4 easy ways to cut down on caffeine
- without going into withdrawal
By Catherine Saxelby
Overdoing the caffeine? Living from coffee to coffee? Can’t get going in the morning without your java fix? Sipping a cappuccino or short black is a common way for busy people to recharge your batteries or even wake up. But what do you do when it gets to be too much?
Like you, I too enjoy a coffee out – that aroma and adrenalin hit is just wonderful. Plus it’s a great way to catch up with friends or colleagues. Especially when you’re pressed for time.
But the caffeine trap is a slow insidious one. You start out sipping a short black in the morning. Then one day, you realise you need four of them just to get through your day (or 10 instant coffees), as one of my friends discovered. May as well put in a coffee drip!
How much is too much?
The side effects? Well, some people never notice any – that is, until they have to go without. Say if you go camping or have to fast for a blood test. Then you hit caffeine withdrawal. Been there, ain’t pleasant.
You get the massive never-goes-away headache and the incredible tiredness. Lasts for a couple of days but it’s bad enough to send you screaming back for a coffee fix remedy (which works quickly and effectively).
Other people get warning signs from caffeine habituation, which is what the experts call that addictive quality of caffeine – they pull up short from using the actual word ‘addiction’.
If you’ve got any of these symptoms:
• insomnia
• upset stomach
• heartburn
• too-rapid heartbeats (tachycardia),
• mind always in overdrive
• irritability
• over-anxious (‘coffee jitters’)
• frequent urination
you can be fairly sure it means too much caffeine.
For me, two coffees in a row is enough caffeine to get my heart beating seriously. And my stomach unhappy. I don’t go there anymore.
What amount is safe?
Caffeine acts on the central nervous system, speeding up the heartbeat and rate of breathing, dilating blood vessels and relaxing smooth muscles. It boosts alertness and concentration and overcomes the perception of fatigue – key reasons for its enduring popularity in our fast-pace world.
Most of us can handle around 300mg of caffeine a day without problems. This translates to 4 or 5 cups of instant coffee or 3 shots of espresso (one latte, short black or cappuccino all start with a shot).
Kick the habit in four gradual steps
If you figure you’re a caffeine junkie or you cut want to cut back, here’s how to do it. Don’t go cold turkey. The headache is a killer, believe me. Cut back on caffeine gradually – one less cup day by day - to allow your body to adapt. It’s the only way to go.
1. Start on a weekend or on holidays when you won’t be under pressure. Begin by dropping your afternoon coffee or energy drinks. Have your last one by 4pm so you sleep well. Instead switch to
• decaf coffee
• regular tea, which has one-half to one-third the caffeine.
• a herbal infusion, especially after dinner when you’re looking for a good night’s sleep. If you think you’ll look like a sissy, how about a rooibus (red tea) instead? It tastes almost like tea but has no caffeine.
2. Aim to cut your overall intake by half. You don’t have to give up coffee entirely (thank goodness), just enough to reduce the side effects, depending on your sensitivity.
3. Switch to lower caffeine options:
Soft drink instead of energy drink
Tea or rooibus instead of coffee (tea, both green and black, has around half to one-third the caffeine of coffee – a good lower caffeine option)
Try a coffee substitute (made from roasted barley, chicory or dandelion root eg Caro, Ecco, Dandelion tea)
4. Don’t overlook guarana. It’s just another plant that’s a source of caffeine. Yes, it’s natural but then so are coffee beans and tea leaves. Yerba mate is another drink high in caffeine.
Catherine Saxelby is an accredited nutritionist and author of 9 books including Nutrition for Life. For more tips and ideas, go to her website at www.foodwatch.com.au