During my last post on ruminations about the caffeine in tea I noted that typical brewed tea contains 70 mg. of caffeine in each 6-oz. cup, and that eight cups a day would be 560 mg of caffeine which is moderate to high use. I later realised that actually, a 6 oz cup is a delicate tea cup size and many people, including me, drink tea out of mugs, which generally hold 12 oz, thus doubling my estimated intake. It wasn't much if an intuitive leap to associate the depression, insomnia, anxiety and irritability that I was feeling with caffeine addiction. I had also been wondering about the effects of my body spending more time processing the constant onslaught of caffiene, leaving little time to metabolise the fat I accumulated when I was drinking. I realised that my tea consumption had increased since I quit drinking and I had swapped one addiction for another.
So, I decided to quit tea and, against recommendations of withdrawing gradually, jumped in and quit cold turkey.
I chose a week when I was off work, as that is where most of my tea is consumed. It probably worked in my favour that the week was very busy physically, with a lot of gardening, bramble fighting and the attendant sweating and, presumably, thus increased metabolism. I then had a week long crushing headache, a few tired and weepy moments but by the end of the week the headache had gone. We held a party at the weekend.I have got used to not drinking alcohol and pouring drinks for people doesn't bother me, in fact the smell is disgusting but I had a new hurdle to face; making tea for some guests. No problem, I didn't crave it.
The most startling benefit of quitting caffeine so far has been the revelation that you can go to bed and fall asleep! Sounds very mundane if you don't have problems falling asleep but I have not experienced just going to sleep normally for years. I used to fall asleep when I was drinking but saying "I drink to help me sleep" is just a euphemism for "I drink myself into a coma".
The second obvious benefit occurred to me at the end of my first day back at work. Normally the day is a series of stress episodes punctuated by cups of tea to "pick me up" or "calm me down" never questioning "how can it do both?" and never associating the caffeine with the up and down moods. At the end of my first caffeine free working day I looked back on it and I realised I had actually enjoyed it! It was the same day, more work than I can get through and lots of problem "fire fighting" but it all just unfolded without that feeling of not being able to cope or feeling "poor me, I do everything" more like "bring it on".
The third benefit has been people asking me if I have lost weight so maybe there is something in my theory that the body is free to concentrate on a bit of house cleaning.
I could list other benefits, the main one being the lifting of depression, irritability and unexplained anxiety but as I have also been taking large doses of evening primrose oil and star flower oil I am not sure how much that has contributed to helping lift the depression; probably a combination of being caffeine free and the beneficial oils.
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