Fasting is extreme. Perhaps small portions through the day of fruits, vegetables and grains are a better way for you to go to keep the nervous system and the digestive system smooth and calm. Now, if you crave, desire and need a jolt of caffeine every morning to get going, perhaps you may want to slow down or quit. Caffeine undermines the peace and balance that comes from your yoga practice.
Caffeine overload can trigger anxiety attacks, jitters, impatience, mood swings and insomnia. However, quitting cold is not necessarily the answer because you can become irritable with constipation and headaches as side-effects. There are elevated levels of caffeine in coffee, cocoa, and chocolate, as well as soft drinks and some teas that are healthy like green or black.
Slow down on caffeine – it is too dramatic and severe to give up instantly. Herbalists agree the best approach is to plan ahead. A six week planning time can work emotionally and psychologically. Start with some yogurt or herbal infusions. Herbal infusions are the result of large amounts of herbs brewed for a long time. Try putting a cup of dried herb in a quart jar, fill to the top with boiling water, cover, and let stand for at least four hours or maybe all through the night.
Strengthen your liver with bitters such as dandelion root or artichoke leafs. Taken before a meal herbs can improve your liver and digestion. The suggestions and ideas were talked about, tossed around and written down in the park near the art museum in Philadelphia, PA – - open forums are always held in a creative environment, outside or inside!
Try peppermint in your caffeine-free products. Put coffee in half the cup and use creamer for the other half. This will ease you into letting go of caffeine.
Remember, everything worthwhile and beneficial is challenging. Nothing comes easy!
Energy drinks contain , caffeine,sugars, herbs, and some amino acids. Of late, energy drinks have become popular among younger people. Realizing that high levels of caffeine and sugars present in energy drinks, we should educate people about some of the dangers associated with the consumption of energy drink.
If we look at the contents of energy drinks, it is obvious that the amount of caffeine is pretty high; in fact, one can of a typical energy drink contains 3-4 times the amount of caffeine one finds in Pepsi or Coke. Similarly, sugar levels in energy drinks also tend to be on the high side. A 355 ml can can contain 20-30 g of sugar. Add up the cereal and the muffins and you have an idea how many calories one can end up with.
While some benefits have been attributed to the use of energy drinks, these benefits tend to be temporary and can be harmful in the long run. For example, high doses of caffeine, supplanted by ginseng, may restore alertness in tired individuals, help improve cognitive performance, and bring on a high. However, there is a price to be paid in terms of the need for higher doses with continued use and the effects on the brain. Moreover, irregular heartbeat or arrhythmia has been reported with high caffeine use.
Another point of concern with the use of energy drinks stems from the fact that energy drinks contain herbs such as ginkgo bilboa. Ginkgo can accentuate the effects of caffeine.
Energy drinks also contain taurine- an amino acid. Some studies have shown that taurine and caffeine can improve alertness and information processinghttp://http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11713623.
Lastly, there is a misconception that energy drinks combined with alcohol can help ameliorate the negative effects of alcohol on coordination and reaction time- so vital for drivinghttp://http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20682226.
Admittedly, more studies need to be done to assess the effects of energy drinks on physiology and psychology of human behavior.
However, current knowledge and common sense tell us that excessive sugar and caffeine consumption can cause adverse effects.
Therefore, young folks should avoid the use of energy drinks if they want to remain healthy.
Starting the workday without coffee almost seems impossible these days. About 54% of adults in the United States are habitual coffee drinkers and work longer hours than their European counter-parts. Thus, Feeling stressed and over-worked could make anyone feel a little bit sluggish in the morning. This is why everyone reaches for that cup of Joe first thing in the morning.
So does this magical brown liquid called coffee, make us better employees? More efficient? More energetic? Healthier? Well, it is no secret that the caffeine in coffee provides a boost or a crutch to start your workday. In fact, research has shown that a cup of Joe a day could help you stay sharper throughout the day. 250 milligrams of caffeine per day-that’s two to three cups of Joe-wakes up the brain, improves concentration, relieves stress, and may also help you live longer.
It seems that over the years the coffee pot has become a fixture at every office, showroom, and boardroom. Certainly, as the cost of living has increased over the years, so has the demand for overtime and longer work hours. Coffee has helped us maintain that balance between our workday and our personal lives by providing a source of energy when it is needed the most.
Could coffee actually be good for your health? A study from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences found that a daily dose of caffeine may block the disruptive effects of high cholesterol that scientists have linked to Alzheimer’s disease. In another study conducted in 2009 showed that drinking coffee can lower the risk of lethal prostate cancer. Coffee is a high source of antioxidants which are mostly found in fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants possess cancer fighting abilities and are very crucial to our daily diet. Most Americans get their antioxidant intake through coffee than any thing else (according to 2005 study by University of Scranton).
America is predominately a coffee drinking nation. 146 billion cups of coffee are consumed each year, about 3 to 4 times as much as tea. There is certainly more positive news out there about coffee than negative. So go ahead and drink your coffee with confidence. However, it is imperative to remember that there is a thin line between caffeine addiction and your daily dosage. So drink responsibly.
Pregnant women can enjoy their morning coffee without risking harm to their unborn baby, scientists claim.
In the past, mothers-to-be have been advised not to drink coffee at all because it was thought to substantially increase the risk of harm to the foetus and of reduced birth weight, which makes the child more likely to die early or suffer developmental problems.
Now researchers claim that one large cup of coffee a day is unlikely to cause any harm at all.
They say that 200mg of caffeine – the equivalent of two cups of instant or one of filter – will not increase the risk of miscarriage or premature birth.
However, scientists still warn that expectant mothers should not have more than two cups a day as this increases the chance of miscarriage or premature birth.
The U.S. research by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, looked at two previous studies on the effects of coffee consumption on 1,000 pregnant women.
One study found no increased rate of miscarriage for women who consumed low, moderate, or high levels of caffeine at different points in their pregnancy.
Via: dailymail.co.uk
PREGNANT women need no longer give up their morning cup of coffee.
A research review by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists had found that moderate caffeine consumption probably won’t increase the risk of a miscarriage or premature birth.
Until recently, studies have had conflicting findings about the effect of moderate caffeine consumption on pregnancy complications but a College committee has reviewed the evidence.
“I think it’s time to comfortably say that it’s OK to have a cup of coffee during pregnancy,” Dr William Barth, the chair of the College committee, said.
The College’s Committee on Obstetric Practice said that 200 milligrams of caffeine a day – about the amount in a 12-ounce cup of coffee – doesn’t significantly contribute to miscarriages or premature births.
That definition of “moderate caffeine consumption” would also include drinking about four 8-ounce cups of tea or more than five 12-ounce cans of soda a day, or eating six or seven dark chocolate bars. The committee said the evidence was not clear on whether consuming more than 200mg of caffeine a day might raise pregnancy risks.
The group considered two recent studies, each of which followed more than 1,000 pregnant women.
One study, led by Dr David Savitz of The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, found no increased rate of miscarriage for women who consumed low, moderate, or high levels of caffeine at different points in their pregnancy. In the other, Dr Li De-kun and his colleagues at Kaiser Permanente’s Division of Research in Oakland found a higher risk of miscarriage in women who consumed more than 200mg of caffeine per day, but no extra risk at lower levels.
The committee also pointed to two other studies that found that a mother’s moderate caffeine intake did not make it any more likely she would deliver a baby prematurely.
Research has shown that caffeine is able to cross the placenta, which led to worries that it could cause miscarriage or premature birth.