CAFF: Drinking too much caffeine from liquid sources like coffee, sodas, and other high-caffeine drinks with no nutritional value. And consuming other products containing caffeine like medications and diet pills.
Coffee and other caffeinated drinks
If you think that just because you don’t drink coffee or you drink decaf that you aren’t consuming any caffeine, think again. Under current federal regulations a product labeled “decaffeinated” can still contain 2.5% of the original amount of caffeine, and caffeine is also found in tea, soda, energy drinks, chocolate, candy, medications, and diet pills.
* Notes
- Coffee itself is not the problem so much as is consuming too much caffeine.
- Caffeine acts as a stimulant and can cause your heart to pump faster and your breathing to quicken.
- Caffeine acts as a diuretic, which increases the body’s need for more water.
- Caffeine is also a drug that can be addictive, so people who consume caffeine every day will usually need to continue to consume the same amount of caffeine just to feel normal.
- Coffee is okay in moderation, especially without sugar and cream.
- A little honey or agave nectar is good for sweetening coffee, as is low-fat milk because of its lactose (milk sugar) content.
- Skip dry creamers—they contain hydrogenated oil as well as sugar and other unwholesome ingredients—try a little low-fat soy milk or rice milk instead.
- Watch out for those fancy coffee drinks—they are full of fat and sugar.
- Tea is a great substitute for coffee—it’s low in caffeine and has other beneficial qualities (will posted about tea next).
- Avoid soda—not just because of the caffeine but for other reasons as well.
- Be cautious of so-called “energy drinks”, as they usually contain high amounts of caffeine.
- Chocolate is okay on occasion, but choose dark chocolate instead of milk or white.
- Be aware of caffeine in medications you are taking.
- Stay away from diet pills!
* FYI’s
- Coffee beans are produced by the Coffea plant, a small evergreen plant. Once ripe, coffee berries are picked, processed, and dried, then roasted to varying degrees (depending on desired flavor) and brewed for coffee.
- It’s been suggested that coffee may provide health benefits because of its antioxidants, which help prevent free radicals from causing cell damage.
- Coffee’s negative health effects are mostly due to excessive consumption of the caffeine it contains, which research suggests may create temporary problems such as increase in the stiffening of arterial walls, magnesium deficiency, and a mixed effect on short-term memory.
Final Note: I love my coffee (having some now)! Coffee is NOT the villain here, it is the excess intake of caffeine (that you will find in many products other than coffee). Not to mention, what we add to our coffee! Since, coffee comes from a plant it has antioxidants and it is a natural way to get a "jolt" to help you exercise!
To learn more about coffee has its benefits:
Learn more about MY DIVA DIET "diet villains"
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Thanx for the info. Caffeine overdose is a major issue for me. I just drank a cup of lavender chamoielle tea. Thought it may be better for my Blood Pressure
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