Caffeine

Have you had your coffee yet?  Or tea?  OK, then you are probably up for this little story about caffeine.

A long time ago when the earth was green, some enterprising soul discovered the remarkable pick-me-up benefits of caffeine-laden substances.  Today there is not a country, or a culture, in the world that does not have its own source of body-boosting elixir.  In fact, most folks' social traditions now revolve around what stimulating drink they consume in the morning, and throughout the day.

Caffeine is a legal, addictive, stimulant.  Lets check that out.  Legal:  yes, for now.  Addictive:  test yourself-- try eliminating (horrors!) your daily intake of coffee or tea or cola, or at least cut back, and see how you feel.  Do you crave more food, get a really bad headache, bite your nails, or feel like you are 'losing it'?  You've got an addiction!  Stimulant:  see if you can make it till noon without your tea or coffee, and still function well--and be in a good mood.  If you cannot, you are noticing withdrawal of the 'stimulant' effect of caffeine.   

For most people, drinking coffee or tea is a way of life and simply not up for debate.  Such folks believe its the only way they can 'get the job done', be competitive, stay focused, deal with kids, home, job and aerobics classes, and get going in the morning.  Still others feel that having tea is the civilized way to handle their relaxation time--and the way to get moving again.  Since these stimulant drinks are right up there with God, motherhood, and country, I would not dare to displace their rank with comments unfavorable.  However... if you are the one in one thousand who may wish to cross-examine your caffeine beliefs, read on.

For years I've been teaching my spiritual-seeking students about the side-effects of drinking coffee, tea, and caffein-laden pop.  Caffeine boosts the metabolism, a thing which is counter-productive to any kind of self-awareness program such as meditation, Reiki, or even dreaming.  When the metabolism has been artificially increased one loses the ability to reflect upon their life, their mistakes, or anything but forward motion.  They are essentially kicking the horse to continue when, in fact, it needs to drop to the ground and rest.  They are forcing their mind, body, and emotions into a feel-good high which prevents any kind of spiritual insights (*note:  on meditation courses coffee and tea are never served).   

Coffee and tea are, I believe, designed for the relative level of existence, rather than the absolute level.  'Relative' means 'worldly', mundane, and 'limited'.  It emphasizes physical endeavors, action, indulging the senses, and competition.  'Absolute' means 'everything' or 'the big picture', and it encompasses that aspect of humanity known as the 'soul' or higher self.   Thus if one is committed to knowing more of the big picture, it is vital that they eliminate obstructions to that path.  * By the way, have you seen the movie 'Medicine Man' with Sean Connery?  In that film he carries a tiny flask of concentrated caffeine solution--to be used for pain-killing in emergencies only!

There is more!  Caffeine drinks weaken the perimeter of the human aura (the aura is the equivalent of the shell of an egg, thus it must be intact to provide safety of the contents).  When the aura is weakened it eventually develops holes and cracks, allowing human vital force to leak out and intrusive material from outside to seep in.  This creates physical vulnerability (colds, flu, sinus infections, headaches, lethargy).  It allows for emotional vulnerability (weepiness, depression, apathy).  Mental conditions may become fragile (low self-esteem, confusion, anti-social behavior).  The average person will, when faced with these conditions, often head for the coffee pot to make themselves feel good again, thus weakening the aura further.  

Until recently that was the extent of my knowledge of caffeine's harmful effects.  But after listening to almost every student, friend, and family member complain about not sleeping well, I did further investigation.  What I found out is that when caffeine drinks are consumed throughout the day, in particular any time after noon, they interfere with deep sleep.  Yes, we have all heard about coffee and sleep problems.  But what most people don't know is that even if you go to sleep and stay asleep after a caffeine drink, your body is not able to access deep sleep.  This is the sleep phase that heals the body--and the mind and emotions.  Without deep sleep there is little or no re-balancing of the emotions, poor ability to cope with stress, and minimal physical healing.

The solution is to always consume your caffeine drinks before noon.  A better solution is to avoid caffeine altogether, but I'd be dreaming to think most folks would do that!  If you must have a coffee or a tea, it will have lost its nervous-stimulant effects by bedtime and you will sleep well.  Test it out!  

I always do research and experiment before I open my mouth, and in this case it has all been very enlightening.  I am not a coffee or tea drinker thus I am not addicted to caffeine--a good place to start.  But I have, of course, had coffee and tea over the years and I know what it does to my metabolism.  So over the past few months I have added specific caffeine drinks to my diet, in small quantities, at various times of day.  The first thing I noticed is that the mornings after consuming late afternoon tea the day before, I felt less able--or willing--to dive into my day as usual.  I felt less in-balance and had less enthusiasm.  I also felt a need for a morning caffeine drink (which I resisted).  But if I had a caffeine drink before noon the day before, there was little noticeable effect the next morning.  

Overall, there seemed to be a general weakening of the mind-body-emotions when more caffeine was consumed (at no time did I have more than one caffeine drink per day, and only altered the time of day, or the particular type of drink).  The 'weakening effect' was exacerbated if the drink came after the noon hour.  Avoiding caffeine altogether provided the best results and seemed to allow for a natural healing and balancing to occur.  Days were then consistently good-- again.  The reason I never became a coffee or tea drinker is because I always felt those negative effects whenever I indulged.  These days I believe most people have become so addicted to the 'upper' drink that they have forgotten how it feels to be normal.  'Normal' feels so much better!... once its been allowed to happen by eliminating stimulants.  

Please don't take my word for this!  Do your own research.  If you notice that you feel better--over time--by keeping your caffeine drink to the morning hours, you will convince yourself.

Sleep well!    

Now for some statistics:  

• Caffeine is present in considerable quantities in tea, coffee, yerba mate, guarana, cocoa and in cola nuts (used in pop).  

• The time necessary for the organism to eliminate from the blood half the quantity of any substance introduced into it is called "half-life".  Caffeine’s half-life in a human being varies according to age, sex, hormone condition, drugs taken, and effects of tobacco.  

• In the average adult non-smoker (without any special pathology), coffee’s half-life is 4-6 hours; in the case of smokers, it is 3 hours or less.  It increases up to 18-20 hours during the third quarter of pregnancy, and it is about 13 hours long in women taking oral contraceptives.  

• Black & green tea are produced from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, so both green and black tea naturally contain caffeine with both containing broadly similar amounts.  

• Caffeine unfavorably affects aortic stiffness and enhances wave reflections. This finding has implications for the impact of caffeine consumption on cardiovascular risk.  

• Caffeine is frequently added to many popular drugs people take, such as pain medications, cold medications and appetite suppressants for dieters.  Caffeine potentates the action of pain relievers, making them more effective.  

• In patients with coronary artery heart disease, with or without angina, and/or hypertension, drinking coffee or cola drinks, or drinking or eating chocolates, can precipitate a heart irregularity called PVCs (Premature Ventricular Contractions) or even heart palpitation.  

• Caffeine, like sugar, over stimulates the adrenals.  It then weakens them with persistent or chronic use.  First, sugar stimulates and weakens the adrenals, which creates fatigue.  Then we use caffeine to keep us aware and awake, further depleting our adrenals, to which many respond by drinking more caffeine with sugar.  In addition, people who overuse caffeine tend to need more tranquilizers and sleeping pills to help them relax or sleep.

Signs and Symptoms of Caffeine Intoxication or Abuse 

Nervousness, headache, increased heart rate, anxiety, upset stomach, irregular heartbeat, irritability, gastro-intestinal irritation, elevated blood pressure, agitation, heartburn, increased cholesterol, tremors, diarrhea, nutritional deficiencies, insomnia, fatigue, poor concentration, depression, dizziness, bed wetting.

Caffeine Withdrawal Symptoms

 Note that some people are much more drug-sensitive than others, and this includes caffeine.  One cup of tea in the morning may overwhelm the adrenals of some people.  So if you recognize yourself in this symptom list, it may be time to think about herbal tea!

More Statistics

• Caffeine is similar in structure to adenosine, a chemical found in the brain that slows down its activity. Since the two compete, the more caffeine you drink, the less adenosine is available up to a point. That’s why caffeine temporarily heightens concentration and wards off fatigue.
• Within 30 to 60 minutes of drinking a cup of coffee, caffeine reaches peak concentrations in the bloodstream. It typically takes four to six hours for its effects to wear off.
• Smokers remove caffeine from their blood twice as fast as nonsmokers. That may be why smokers tend to drink more coffee.
• The average American adult consumes about 200 milligrams (mg) of caffeine a day, and the top ten percent consume an average of 400 mg, according to John J. Barone, who tracks caffeine consumption at The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta.
• As little as 200 mg of caffeine is enough to make some people feel nervous and anxious. It might take even less for cola-guzzling kids.
• The typical American drinks about two cups of coffee a day. In 1962, when coffee consumption hit its peak, three cups was typical.
• Coffee accounts for about ¾ of the caffeine we consume. Tea makes up about 15 percent, soft drinks about ten percent, and chocolate about two percent.

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