I'm getting older and some mildly bad habits are catching up with me.

I was never a big drinker but realized any amount of alcohol messed me up for a full day later, largely due to disrupted sleep. Also, all the latest research shows that no amount of alcohol is good for you, despite what we have been told most our lives. So, I completely stopped alcohol and I don't miss it much.

Now, I'm targeting caffeine.

Tea and coffee are about the only two things I don't like; just never acquired a taste for either. But about 20 years ago I started to drink diet soda in the mornings. Take a Diet Coke with me in the car for those long L.A. commutes, then have more during the day.

I knew this wasn't good for me but it's really about my only vice, and it's a minor one. I don't like energy drinks, and a Diet Coke has about 45 MG of caffeine, about half a cup of coffee or a Red Bull.

But...

I know it's not healthy and I don't need studies to tell me that. It's full of all kinds of chemicals and for me, it's really just a caffeine delivery system.

So, after a slow taper of several months, I just stopped buying diet soda altogether. I'm about a week in and I've been dealing with withdrawal symptoms from reduction, but they have been manageable. Now, I just feel low energy in the mornings but it seems I'm better in the afternoons, where I had always faded hard before.

There is a very extensive subreddit on getting rid of caffeine, which shouldn't be surprising because it wasn't that long ago there was no such thing as energy drinks or even drive-thru coffee places. Americans in particular seem to have a national caffeine addiction problem and now many are becoming aware of the consequences.


Have others cut caffeine from their diet?

I can tell you that I feel okay but also like I have low-grade depression. From what I've read, that can last a few months while your brain and body rewire from being overly stimulated (in bursts) for years on end. From the many personal accounts I've read, there are great long-term benefits.

I used to drink coffee throughout the day... often having 3-4 cups. I eventually realized that it wasn't helping with anything. I haven't quit, but I've cut back to a more moderate 1-2 cups. I know that I also should probably take occasional 2-3 day breaks from coffee so my body adjusts. However, I haven't considered quitting completely because I don't see big downsides to a cup a day. I get that diet pops have downsides. I just have black coffee without sugar or creamer. I'd love to hear the case for giving up coffee completely.

Why would anyone want to live without dope, whores, alcohol, caffeine and fatty foods?

Gotta admit I never did smoke.

I am caffeine sensitive and try not to consume any past 4:00pm. I have switched (for the most part) to decaffeinated coffee and limit my consumption of caffeinated sodas. I will not consume caffeinated root beer. I remember seeing decaffeinated Dr. Pepper a long time ago and I have not currently seen it sold on store shelves.

I used to drink coffee throughout the day... often having 3-4 cups. I eventually realized that it wasn't helping with anything. I haven't quit, but I've cut back to a more moderate 1-2 cups. I know that I also should probably take occasional 2-3 day breaks from coffee so my body adjusts. However, I haven't considered quitting completely because I don't see big downsides to a cup a day. I get that diet pops have downsides. I just have black coffee without sugar or creamer. I'd love to hear the case for giving up coffee completely.

The main problem is that it is a drug, a stimulant, and it affects you in ways that you don't realize until you stop.

The immediate downside is that it causes you to be overly stimulated, then under-stimulated. Especially over time, it can lead to big troughs in the afternoons and parts of the evening. The typical high/crash cycle.

And like any drug, it's just not good for you. Bad for your brain, makes your heart beat too fast. It's basically speed.


Now that caffeine is so widely ingested in such high volumes over decades (this is really only in the last 20-30 years or so), the long-term effects are just now being seen and understood. There is a big movement -- especially from people over 35 -- to get completely off caffeine. And for most, it's incredibly hard to do so, which says a lot about the hold it takes of your body.

I have cut caffeine out of, like, 95% of my life. I still eat chocolate, but I've never been huge on sugar, so that's more a special occasion thing. And in that same vein, I have had a coffee from time-to-time (never more than 1/month) for things such as catching up with a friend who's in town. Not being huge on sugar means I was a coffee-only guy, so never had to deal with soda/pop or energy drinks when I decided to cut my caffeine intake.

Main reasons for giving it up was sleeping issues, an inescapable feeling of anxiety when I consumed more cups of coffee than average, and withdrawal headaches if I went more than a day without having it (due to something like travel that changed my daily routine). Since I've been wanting to get back into more outdoors stuff like hiking trips, I didn't want to find myself feeling miserable on a trail because I didn't have coffee. It was a challenge getting through all the withdrawal symptoms once I went cold turkey. I did find that my desire for high coffee consumption had been more to have a hot beverage, particularly in the Winter months. I've since replaced that with caffeine-free herbal teas, which has helped give me something to sip on during working hours.

Biggest health thing I can definitively note was that my resting heart rate has decreased from ~70 bpm to ~60 bpm. Oh, and my blood pressure dropped. I do sleep better, but that probably has a dual cause of better sleep behavior (consistent sleep time, no electronic screen with me in the bed, etc.). Not sure if giving caffeine (or largely abstaining from it) is for everyone, but it has seemed to help me out a lot.

Good for you, Pete, push through the difficult periods and keep it up. The simpler we eat, the better. Period.

This thread made me curious to see what experts said. From what I can find, coffee seems to offer as many health benefits as drawbacks. Here’s from the chair (https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/is-coffee-good-or-bad-for-your-health/) of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health:


The overall evidence has been pretty convincing that coffee has been more healthful than harmful in terms of health outcomes…

And later in the article:


Hu said that moderate coffee intake—about 2–5 cups a day—is linked to a lower likelihood of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver and endometrial cancers, Parkinson’s disease, and depression. It’s even possible that people who drink coffee can reduce their risk of early death.

The Mayo Clinic says the same thing (https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/coffee-and-health/faq-20058339).

While this one is harder to believe, there’s a new study (https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/coffee-drinkers-inactivity-health-benefits-massachusetts-study/):


A new study suggests that drinking coffee can help reduce the risk of death in people who are inactive and may offset the negative impacts it has on your body.

What am I missing? Now, of course, everyone should pay attention to how their body reacts to coffee and make their own decisions. I’m going to cut down this week and try at least a few days without coffee just to see how it affects me. But I’m not finding strong evidence that coffee is bad for the health for most people.

^

Then drink decaf.

The reason you don't is because you -- like millions of others -- are addicted to caffeine.


Anytime you can't quit something without severe withdrawal symptoms, there is an obvious problem.

I can quit coffee without severe withdrawal symptoms though. I’ll do it this week just to verify.

But, yeah, I generally think it’s a good practice to take coffee breaks, but there doesn’t seem to be evidence that people in general should quit. But I’m glad you’re moving toward practices that work for you. That’s what it’s important for each of us.

^

To really rid your body of the effects of caffeine, you need to be off it for 3 months or more.

For what it's worth, when I told my Doctor I was cutting down on coffee he stated that the caffeine was much better for me than the nicotine. So, I cut the coffee down to 2 cups a day from six, and traded the tobacco pouches for nicotine pouches. I feel much better and don't have the evening tachycardia I was experiencing. The Doctor told me that it was the tobacco and not the nicotine that would cause cancer problems. Go figure....

I'll never totally give up coffee but these days I mostly drink ground cacao (Crio Bru) in it's place and limit coffee to when I go out to eat breakfast or on Saturday morning I take the puppy for a ride and get a coffee and she gets treats.

I have noticed my sleep has improved not drinking coffee on a daily basis.

For what it's worth, when I told my Doctor I was cutting down on coffee he stated that the caffeine was much better for me than the nicotine. So, I cut the coffee down to 2 cups a day from six, and traded the tobacco pouches for nicotine pouches. I feel much better and don't have the evening tachycardia I was experiencing. The Doctor told me that it was the tobacco and not the nicotine that would cause cancer problems. Go figure....

Go figure is right. The only people on my mother's and father's side of the family who lived well into their 80's and 90's didn't smoke or drink. That is how my parents lived, so my father died at 89 and my mother died at 96. They drank Maxwell House instant coffee several times a day.

I never took up smoking. I drink some but since older never for the purpose of getting cross-eyed drunk. Doing that is very unhealthy every time.

I only drink 2 or 3 cups of coffee a day. The key to enjoying life is exercising moderation without going overboard. I think my biggest failure at moderation is being too lazy to regularly exercise.

I won't doubt that caffeine is at best a net neutral on your health. One thing I'll say about it though that I think matters is that often people are consuming various types of beverages, whether filled with caffeine or alcohol, and ignoring drinking water and eating super hydrating foods (cucumbers, celery, tomatoes, etc). I think that the lower levels of hydration absolutely play a part in energy levels and how you feel overall.

I'm in my mid-30s. I've been trying to dramatically reduce my soda intake for the past 2 years with periods of moderate success and periods of exceptional failure.

When routinely consuming soda, I can definitely relate to the energy drops in the evenings vs. what I used to have. I've noticed that when abstaining, the first 5ish days are really hard from both an addictive, sometimes headache perspective, but also at the end of the day I'm crawling for the last few hours until bed. After those 5ish days I do notice things are better and that my energy levels stay really consistent throughout the day, especially if I stay hydrated and have eaten decently well.

At the end of the day, the nutrition in this country is just absolute trash so anything you can do to reduce the processed intake is good.

Drink more water, ok that's all...

I think it probably affects each person differently depending on your make up. I have been taking Adderall for over 30 years and drink coffee until around 2:00pm. The coffee affects me differently since I have adhd. I just checked and my resting heartbeat is 53 and my current heartbeat is 65. I have had this discussion with my doctor as well. she agreed that it affects everyone differently.

I like a glass of Scotch. But if I have more than a couple I get a headache and have to deal with it the next day.

I've got a problem with caffeine. I drink a cup of coffee most mornings. I'm fully aware that I should stop. Maybe some day I'll work up the willpower to stop. So far I just don't wanna.

This thread made me curious to see what experts said. From what I can find, coffee seems to offer as many health benefits as drawbacks. Here’s from the chair (https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/is-coffee-good-or-bad-for-your-health/) of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health:



And later in the article:



The Mayo Clinic says the same thing (https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/coffee-and-health/faq-20058339).

While this one is harder to believe, there’s a new study (https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/coffee-drinkers-inactivity-health-benefits-massachusetts-study/):



What am I missing? Now, of course, everyone should pay attention to how their body reacts to coffee and make their own decisions. I’m going to cut down this week and try at least a few days without coffee just to see how it affects me. But I’m not finding strong evidence that coffee is bad for the health for most people.

I don't think you are missing anything ..

I switched to kombucha (real, not ACV) and naked (or similar zero sugar added brands) fruit juice blends; along with massive amounts of water.

After I passed 40 I realized coffee and soda made me feel like crap. Once in a great while may have sugar free ice tea but even that leaves me feeling slightly off.

I'm real close to kicking alcohol out of my life. When I dread the weekends or long holiday weekends because I will feel moody and don't get a good night sleep until Wednesday the following week, it's just not worth it anymore.

Agree on reducing or completely eliminating alcohol (darn it cause I really like beer) but apparently as we age it is metabolized very poorly and, as Pete said, there’s really no amount that’s good. Disrupts sleep for sure. I’m down to one stiff cup of coffee in the morning but know I’m an addict, would love to quit that too. Will try the Crio Bru. Have to be careful looking at isolated cases for evidence though. Both my parents were healthy and died in their mid 80’s, daily consumers of both coffee and cocktails for as long as I remember. ��*♀️

Drink more water, ok that's all...

one of the single best things anyone can do to improve health .. drink lots of water ..

one of the single best things anyone can do to improve health .. drink lots of water ..

You know, I have never really been a big soda drinker, but when I was in college, I drank a fair amount of it--not daily, but close. Ever since graduating (24 years ago!) I pretty much have been on exclusively water--no coffee or alcohol for me ever. I love carbonation though, so I have been a big sparkling water fan, but I only drink three times a week or so and have it plain or with natural juice--most often lemon juice (terrific tasting, organic glass-bottled, Italian lemon juice at Costco, btw)--and I love it. Zero calories, good hydration, and you get the sparkle effervescence! The Soda Stream has been a very good investment for our family. I even got my young kids on sparkling water when they were little, so they like it and pretty much only drink it when they drink soda-they are in middle school now. Otherwise I drink filtered still water exclusively. On these hot days, I really like to add LMNT (which is an electrolyte powder) to my water once a day after my evening walk--way better for you than Gatorade or other sports drinks.

Surprisingly, I don't miss the taste of soda at all and therefore have not switched to caffeine-free versions. I just don't miss it.

I do miss the caffeine but I'm already starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. I miss the morning rush but that is offset by a much more even energy level throughout the rest of the day.

I'm also sleeping much better, and sleep is perhaps the most underrated aspect of health. You don't hear about it much because there isn't a lot of money to be made there, apart from the ridiculous number of new mattress options.

The combination of better rest and even energy distribution is starting to make a noticeable difference.

Update: So, I usually drink 1-2 cups of coffee everyday (it's the only caffeine I typically have), but per this conversation I decided to see how my body would respond to giving up coffee for a few days. I had a half cup of coffee on Sunday and I haven't had any caffeine since. I had more symptoms than I expected on Monday. I was pretty fatigued all day and eventually did get a headache, which I didn't expect. Definitely wasn't at my best all day. However, I am feeling great today. No fatigue or headaches thus far.

It's definitely a good experiment. I'm planning to go one more day without coffee. Going forward, I don't think I'll give up coffee because I already sleep well, feel good, and am pretty healthy. However, I am going to cut down on coffee some more so that I'm only having one cup on 4-5 days a week instead of every day. I may sub in some decaf on some days too. This is basically the same thing I've done with alcohol too. For me, I think moderation is key.

^

Keep in mind that the effects of caffeine catch up with you the older you get.

It happens so gradually over such a long period very few are aware until they stop for several months.

I drink two half-caf Nespressos each morning, and will sometimes have (unsweet) iced tea for lunch. I pretty much never drink caffeinated sodas. So I probably average just over a cup of coffee per day. On days that I rush out of the house and miss my coffee I don't notice any difference whatsoever. That said, I am ADHD and our brains do react quite a bit differently than most to caffeine. I could literally have a couple of full-strength espressos before bedtime and sleep like a baby.

Has anyone tried the mushroom coffee stuff? I'd love to hear personal anecdotes about it.

In the Rio Platense region of South America there is a tea called "Yerba Mate" that is very commonly drunk down there and a lot of people consume incredible amounts of it. People swear it has a different effect than coffee. I sometimes use that to go cold turkey on the sodas but still keep some caffeine in the system.

Pete, I know they suck (loathe them myself) but try cold showers. They can spike endorphins just like those dopamine drops caffeine (and alcohol even) give you, as well as helping with any mild depression while tapering. I assume since they are likely recommended in the mornings you could mid day as well.

Former 4/5 cup black coffee daily drinker here that like others was anxiety sensitive and I entirely rely on good sleep or will have a schlew of issues without it, and gave it up with no return in sight closing in on a year now. I do drink a ton of water and never drink “pop” as the sugar content (or aspartame) alone are worth the kick. Also yes, alcohol is just literal poison luckily this is widely coming to light recently. That one isn’t a fun realization but it’s nothing but cons.

Surprisingly, I don't miss the taste of soda at all and therefore have not switched to caffeine-free versions. I just don't miss it.

I do miss the caffeine but I'm already starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. I miss the morning rush but that is offset by a much more even energy level throughout the rest of the day.

I'm also sleeping much better, and sleep is perhaps the most underrated aspect of health. You don't hear about it much because there isn't a lot of money to be made there, apart from the ridiculous number of new mattress options.

The combination of better rest and even energy distribution is starting to make a noticeable difference.

Five years ago, I gave up on soda and any sugary drink for good. I have cut down on drinking alcohol to almost none at all. I put myself to bed early—10 pm is the latest for me. I have cut the coffee down to one large 16 oz. cup in the morning and stopped drinking it before noon. I try to walk every day, even if it is super hot outside. I just go to the gym for at least 30 minutes. All of this has helped me get more sleep and feel healthier altogether. I even look younger than I did five years ago. Ha!

The extent to which the American culture has become caffeine addicted is pretty staggering.

It used to be that some people would fix themselves a cup of coffee before going to work, and/or drink a small amount in their office. But there was always a big percentage of the population that didn't drink coffee at all. When I was in undergrad in the 80s and then grad school in the 90s, nobody was drinking coffee let alone Red Bull. There weren't even coffee pots at most of my jobs until well into the 2000s.

Now, we have a Starbuck's on every corner, 10 other drive-thru coffee chains, the huge success of energy drinks (both in cans and at various restaurants), and tons of boba tea places along with the booming HTeaO. Not to mention the huge amount of soda consumed everywhere: at home, fast food, restaurants, and pretty much every place you go.

This is all relatively new and pretty crazy to think about. And it's all driven by caffeine.

The extent to which the American culture has become caffeine addicted is pretty staggering.

It used to be that some people would fix themselves a cup of coffee before going to work, and/or drink a small amount in their office. But there was always a big percentage of the population that didn't drink coffee at all. When I was in undergrad in the 80s and then grad school in the 90s, nobody was drinking coffee let alone Red Bull. There weren't even coffee pots at most of my jobs until well into the 2000s.

Now, we have a Starbuck's on every corner, 10 other drive-thru coffee chains, the huge success of energy drinks (both in cans and at various restaurants), and tons of boba tea places along with the booming HTeaO. Not to mention the huge amount of soda consumed everywhere: at home, fast food, restaurants, and pretty much every place you go.

This is all relatively new and pretty crazy to think about. And it's all driven by caffeine.

i will say that black coffee has been a staple of the military for much much longer then this .. going back to the 60's at least

i will say that black coffee has been a staple of the military for much much longer then this .. going back to the 60's at least

So were cigarettes.

So were cigarettes.

no doubt and sadly they still are for lot of military members ..

Congrats Pete!

I gave up caffeine once cold turkey... it took 2-3 days for my horrible headache to go away. That experiment only lasted a few months... then I realized how much I missed Dr. Pepper. I went more for the diet versions, but I kept adding more and more. Now, I would guess I am well over 200 mg of caffeine per day. The number one thing I notice is that if I don't get caffeine by a certain amount of time, I get a severe headache. I have thought about quitting again (getting old also), but... it's tough and a big commitment to successfully do it.

The extent to which the American culture has become caffeine addicted is pretty staggering.

It used to be that some people would fix themselves a cup of coffee before going to work, and/or drink a small amount in their office. But there was always a big percentage of the population that didn't drink coffee at all. When I was in undergrad in the 80s and then grad school in the 90s, nobody was drinking coffee let alone Red Bull. There weren't even coffee pots at most of my jobs until well into the 2000s.

Now, we have a Starbuck's on every corner, 10 other drive-thru coffee chains, the huge success of energy drinks (both in cans and at various restaurants), and tons of boba tea places along with the booming HTeaO. Not to mention the huge amount of soda consumed everywhere: at home, fast food, restaurants, and pretty much every place you go.

This is all relatively new and pretty crazy to think about. And it's all driven by caffeine.

When I go to a coffee shop, my drink consists of two ingredients: Espresso and milk. I don't think that's true of most people. I suspect it's more the trifecta of sugar, fat and caffeine in most of the drinks those places serve. Just like sugar/processed carbs, fat and salt are why people consume so much junk food.

I'm 56 and there have always been coffee drinkers around but it wasn't until coffee drinks became sugar/fat bombs, that it seemed to be everywhere. Heck, that's how I got into drinking coffee. Those crappy little bottles of Starbucks Frappucino.

Has anyone tried the mushroom coffee stuff? I'd love to hear personal anecdotes about it.

Yes... I love mushrooms but I could never develop a taste for the mushroom coffee.

Has anyone tried the mushroom coffee stuff? I'd love to hear personal anecdotes about it.

I'm trying it now and will say it is an acquired taste. I prefer to add some cinnamon, nutmeg, and a little honey to make it more palatable. Still unsure of any benefits but decided to give it two solid months before making a determination on that.

I expect a full report on my desk by 9/15.

But for real, I will probably come back to this thread as I would love to find a healthier substitute for the Cokes and DrPeppers

I expect a full report on my desk by 9/15.

But for real, I will probably come back to this thread as I would love to find a healthier substitute for the Cokes and DrPeppers

If you want the convenience of a canned drink but with "clean" ingredients, try Spin Drift, it doesn't have the very ambiguous "natural flavors" that Le Croix, Bubbly, etc. have in them. Those "natural flavors" are anything but...they are artificially produced. Look for straight fruit juice and no artificial sweeteners when choosing a "better" soda. Best option is to make your own with a Soda Stream because then you can use good, clean juices (I love organic lemon juice or lime juice) and your own filtered water from something like a Berkey water filter.

Has anyone tried the mushroom coffee stuff? I'd love to hear personal anecdotes about it.

In the Rio Platense region of South America there is a tea called "Yerba Mate" that is very commonly drunk down there and a lot of people consume incredible amounts of it. People swear it has a different effect than coffee. I sometimes use that to go cold turkey on the sodas but still keep some caffeine in the system.

I've been using Ryze mushroom coffee. It has an earthy flavor underlying the coffee flavor, and using some creamer in it will help reduce it. After 1 month I'm not feeling much different, but will probably wait until after 2 months to decide whether to keep on it or not.

Update: So, I usually drink 1-2 cups of coffee everyday (it's the only caffeine I typically have), but per this conversation I decided to see how my body would respond to giving up coffee for a few days. I had a half cup of coffee on Sunday and I haven't had any caffeine since. I had more symptoms than I expected on Monday. I was pretty fatigued all day and eventually did get a headache, which I didn't expect. Definitely wasn't at my best all day. However, I am feeling great today. No fatigue or headaches thus far.

It's definitely a good experiment. I'm planning to go one more day without coffee. Going forward, I don't think I'll give up coffee because I already sleep well, feel good, and am pretty healthy. However, I am going to cut down on coffee some more so that I'm only having one cup on 4-5 days a week instead of every day. I may sub in some decaf on some days too. This is basically the same thing I've done with alcohol too. For me, I think moderation is key.

Alright, credit to Pete as I am starting to rethink drinking coffee regularly going forward. As I said, I had one day of withdrawal symptoms (headache, fatigue), but I've had no side effects since then. The biggest difference for me is that without coffee is that I'm not crashing in the late afternoon as bad. I still get a little tired, but I can persevere through it. Instead of turning into a walking zombie or taking a nap, which can then make it harder to fall asleep at a reasonable time. My energy level seems more stable instead of spiking up and then crashing down. I am going to try cutting coffee/caffeine out of my regular diet going forward. I've been drinking non-caffeinated tea in the afternoon so I'm not only drinking water all day. The other benefit is that when I really do want coffee or need an energy burst, it'll be much more effective. Good stuff, and it all started with this thread.

i wonder how many of those that are drinking coffee everyday .. have quite a bit of cream and sugar?? vs just black??

I have a splash (about a tablespoon) of half and half in mine, no sugar or sweetener. And please also keep your sugar and sweeteners away from my iced tea when I drink that.

i wonder how many of those that are drinking coffee everyday .. have quite a bit of cream and sugar?? vs just black??

Always Black, but if I have some half and half from a holiday or something I will sometimes use it, but not routinely. Sugar makes me clairvoyant, and I've had my share of sugar..

If you want the convenience of a canned drink but with "clean" ingredients, try Spin Drift, it doesn't have the very ambiguous "natural flavors" that Le Croix, Bubbly, etc. have in them. Those "natural flavors" are anything but...they are artificially produced. Look for straight fruit juice and no artificial sweeteners when choosing a "better" soda. Best option is to make your own with a Soda Stream because then you can use good, clean juices (I love organic lemon juice or lime juice) and your own filtered water from something like a Berkey water filter.

Sprouts has a brand called Nixie that is similar to Spin Drift. It has everything you want in a Coke with high carbonation and solid flavors.

Sprouts has a brand called Nixie that is similar to Spin Drift. It has everything you want in a Coke with high carbonation and solid flavors.

I have seen that, but the ingredients are "Carbonated water, organic flavors" Too mysterious for me. That likely means they are lab created flavorings that are organic. Fine, but that is a bit of "green washing" to me. I'll pass.

I thought this was a good interview with a coffee expert. It is long, but some interesting things come up.


https://youtu.be/TqNrJNhcf5g?si=djIEksclCUdJNR9B

Coffee and caffeine are completely separate things. And BTW, even decaf coffee has a small amount of caffeine.

I'm now a couple of weeks into completely cutting caffeine. It hasn't been easy... I miss the instant jolt of energy, especially in the mornings. The biggest advantages have been more energy in the afternoons and evenings and better sleep.

I'm committed to going 90 days and I hope this gets easier by then.

Coffee and caffeine are completely separate things. And BTW, even decaf coffee has a small amount of caffeine.

I'm now a couple of weeks into completely cutting caffeine. It hasn't been easy... I miss the instant jolt of energy, especially in the mornings. The biggest advantages have been more energy in the afternoons and evenings and better sleep.

I'm committed to going 90 days and I hope this gets easier by then.

Here is another episode of the same podcast. It is by Dr. Daniel Amen, who discusses the effects Caffeine has on blood circulation. The older you get, the worse caffeine can be for you.


https://youtu.be/zBxcXstvlpc?si=EN3OAUWtptW0bTAI&t=156

Two other completely American Business Manufactured popular drinks: orange/fruit juice and milk.

Juice of course is just pure sugar.

But why on earth are humans drinking cow's milk?? Stop and think about that for a minute.

The only reason these things are so common in the American diet is the huge industries and marketing campaigns behind them.

Two other completely American Business Manufactured popular drinks: orange/fruit juice and milk.

Juice of course is just pure sugar.

But why on earth are humans drinking cow's milk?? Stop and think about that for a minute.

The only reason these things are so common in the American diet is the huge industries and marketing campaigns behind them.

Sorry, I stand by my enjoyment of milk. This is my only contribution to this thread.

Adults like cows' milk because they are fed it at an early age and consistently throughout their childhood.

The reason 65% of adults are lactose intolerant is because it is something we were never meant to consume.

It just goes to show how big business indoctrinates us and we never even realize it. Stop and think about what milk actually is.

Something else no one ever considers about cow's milk.... It's designed to grow a 60-100 lb calf into a 360 lb calf in about 120 days.

Growing up, we were not allowed to drink Whole milk, but my parents just gave us Skim milk, which has sugar. Apple juice and skim milk were not a good combo, but they thought it was good for us. Haha!

i wonder how many of those that are drinking coffee everyday .. have quite a bit of cream and sugar?? vs just black??

3-5 cups a day. Always black but an occasional splurge by adding baileys on weekends or when travelling. I love it but too heavy and to many calories to add other than a splurge

Sorry, I stand by my enjoyment of milk. This is my only contribution to this thread.

I'm with you. Cheerios call for milk, not nut juice from almonds. Being of central European ancestry, lactose intolerance is not in my genes.
https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/actose-tolerance-part-of-our-european-cultural-heritage#:~:text=Lactose%20intolerance%20is%20main ly%20prevalent,north%20and%20west%20you%20go.

^

Cereal is another invention by American Big Business. Almost nobody else eats it.

^

Cereal is another invention by American Big Business. Almost nobody else eats it.

"Almost nobody else eats it" does not appear to be the case
https://www.glanbianutritionals.com/en/nutri-knowledge-center/insights/global-trends-breakfast-cereals#:~:text=The%20%2430.1%20billion%20global%2 0retail,over%20the%20past%20five%20years.&text=North%20America%20and%20Western%20Europe%20ar e%20the%20largest%20markets%20(accounting,11%25%20 between%202021%20and%202023.

"Nobody else eating it" does not appear to be the case
https://www.glanbianutritionals.com/en/nutri-knowledge-center/insights/global-trends-breakfast-cereals#:~:text=The%20%2430.1%20billion%20global%2 0retail,over%20the%20past%20five%20years.&text=North%20America%20and%20Western%20Europe%20ar e%20the%20largest%20markets%20(accounting,11%25%20 between%202021%20and%202023.

To the extent it is elsewhere, it was just invented in America and then marketed to other countries by big American conglomerates, just like coffee, soda, and energy drinks.

This stuff is all highly, highly processed crap.