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The Truth about Caffeine

Too much caffeine hampers the absorption of essential minerals, raises your blood pressure and interferes with your sleep patterns, causing your body to feel under stress. The more caffeine you drink, the more 'stress' your body will be under. Caffeine dehydrates your body and forces water out of your system, leading to loose stools on a regular basis. What a pleasant thought!

Caffeine is an addictive drug that stimulates the brain. It has a detrimental effect on your adrenal glands, the body's energy-producing glands, which release adrenaline, the "fight or flight" hormone. This has a number of effects on your body: Your pupils dilate, your breathing rises, your heart beats faster, your blood pressure rises, blood flow to the stomach slows (restricting digestion), your liver releases sugar into the bloodstream for extra energy that the body doesn't need, and your muscles tighten up, ready for action.

Once the adrenaline wears off, you are left feeling tired and depressed, so you consume more caffeine to get your adrenaline going again, and there you continue the perpetual cycle of caffeine dependence.

Tips for Cutting Down

Start by reducing the number of cups of coffee or soft drinks that you drink daily, rather than cutting them out completely. Caffeine constricts the blood vessels in your brain and decreases circulation, so when you cut out caffeine the circulation to your brain and digestive system suddenly rises, which may lead to severe headaches as well as constipation or bowel upset. So take its reduction gradually.

Try to limit any coffee consumption to the morning. Try not to drink it after midday and avoid tea after 5pm, so that your sleep patterns start to improve at night. The effects of caffeine can last for several hours after consumption.

Go 'Decaff'! If you still enjoy the taste and social aspect of coffee, go for a de-caffeinated option, with organic milk and no sugar. Caffeine-free soft drinks are ok in moderation but are still carbonated and sugared.

Tea contains caffeine too. Try one of the following instead: peppermint, green, or herbal. They are caffeine-free and also good for aiding your body's digestion.

Don't brew your normal tea so strongly. Rather than let the teabag sit in your cup for several minutes, let it colour and then remove.

Withdrawal from coffee can cause headaches, lethargy and a feeling of being 'washed out'. This will only be temporary, but it is vital that you give your body as much support as possible during this period by keeping well hydrated and following your dietary plan. Drink plenty of water.

Dilute your coffee. Opt for a latte with non-fat milk rather than an espresso.

Switch every other cup of coffee for pure juice or water. If your daily caffeine intake is fairly high, try to substitute every other cup of coffee you would drink for something caffeine free. Slowly start to swing the balance from coffee refreshment to alternatives.

Be aware that many medications contain caffeine. Because caffeine has analgesic properties (painkilling), it is used in many pills and over the counter medications.

DON'T rely on caffeine-fuelled energy drinks! Drinking these is like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted! Chances are that your initial energy lull will have been caused by the wrong food choices. Drinking one of these 'energy booster' drinks will only add to the problem, because they are a poor dietary choice in themselves - high in sugar and caffeine, low in health and wellbeing benefits!