Alternatives to Caffeine
* If you decide to cut down your caffeine
consumption, consider coffee substitutes other
than beverages. Many people say coffee "gets
them going" 1n the morning. But a short run,
15 minutes of yoga or a brief meditation
session may have the same effect.
* If you decide to eliminate caffeine al
together, consider tapering off. If you stop
"cold turkey", you may experience a headache
. | or morning drowsiness for as long as a week,
depending: on how heavy a coffee drinker you
■ .were.--'.. : V-;• •• •.
* If you find a hot morning drink a satisfy
ing part of your wake-up routine, a switch
from coffee to tea might be a qood way to
taper down. The average cup of tea contains
less than half the caffeine of a cup of brewed
coffee. Most herbal teas don't contain any
caffeine and may be an even better alternative.
HERBAL TEAS-: Some favorites are camomile,
spearmint, peppermint, jasrihe, and rose
hios. “ost of these teas don't contain
caffeine and are delicious cold as well
as hot. Some herbai teas do contain add
. e'd caffeine, so be sure to read the label.
WATER: Water is needed by. the body for all
i ts meenainfcal and; chemical processes,. It
; Is important' to include at least A; .glasses,
of water a day, in addition to water devised
♦rom other food and beverages. A glass of
cold, clea- ice water is•• an excellent sub
stitute for iced tea or cola drink, and
may provide the: emotional pick-up of coffee.
FRl'IT J'JI-ES.: Another good alternative is
unsweetened, fruit juice such as apple, orange,
grapefruit, or grape.
* It's easier for one member of a family to
make a change 1n caffeine consumption 1f
others 1n the household do likewise. You
might ask your housemates for support In your
efforts to cut back. One way to do this 1s
to make all the coffee In your house de
caffeinated (the pure water process 1s pre
ferable to the solvent method).
* We encourage you to experiment with your
caffeine Intake. In doing so, you may dis
cover some ways to Increase your energy
naturally and Improve the quality of your life!
Th** Knd of the Story
While an occasional cup of coffee isn’t particularly
harmful, the effect* of a hijjh caffeine intake (over
300 mRH.) cun cause health problem*. There ure
healthier alternatives that will incream.* your en
erKy and sharpen your senses without the nervous
ness and other effects of caffeine. If you’re
concerned about your health, you owe it to yourself
to look lignin at your urn? of caffeine and deride
whether it's time to make a chungr
How Much Caffeine?—Compare for Yourself!
Caffeine Amount
(Milligrams)
: 110)50
Hb 5 ounces
. •’ .I": * ■ -V'
Tea
Black ,or.(Jreen l eaf . 70 .
Herbal . Negligible 5. ounces
•Soft Drinks
. Caicn Cola,
l )r i’epjpcr .
MobnUiin'Jlpw
Tab ... v
fhetHite
Chocolate *’*
tViiiNi : . . ‘42-fVI 5 ounces
Milk ('hocblat* ;U ! ounce
Medications . •' .*
Anacin. Midol .12.51) •
Coricidjn D, Empinn
Kxittirin bf> b tablet or
No Do* MKI’ -capsule
liexatnm • 2*K)
IWumini* i40/ - •.
.• :«5
hi .
55 . 12.ounces
4 iJ
•..32 . • ; ;*
Source
Coffee
Brewed
Instant
I krcaffcinated
M'iiffiitit i/TinWi<t trt-ne,
Im'iC */*»)*■ 'iii i*i. I ,S. *.
rly 7f)"' of. all carl*»n.il<v
Caffeine & Pregnancy
Like most drugs, caffeine enters the blood
stream and crosses the placental barrier to reach
the unborn child. Evidence 1s mounting that caf
feine may cause birth defects, such as cleft
salate, miscarriages, and breech births when
taken 1n high dosages during pregnancy.
As a reasonable precaution, some doctors are
now advising women to reduce or totally eliminate
caffeine consumption during the first 3 months of
pregnancy when these defects are most likely to
Dccur. In 1980, the Food and Orug Administration
advised women, "If you're pregnant, you'd probablj
be wise to avoid caffeine."