don't fall asleep in 20 mins) resolving ~70% of cases. Anxiety treatments resolved most of the rest. You could be in that last 5%! But that is extremely unlikely. Cut caffein…

and seriously, EXERCISE.

I think many of us here may equate intense thinking with "work", and completely neglect the physical component of our bodies; we are literally evolved to engage in strenuous physical activity yet remain sedentary.

plus, there is a positive feedback loop between aerobic exercise and mental health.

Re: An Unexpected Benefit from Quitting Coffee – 10 Months In

#87

Post by smallnix »

boston_clone wrote: post #80
smallnix wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Never did I ever meet anyone in the militar The military disqualifies people with severe sleep disorders.. Nice survivor bias example. Note, I can't speak to this particular case.

Then why are you speaking to this particular case? Having a sleep disorder is not an immediate disqualifier for service, either. Did you serve in the military, or are you just throwing out more conjecture?

I was disqualified by the military from serving solely because of my sleep disorder.

Re: An Unexpected Benefit from Quitting Coffee – 10 Months In

#88

Post by _dain_ »

vorpalhex wrote: post #68
tensor wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep. Fuck those of us who take two hours to fall asleep because that's just the way we are. Useless people the lot of us. eagerly awaiting all the suggestions for why I just need to do X or Y to get to sleep. Definitely haven't tried those!

Well backed RCTs have generally shown >95% of sleep issues are solvable, with sleep hygiene (this means using your bed only for sleep and sex, keeping your room dark and quiet eg no blinking leds, and getting up and getting light exposure if you don't fall asleep in 20 mins) resolving ~70% of cases. Anxiety treatments resolved most of the rest. You could be in that last 5%! But that is extremely unlikely. Cut caffein…

>getting up and getting light exposure if you don't fall asleep in 20 mins

never heard of this one, got a link with more info?

Re: An Unexpected Benefit from Quitting Coffee – 10 Months In

#89

Post by boston_clone »

smallnix wrote: post #87
boston_clone wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then why are you speaking to this particular case? Having a sleep disorder is not an immediate disqualifier for service, either. Did you serve in the military, or are you just throwing out more conjecture?

I was disqualified by the military from serving solely because of my sleep disorder.

Interesting! And could you share more about what methods your doctor has recommended to alleviate those symptoms and their efficacy for your case?
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