Teeccino Caffe article on the effects of caffeine on the body. www.teeccino.com

1. Kick The Caffeine Habit and Feel The Years Roll Off
It’s the common complaint you hear uttered by friends, family and co-workers throughout
the day. “I just can’t get going without my cup of coffee!” What happened to the days of
childhood when we used to bound out of bed with plenty of energy and we kept going at
an energetic pace until night? Most people assume that age causes diminished energy
supply, but lifestyle practices may lead to fatigue as well.
Although we hope to boost our energy levels when reaching for a cup of coffee, in truth
we are actually inducing a state of stress. Caffeine drives the adrenal glands to produce
stress hormones that can remain in the blood stream up to 18 hours after consumption.
These hormones produce the “fight or flight” response that nature designed to help save
our lives when every bit of energy is required to survive an impending disaster, such as an
attack by a foe. In today’s world, where we are more often sitting at a desk, driving in our
car, or eating a meal, caffeine can put us into a chronic state of stress with no way to burn
off the extra fuel and hormones.
Caffeine-induced stress can produce mood swings and insomnia, increase muscle tension,
impair digestion and nutrition, restrict blood circulation to the brain, elevate blood
pressure, create blood sugar swings, and accelerate the heart rate. Yet the lines at the local
coffee bar are still stretching out the door with people desperate for their next caffeine
“fix”.
In addition, while the adrenals are busy pumping out cortisol to send energy to the
muscles and divert energy from the digestive and immune systems, there is a very
important hormone they aren't making: DHEA. It turns out that the adrenals have to
reduce their production of the most important anti-aging hormone your body requires for
youth and longevity in order to produce the stress hormones that ultimately weaken your
immune system and impair your health.
DHEA is the mother hormone for all the sex hormones such as estrogen and testosterone,
and it also increases your brain's seratonin levels naturally. So if you've been feeling down
in the dumps and your lover no longer interests you, check out how much caffeine you are
consuming daily in that coffee mug of yours!
© Caroline MacDougall
February 18, 2001

2. It turns out that a cup of coffee is not your normal 8 oz cup, but a mere 5 oz cup. So when
you read that a couple of cups of coffee a day shouldn't be any problem to your health,
think of one 10 oz mug because that is what they are actually talking about. When you add
to that the statistics for caffeine content in a cup of coffee brewed at popular coffee bars,
you'll find out that you can expect up to 300 mg in that 10 oz cup, not the 150 mg you
might find in a cup of coffee from your own coffee maker.
Decaf coffee drinkers who think they have switched to a healthier choice will be surprised
to find out that a Stanford University study showed that decaf coffee raises the cholesterol
higher and faster than regular coffee. A cup of decaf coffee still contains around 7 mg of
caffeine. Plus, the beans chosen for decaf coffee have a higher acidic content than regular
coffee to compensate for flavor loss during the decaffeination process.
With all this bad news about our favorite legal drug habit, you may be wondering what is
alternatives exist. Stephen Cherniske M.S., the author of Caffeine Blues (Warner 1998),
recommends switching to caffeine-free herbal coffee over a 2-week period. Herbal coffee,
made from carob, chicory, barley, dates, figs and almonds, can be brewed right in your
coffee maker.
It is not as hard as you may think to ease yourself off of caffeine. If you use a two-week
weaning program, by slowly reducing the amount of caffeine you consume daily, you can
avoid withdrawal headaches and help your adrenal glands recover. You may be surprised
to find in two to three months that you feel better than you've felt since you were a child
and that, once again, you have an abundance of energy and enthusiasm for life!
KICK THE CAFFEINE HABIT
Caffeine withdrawal headaches can be incapacitating. Often they are accompanied by
fatigue as your body starts to recuperate from its former caffeine-driven pace. Caffeine
constricts blood vessels in the brain and decreases circulation. When caffeine is not
present, the sudden increased circulation causes headaches. The good news is that you can
avoid this pitfall by slowly weaning yourself off of caffeine over a two to three week
period.
Start by making a pot of coffee by mixing 3/4 of your normal coffee to 1/4 caffeine-free
herbal coffee. Gradually reduce the percentage of your coffee in each pot over a two-three
© Caroline MacDougall
February 18, 2001

3. week period until you are drinking 100% herbal coffee. You should be able to avoid the
headaches and also gradually adjust your body to less reliance on stimulants.
Try these herbal tonics to help rebuild adrenal health and detoxify the body:
• Siberian Ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus)
• Panax Ginseng (Panax ginseng or quinquefolius)
• Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
• Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus)
• Ashwaganda (Withania somnifera))
• Milk thistle (Silybum marianum)
Some serious coffee drinkers experience quot;brain fogquot; in the first month or so after quitting
caffeine. Good nutrition along with a bio-energetic supplement, coupled with some herbal
extracts including gotu kola and gingko biloba will help you clear that “fog” and restore
your normal brain clarity.
© 2001 Caroline MacDougall is an herbalist with 25 years of expertise designing caffeine-
free herbal beverages. She has designed herbal beverages for The Republic of Tea, Yogi
Tea, Uncle Lee's Tea, Seelect Teas, and Teeccino Caffé.
© Caroline MacDougall
February 18, 2001