Alternative to coffee?

Gustov

Gustov

Gustov

Soldato
Joined
30 May 2008
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Hey chaps,

Now firstly, let me state, I LOVE coffee and am not here to get all high and mighty about giving up. I mean, it's not like I'm counting that I'm on day 12 or anything :D

Annnnnnyway, my reason for giving up is pretty simple, it gives me the jitters, shakes, palpitations and makes me edgy and anxious. It also messes with my sleep patterns and for these reasons, I've decided to stop.

Without getting all medical on your asses, caffeine increases catecholamines, your stress hormones. The stress response elicits cortisol and increases insulin. Insulin increases inflammation, and this makes you feel lousy. A bit like a lousy version of cocaine really.

Now, most of you probably know this but there is still a small amount of caffeine in de-caf coffee so drinking de-caf won't work.

What I really miss is having a coffee before hitting the gym as it really gave me the motivation to get my ass in great and lift. Without the caffeine I feel a bit lousy and it's like I'm constantly in CAN'T BE ARSED mode.

I have to confess, coffee or no coffee, my sleep patterns are pretty awful so that needs addressing - usually getting 6 hours a night tops.

ANYWAY - GET TO THE QUESTION FFS.

Does anyone know of any alternatives which give you a boost without the side-effects of caffeine? Before anyone suggests the combination of l-theanine and caffeine, I am aware ;)
 
Just take it sparingly? You don't need to drink 12 cups a day?

There isn't much on the market that works without caffiene. Although a few pre-workouts do non caffeine versions. No-Explode, I think is one.
 
Begbie said:
Just take it sparingly? You don't need to drink 12 cups a day?

There isn't much on the market that works without caffiene. Although a few pre-workouts do non caffeine versions. No-Explode, I think is one.
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I wasn't drinking 12 cups a day but you do have a point, I should have specified how much I was drinking.

Just one or two a day tops. Even the one can make me skatty as fudge. Basically tweaking out like a meth head :mad:

Nix said:
If you detoxed off caffeine, your body will eventually feel better without it. You just need to push through.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nestlé-11807125-Nestle-Caro-200/dp/B0012PW24Y

Give this a try for the decaffeinated flavour.

If you want a kick, I suggest looking towards more fruit and vegetables. Smoothies may be what you need.
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This had crossed my mind actually, blending up a smoothie which is predominantly veg and some fruit might be the better option. I'm wary of the high fructose content in fruits so would stick to the lower sugar options (berries)
 
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A lot of that is probably mental/placebo.

If you want a hot drink, try a caffeine free tea like green tea or rooibos (red bush) - FWIW green tea tasts like dish water and rooibos is more similar to black tea. I know a few people that just drink hot water...

Alternatively, try different fruits before hand - apples are supposed to be quite good at keeping you alert.
 
Try snacking on things like fruit and nut.

Nuts are very good for energy.

Scottland said:
A lot of that is probably mental/placebo.

If you want a hot drink, try a caffeine free tea like green tea or rooibos (red bush) - FWIW green tea tasts like dish water and rooibos is more similar to black tea.

Alternatively, try different fruits before hand - apples are supposed to be quite good at keeping you alert.
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Green tea isn't caffeine free.
 
Scottland said:
A lot of that is probably mental/placebo.

If you want a hot drink, try a caffeine free tea like green tea or rooibos (red bush) - FWIW green tea tasts like dish water and rooibos is more similar to black tea.

Alternatively, try different fruits before hand - apples are supposed to be quite good at keeping you alert.
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Green tea is not caffeine free my friend. Thanks for the suggestion anyway.

Nix said:
Try snacking on things like fruit and nut.

Nuts are very good for energy.
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Think I have an intolerance to most nuts - ties in with my recent thread re body temperature. :(
 
Gustov said:
Green tea is not caffeine free my friend. Thanks for the suggestion anyway.



Think I have an intolerance to most nuts - ties in with my recent thread re body temperature. :(
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My bad, I always thought it was. Anyway teas are generally lower than coffee if you just wanted to lower it without cutting it out completely.
 
Are you sure it's the coffee that's making you jittery/anxious?

Like you say yourself, your sleep patterns remain unaltered.

If I knew coffee was making me anxious then I'd drop it immediately but I only feel the benefits of coffee really, I love the taste and have about 4 cups per day.

Having said that I do eat healthily otherwise, and smoothies for breakfast is a really good idea. Perhaps try a protein smoothie prior to a workout to give you that "boost".
 
Used to drink quite a few cups a day, also had all of your symptoms including the palpitations which were enough to make me quit when I found out caffeine was a trigger. Basically went cold turkey on it and found it hard to remain alert for a few weeks then my body just re-adjusted I think. The thing is though numerous recent studies have shown small amounts of caffeine to be beneficial.
 
I usually have one coffee in the morning then stick to water for the rest of the day. I found even this affects me sometimes so usually just stick to water if it starts affecting sleep. Add in a bit of squash to mix it up occasionally.
 
Ayahuasca said:
Used to drink quite a few cups a day, also had all of your symptoms including the palpitations which were enough to make me quit when I found out caffeine was a trigger. Basically went cold turkey on it and found it hard to remain alert for a few weeks then my body just re-adjusted I think. The thing is though numerous recent studies have shown small amounts of caffeine to be beneficial.
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Oh absolutely, I'm not knocking caffeine for a second. I think it's just all about listening to your own body and how it reacts to the stimulant. I've been drinking white tea at the moment as it's full of antioxidants. It also tastes like pond water.

squerble said:
I usually have one coffee in the morning then stick to water for the rest of the day. I found even this affects me sometimes so usually just stick to water if it starts affecting sleep. Add in a bit of squash to mix it up occasionally.
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Same here - if I had an important meeting first thing, I would always skip on the coffee just in case it made me jittery.
 
Coffee is beneficial to health when not abused (under 5-6 cups per day) so it having those effects on you is odd, I would investigate alternative explanations.
 
As far as I know caffeine in general can have positive effects, both tea and coffee contain decent amounts of anti-oxidants. So in moderation would certainly not be harmful if not good for you - the caveat here is that some people can have adverse 'reactions' to it. There's absolutely nothing wrong with looking for alternatives - but I'd also be open minded to the fact that other things could be causing the side effects you mentioned.
 
Zethor said:
Coffee is beneficial to health when not abused (under 5-6 cups per day) so it having those effects on you is odd, I would investigate alternative explanations.
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As mentioned above, it's not beneficial or detrimental to general health. It's about how it effects the individual.

For every study you find which gives you 5 reasons to drink coffee, you'll find another with 5 reasons outlining why you should stop drinking it.

The symptoms I'm describing are not odd in the slightest, they are very typical side effects of caffeine consumption. Obviously I'm more sensitive than the average folk which sucks ballbags.
 
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