I have been working on balance in my life. One relationship I want to improve is the ones I have with stimulants, especially coffee. I had been drinking coffee most everyday for nearly about 25 years now. In the past, when I was running a business, I would drink up to 48 oz a day. I have also had spells where I would enjoy energy drinks in the afternoon. Lately I haven't have that much but still a few cups throughout the day. I didn't think it was much of a vice, until I tried to cut it out completely. I tend to overdo things including when I am trying to let go of something. Maybe cutting back would be easier than completely stopping. Is there a healthy balance or is caffeine just bad news? Tell me about your relationship with caffeine? What is your favorite caffeinated beverage? Do you have any tips on letting go of caffeine?
I like a cup in the morning48.5%
I drink coffee all day25.8%
I prefer energy drinks4.5%
I avoid caffeine all together12.1%
Other, comment below 👇9.1%
66 votes \ 3 days left
43 sats \ 0 replies \ @Golu 4h
It's the same as I hav with clothes and my mobile. I'm super addicted to Coffee.
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I drink coffee all day, but l have been weening myself off of it. Lately l have been drinking chai tea, but l actually like roobios. And that doesnt have any caffeine.
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Oh yeah. Chai tea. I love it. Haven't had it lately. I think I am going to make a tea now.
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Dont quote me on this, but l have heard the caffeine in tea lasts longer throughout the day.
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i think green tea has L-theanine which slows the caffeine uptake
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I like that. I just had a cup. I feel great. I think I'm going to go with green tea for a bit. Thanks for the info. I didn't know that.
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A slower burning less intense caffeine. That sounds good.
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Right. As l have gotten older, l have noticed my body doesnt do well with too much coffee. Tea seems a bit more gentle on the body. Especially acid reflux.
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11 sats \ 8 replies \ @yoshi 6h
+1 for the Chai Tea. I have an oat milk chai tea every morning and now no longer drink coffee.
Makes me much less jittery and agitated while also saving me a fortune as I make it at home.
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I literally just made myself a green tea with oat milk and I think I will do this instead of coffee for a while. Still satisfying.
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I tried costcos matcha green tea. I didnt think it was too bad.
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Only slightly bad?
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Well, I made it for my friend and I. And they drank it with milk....so it isnt really kosher lol
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What is kosher? Not milk I guess? I like oatmilk. Just as a preference now. I used to use the really crappy sweet coffee mate type fake stuff in my coffee. Now it's gross to me
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Matcha green tea is supposed to be drank by itself. Not with milk and sugar.
152 sats \ 9 replies \ @k00b 9h
It depends but I will usually do 1-2 cups. If I don't drink a second cup in the afternoon, I'll usually have an unsweetened iced tea instead. I prefer black cold brew when I drink coffee.
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That sounds reasonable. Do you experience a crash at anytime in the day or anything that you feel is a negative from this routine?
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32 sats \ 1 reply \ @k00b 9h
No not really. I do take a nap most days but that's usually from lack of sleep and pushing myself too hard than the caffeine.
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I kind of like afternoon naps. I often only sleep 6 hours or so at night. It's like splitting the day. Lots of times my naps are only 15 minutes and feel great.
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Black cold brew had been my 3-4 cups daily when I used to teach. Our canteen had it especially for me. I'm also a fan of iced tea. Have you ever tried Lemon Grass tea or Jasmine leaves tea?
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32 sats \ 0 replies \ @k00b 8h
I don't like flavored or floral or herbal tea much, but I've tried them. I like plain tea - more often japanese tea preparations, green or roasted.
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53 sats \ 3 replies \ @k00b 9h
IIRC Most of the science shows that caffeine's perceived performance benefit is mostly just us achieving baseline again after quenching our addiction.
I've quit cold turkey a few times (I like hard starts and stops) and I wouldn't recommend it. Withdrawal symptoms can vary but I got much of the usual stuff along with sciatic pain (which was super confusing and weird).
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132 sats \ 1 reply \ @freetx 9h
I drank coffee daily for 25+ years and quit cold turkey because my wife said she wanted to go off caff so I decided to try it with her.
I was super confused about the leg pains I got....the first few days I thought I may've pulled a hamstring, but couldn't figure out how. Finally I googled "leg pain caffeine withdrawal" and saw that its a common thing.
I've been off caffeine for about a year and overall feel better (more even energy throughout day). However I love coffee so even tho I drink decaf its just not the same as real coffee.
I've been thinking I may just make my own 1/2 caf blend with good beans....the question becomes, once I start will I just go back to my old ways? hmmm...
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I didn't think about decaf as an option. I really love the ritual of coffee but it sucks me in and I tend to over do it once I start. The leg pain thing is interesting.
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That makes sense to me. I always feel like what goes up has to come down. Maybe I should taper off instead off hard quitting.
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Almost no energy drink people. I think you all are smart. I think energy drinks are way more damaging than coffee or tea. So much sugar which I think is worse. What do you think?
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Definitely energy drink is the one that is harmful. Coffee is not harmful. Coffee can only you when you drink it too much. So, as it's said excess of anything is bad. The same about coffee.
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I’m probably more reliant on it than I should. I drink two cups - sometimes three - per day. Once in the morning, another during lunch time. The third cup is drunk when I get that 15 mins to myself before I rush to pick up my kids. If I don’t have my first cup of coffee by 11am, I’ll start to develop a headache. That’s how bad my reliance is haha. Thing is, I like coffee too much to give it up. I can’t fathom a life without coffee; my emotional attachment to it is too strong. I love chai latte n drink it sometimes, but it’s just not the same as black coffee.
Anyway I think we must all have some vices here n there. Otherwise what’s the point of living life? Haha
@zapsammy successfully cut coffee off from his life. You should hear what he has to say
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coffee is no longer a necessity in my life, more like a fun beverage i drink out of boredom, at any time of the day except evening.
come to think of it, i have never become a coffee addict, but more of a socially-conditioned consumer. i may be craving coffee... but never like an addict that cannot function without a cup. nowadays gf mainly buys the coffee, i do not ask for it. we do not go to the coffee shops anymore. today i accidentally cracked the french press. that might mark the end of routine coffee-making in my house, haha.
at home, i now brew herbal tea regularly. really for most of my life at home until later college, i used to drink herbal tea. coffee appeared after i started studying more into the night-time. later i discovered that it's not a long-term mental boost at all, but merely brings the person back to baseline function.
as far as quitting coffee, one could either mix more milk into it or get a lighter roast? i myself could not drink coffee black until maybe a couple years ago, and nowadays add only raw milk.
also consider the fact that apparently on some plantations, the workers harvesting the coffee have never tasted it themselves, and when offered, think it's bitter and not tasty at all, which was surprising but true.
talk about the coffee addiction, do not glorify it, but also do not fixate on it, and it will go away.
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I really like your last comment. I am grateful that I deal with maybe drinking too much coffee and not other things. Have you ever felt addicted to other things at all? I feel I have addictive tendency at times so I am grateful that I have stayed away from scary substances.
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i was a hardcore sugar junky until i found bitcoin. my last memory of a sugar splurge was buying every flavor of caramel popcorn i could find in the store so that i could impress a girl who was visiting. now, i specifically say "no sweets on the table!" when i visit my mother or grandmother.
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I think more than most substances, sugar is overlooked as a major addiction that relates to disease of many people in America. Soda has sooo much sugar and many drink them like they are water. In my early 20s before I got into coffee, I would fill up a 64 oz thermos in the morning with Dr pepper. Then refill at lunch. Of course I was busting ass working then. Now that would make me so sick. How did Bitcoin help you get away from sugar?
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11 sats \ 1 reply \ @zapsammy 5h
saifedean ammous said sugar is bad, and elaborated how bad, so i started listening more closely. agreed, mass-produced major-brand sodas are mainly drain-decloggers, i say that openly. they are not for human consumption, and never were.
recently someone told me that wheat is toxic, so i refuse buns and bread slices altogether. they do not exist for me. i will eat home-made gluten-free bar/brownie made with almond flour, and will try sourdough bread.
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It's interesting how when we get new better information, more comes along with it. I also have been cutting out the wheat and pasta. It was making me feel like crap and I didn't even know it for a long time. I think gluten in general sticks inside of us. No bueno.
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I don't like coffee. I like only pure milk without any tea or coffee
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I have 1 cup of black coffee in the morning and that's it, anything more and I'm just cooking myself and my sleep patterns are jacked and heart burn is a bitch
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I’ve tried to reduce a few times. However I am at about one 12 cup pot per day. Doesn’t affect my sleep. I sleep about 6 hours per night and have a decent amount of energy throughout the day. I think the main negative is that I start to lose patients early in the evening.
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My reliance on coffee is actually growing day by day. By looking at some of the comments, it feels like you're blaming coffee rather than your habits of excessive drinking. I drink almost always 3 cups daily and never felt urge for it outside my house. I've not made it habit bit somehow when I'm at home, instead of tea I would drink coffee
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I agree it is my responsibility to balance my relationship with coffee or anything else I consume. I am getting better.
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Loved the coffee all day so had to switch to decaf. I have an athletic heart and was getting palpitations from all the caffeine
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11 sats \ 2 replies \ @jst 4h
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That's a fancy looking coffee..
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11 sats \ 0 replies \ @jst 4h
yessss
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Too much :D
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It's only too much if you feel it's too much. Maybe it's just the right amount for you.
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11 sats \ 4 replies \ @jst 5h
I can really consider myself a coffee lover. There is nothing that a good cup of coffee can't solve. It's also a good excuse to sit down with friends and talk.
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It can be a great way to connect for sure. Sometimes it makes me feel so good inside..other times I feel crazy after. Set and setting are important I think.
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11 sats \ 2 replies \ @jst 5h
Nothing that a good coffee can't fix
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So if I feel like crap from drinking coffee, I'll just drink more coffee. I gave up to early.
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11 sats \ 0 replies \ @jst 5h
hahaha I already gave up a while ago, but that's the idea
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First one
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That makes sense. Satoshi nakamoto would be sensible and balanced.
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11 sats \ 3 replies \ @bief57 6h
I am not one to drink caffeinated drinks or sodas, I only like water and natural juices, I find processed juices disgusting. Of course I have had coffee from time to time and if I eat pizza or hamburgers the best company is a glass (small for me) of soda. This week something funny happened to me, in the afternoon I was craving a coffee, it was a cold afternoon, so I went to a store and bought a small coffee, with great desire and excitement I took the first sip and boom! DISGUSTING! The coffee tasted like cardboard, I am not an expert in coffee, but it tasted horrible, it seemed like they had left a cardboard soaking in water and that is what they served, it was horrible.
On the other hand, there is my mother, this lady is addicted to coffee, to the point that if she does not drink coffee during the day, she gets a headache. In the time of maximum scarcity in Venezuela, sugar was not found, it was a luxury to have sugar, so coffee addicts (like my mother) drank it like that, bitter, they also opted to sweeten the coffee with papelon.
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My mom is like that too. Interestingly when I quit coffee, I never get a headache. I just crave it. It's mostly mental. Why is soda so perfect with pizza?
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11 sats \ 1 reply \ @bief57 3h
Even my mom says she drinks coffee to sleep better...
Pizza and soda is the best thing in life, it's the only way I can drink a few sips. Is there Nestea in the US? That was my favorite option when I was in Venezuela, a glass of peach Nestea, with pizza, hamburgers or hot dogs, that way I avoided the soda, but here where I emigrated they don't sell it.
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We have it in the US. When I was teen I would visit my dad in the summers and we drank it by the gallon. I liked it then. Haven't had it in 20 years. I forgot about it.
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All day and night
Its almost a problem
At this point I'm leaning on it like a crutch
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Damn. How do you sleep?
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Been sleeping at 2am
I've had sleep problems my whole life though.
Went to sleep at 2am yesterday, woke up at 730 and ran a 5k.
I'm drinking coffee now, and plan on doing the same.
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Where do you get your energy from? Do you feel it is a problem or just the way you are? Kind of impressive if it works for you.
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Well....
A few months ago I tried fixing my sleep through reduced coffee mediation prayer right things down before sleep following a schedule.
But after a while I just said "fuck it" and embraced my chaotic sleep schedule.
I dont stress about it anymore really. I used to feel alot of anxiety about sleep, because I would be worried about not getting to sleep on time and ruining my next day. As long as I'm able to crank out work, it doesnt matter, and in some cases it makes me more productive.
Where do you get your energy from?
Bitcoiners motivate me
Do you feel it is a problem or just the way you are?
Just the way I am
Kind of impressive if it works for you.
We'll see if it continues
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I guess that is why you are the wild hustle. As long as you feel okay about it, keep hustling. I hit a wall in my late 30s and rested for like 3 years. But when I was busy, that was the right thing for me. I believe we are always right were we need to be.
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Still feels like I'm slacking.
I hit a wall....... between the ages of 1 and 27, in some ways I'm just making up for lost time.
But it doesn't feel like I'm pushing myself especially hard. I'm still pretty much just doing whatever I want to do, my priorities have just been rearranged.
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That happens. Things change. Be kind to yourself and know that if you feel like you need rest, you deserve it. And you are always doing enough. You are enough.
11 sats \ 1 reply \ @bitalion 7h
I usually like coffee with milk, and I occasionally have a cup of coffee mid-morning, depending on my workload.
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This post was supposed to give me some insights. I just want coffee now. 🤤
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I love coffee for the warmth and bitter taste. Most days I only have coffee and water at a 1:1 ratio until 12-1 pm when I’ll have my first meal. I feel completely unaffected by caffeine… doesn’t really get me going in the morning and if I miss out on it I don’t feel any withdrawals. Even though I sometimes start the day with five coffees. I can also have a cup of coffee at 9 pm and be asleep by 10 pm!
I love warm bitter bean juice
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Interesting. It is quite stimulating to me. If I have a task, it feels good. If I sit still, I find it very uncomfortable.
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I used to drink a coffee in the morning with 2 or 3 shots of espresso, an energy drink for lunch, a coke or coffee in the afternoon and a preworkout before the gym...I also didn't sleep really well at night
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That makes sense. I had similar habits at times. And it was hard for me to unwind.
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11 sats \ 5 replies \ @OT 8h
I have 2 expressos in the morning
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Straight? Do you make it at home or at a place?
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11 sats \ 3 replies \ @OT 7h
At home these days. I use an Italian perculator on the stove.
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I have never heard of an Italian percolator. It's crazy how many ways we enjoy coffee. I like french press coffee.
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11 sats \ 1 reply \ @OT 6h
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That looks cool. I want one.
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I drink it in the evenings and not more than 1 cup.
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Bitcoin and coffee don’t mix. At work, Bitcoin does all the work for you. Just look at these bitcoin company CEOs. Their skin is flawless, like they haven’t worked a day in their life. That’s because they’re riding the automation of tech, backed by the underlying, underbelly of perfectly transparent money.
Me on the other hand, still working the fiat grind, and yes, coffee is must. Even though I know it to be addictive, not particularly long term beneficial to health, and liable to being outlawed.
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This is a great point. Coffee is a very fiat habit. It's the thing we all do in the am to get through our shitty days generally, or at least that is what I have experienced.
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Yes, and to further clarify my point: fiat work is slavery. When you work for minimum wage today and you don’t spend it, your money is GUARANTEED to be worth less by the weekend.
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Yeah, it's tough out there. I feel grateful to be mostly out of the rat race of slavery. I have learned to live with very little. And I spend my fiat I do earn to meet my needs right away. I keep mining and stacking as much as I can. Feels good.
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11 sats \ 1 reply \ @clarity 8h
I don’t know about you, but having a kid really messes with that equation of sat to fiat ratio. I have every dime I possibly can in bitcoin right now, while keeping some left over for the emergency fund. It’s more important that a single failure isn’t catastrophic in our family.
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Makes sense. My kids are almost grown and their mom and her husband make a good amount of fiat so I am lucky.
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One 12oz coffee in the morning and that is all.
I used to drink 2-3 coffees a day but cut back to one in the morning a couple years ago
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That sounds like a good routine. Do you ever crave it in the afternoon or have a crash at all?
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I do get a bit of a crash in late afternoon but just power through it. I don't really crave another coffee unless someone else is having one or offers me one.
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I needed an option for "I drink coffee all morning." I probably drink something like three or four cups a day, but I rarely drink coffee after noon.
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I have been on that schedule at times also.
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It works for me. I don't find that I miss it when I don't have it and honestly I wouldn't drink so much if less were brewed in the morning.
Coffee's pretty good for you, though, so I don't worry about it too much.
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How do you know it's good for me?
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That was misleadingly worded. I don't know if it's good for you specifically.
I meant that coffee supposedly has health benefits ("good for you", in the abstract) and I don't seem to be experiencing any of the negative effects.
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I know. I was just being annoying. I drive my wife crazy. I think we speak from "you" in generalizations, more than we should. I don't think there is anything wrong with coffee. I love it. I am just considering what is best for me personally.
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Needlessly Pedantic Man approves of your objection.
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I actually do it with love. Words are power. When we speak from you, we give away our power and we project on to others. I always seek to help others see how their language is important. So me and that man are very different. I don't do it to be right. It's with love.
I don't know what those words mean. ☹️
I think that is the key, if you can skip a day and it isn't a big deal.
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11 sats \ 1 reply \ @nichro 9h
Used to drink 4-6 cups.
Reduced to 2 a day, with the last one before 4pm. Been like this for years. Vastly improved jitters and anxiety as well as sleep.
I still drink decaf after the two. An attempt to fool my brain with the taste to be more productive without the real caffeine.
On some special occasions where I need to go ultra instinct I do make an exception and go for 3+ like the good ol days.
Every once in a while I do a month where I take 0 anything (coffee, alcohol etc.). We used to call those tolerance breaks but really, I think it's important to be aware of the substances we use and their effects. No better way than abstaining for a while and paying attention.
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Yeah. If I drink it after 4 or so, might be super restless trying to sleep.
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I used to be a regular 1 cup a day drinker, usually with milk. But a few months after I started doing the carnivore diet, I just lost the desire. Now I only have it (diluted with a LOT of heavy whipping cream) when I'm going out for coffee with friends.
I think all the news over the past 10 years about how coffee is so good for you is baloney. I've gotten very cynical with these types of studies - they were probably funded by coffee companies.
Like how they heavily promoted how red wine is supposed to be good for you as well, I'll bet that was pushed by the alcohol industry.
But something that is truly beneficial, like a low carb diet, doesn't get any press. That's because it doesn't have an industry backer and there's actually lots of vested interests that WANT us to eat a high carb, processed food diet. So, no good news about low carb.
Check out this post I wrote:
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I agree with you about the research being bogus. It's always about selling more of everything and studies are a bought and paid for. I already went through a low carb carnivore period for a while. It helped me a lot back then. I was fat and it helped me rebalance and lose a lot of weight. Now I don't eat meat. I believe food is a journey. As we grow, we need to consume different things to support our new bodies.
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Interesting. What has made you decide to not eat meat?
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It's a low vibrational food. As I am going through a spiritual awakening, I have realized that eating dead animals is not best for me. Especially since I cherish all life. I could never hunt. To me, food that is closer to the sun like fruits and vegetables, with the least amount of processing is best for me. It's higher vibrational. I think in terms of energy and vibration over the latest flawed human science stories. But carnivore was great for me back when that is what I was eating. I have eaten raw, bone broth fasts, vegan, water fasts, dry fasts. I have tried it all. Like I said, food is a journey. I don't think there is a right or wrong. 🤷‍♂️
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I usually drink two a day
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Spread out or two in the AM?
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One in the Am and one in the afternoon
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It could be the change, the cultures or customs of the society I live in, but I in particular drink strong, mostly bitter coffee in the morning, then I repeat it at mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and also when I get home from work, the latter with my family to talk. about the day, this may have a negative impact but it is just my happiness in moments
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Sounds like a good plan. I like my coffee with oat milk. I have never been a big fan of black coffee. I think as long as I stay busy, I don't feel negative effects much. I just don't like feeling dependent.
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I am running a test now where I want to see how I perform without coffee. It's been going on for 3-4 weeks now, feeling quite good. I quit cold-turkey, so had some withdrawal symptoms for a week or so. Headaches, etc. Coffee had barely effect on me anymore, so I don't feel more tired. I maybe even feel less tired? I think I sleep less hours yet feel more refreshed... but not sure how much of that is due to reduced alcohol intake.
I regularly see studies on the benefits of caffeine intake... less chances of getting Alzheimers, etc... so I'm still contemplating if it is better to drink coffee or not to drink it.
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I am pretty sure we are best without it. I trust what I feel over a study. They are paid for and everyone is different anyways. It is nice to hear that you are having good results.
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I trust the science over anecdotal evidence ;)
The good science though, not the crappy studies by people who don't understand statistics. Metastudies (the ones that combine 100s of other studies to get statistically significant data) are usually a safer bet. There are some proven benefits to drinking coffee it seems.
Anecdotally, quitting coffee for me hasn't been great for my digestion. I've started incorporating plum juice to counter this.
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I am talking personal experience, not stories I hear from other people. Science is overrated in my opinion.
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There is a lot of crappy science, for sure. Especially in the field of sociology. It's just very hard to isolate one degree of freedom from the other ones and manage to make meaningful control groups.
However, the scientific method is the best tool we have to make generalized statements. Many studies don't use it properly though.
But I get your point, personal experience trumps everything, especially on a topic that only affects yourself. Best to do what you feel best about.
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I don't need others to tell me anything ever. Only humans look outside of their own experience to make decisions. Look at nature. We have all the answers we need inside of us. All we need is silence. I am my best guide, led by my intuition. Maybe that is "stupid". That's just my approach to navigating me reality. Sit in meditation, feel my body, go within.
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I make cold brew that is very concentrated. I drink 1/2 glass in the morning. I can dilute it to a whole glass and it still tastes real good. I can have a caffeine hit any time of the day or night if I want.
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I have always loved coffee ☕ in the mornings, I don't support those who have turned it into an addiction, I consider it a morning pleasure.
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Having it be a ritual seems like a good thing. I always have one cup and then want 3 more.
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A cup in the morning and another cup in the afternoon... and if at noon they prepare it with milk I'll drink that too😉.. and please, coffee is served really hot ☕.. so that your brain can connect!! I've been drinking coffee since I was 10 years old! My family has been drinking coffee for as long as I can remember and now that we're here in Lima, Peru... we drink a coffee called chanchamayo that is produced in the Peruvian jungle. It's very, very delicious!!
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Man I want a coffee now. I prefer it hot, even when it's 110 F outside. Not sure why.
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11 sats \ 1 reply \ @Akg10s33 8h
I'm from a country in the north of South America... with a tropical climate... and even if it was 12 noon with the sun burning!! my mom was preparing her coffee ☕😋😋😋
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I love it. Tasty hot coffee... 🤤
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I avoid it. But in marriage parties, especially in winters, I don't hold back from drinking it a lot. But I'm not a regular caffeine guy. I instead prefer Milk tea, which is India's lifeline.
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That sounds good. What type of tea is that?
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I used to drink coffee a lot but when i was about 30 i started feeling sick when i drank coffee. Stopped trinking it then and i must say i do not miss it now. Was a bit hard in the beginning though.
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This is by far, the most engagement I have seen on a poll I made. It's been great to hear from you all and get your takes. I am going to start drinking some tea drinks more. Easier than completely cutting caffeine and I still get a satisfying hot drink I can enjoy and get a little boost without getting all jittery and stuff. I feel like with some time I can learn to enjoy that even more than coffee. I am over that shaky feeling. Thanks for all the input.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @jst 4h
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