CAFFEINE - the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Hello people, trust we're keeping well.

I recently stumbled on an article originally written by Travis Bradberry, Ph.D. and boy, did he nail it! I'll be sharing copious portions of it in this post but before then, permit me to introduce you to a great guy whom I met a few years back, worked with for about 3 years, and still adore till this day: Victor Okigbo, I doff my hat, Sir. You came to mind immediately I read the article, hence.

V, as we fondly called him, is a fantastic fella. In his own words, he is an "oddball polymath with a background in pure mathematics and a body of work as a public poet". His suave, contemporary, border-line irreverent style and eclectic personality always held me in awe. A mathematician by training, an artist at heart, and a geek by choice; he wrote poetry on Sunday and wrote code on Monday. Such was his eccentric nature but everyone who knew him couldn't but also notice his penchant for the 3C's: Computers, Cigarettes, and Coffee. [Edit: Make that two now - he quit smoking a few years back. Hallelujah!]

The day's work never started until V had spited his system with coffee. He craved the "kick" the brown pod delivered, and am guessing the brew never failed to oblige. So, dear V, I remember you. I salute you, and thank you for the platform and opportunity. I enjoyed every moment, and at heart, I remain a "1Sourcerer" :)

So, straight back to Dr. Travis' writ:

"This week's tip for improving your performance is the most simple and straightforward method I’ve provided thus far. For many people, this tip has the potential to have a bigger impact than any other single action. The catch? You have to cut down on caffeine, and as any caffeine drinker can attest, this is easier said than done.

For those who aren't aware, the ability to manage your emotions and remain calm under pressure has a direct link to your performance. TalentSmart has conducted research with more than a million people, and we’ve found that 90% of top performers are high in emotional intelligence. These individuals are skilled at managing their emotions (even in times of high stress) in order to remain calm and in control.

The Good: Isn’t Really Good

Most people start drinking caffeine because it makes them feel more alert and improves their mood. Many studies suggest that caffeine actually improves cognitive task performance (memory, attention span, etc.) in the short-term. Unfortunately, these studies fail to consider the participants’ caffeine habits. New research from Johns Hopkins Medical School shows that performance increases due to caffeine intake are the result of caffeine drinkers experiencing a short-term reversal of caffeine withdrawal. By controlling for caffeine use in study participants, John Hopkins researchers found that caffeine-related performance improvement is nonexistent without caffeine withdrawal. In essence, coming off caffeine reduces your cognitive performance and has a negative impact on your mood. The only way to get back to normal is to drink caffeine, and when you do drink it, you feel like it’s taking you to new heights. In reality, the caffeine is just taking your performance back to normal for a short period.

The Bad: Adrenaline

Drinking caffeine triggers the release of adrenaline. Adrenaline is the source of the “fight or flight” response, a survival mechanism that forces you to stand up and fight or run for the hills when faced with a threat. The fight-or-flight mechanism sidesteps rational thinking in favor of a faster response. This is great when a bear is chasing you, but not so great when you’re responding to a curt email. When caffeine puts your brain and body into this hyper-aroused state, your emotions overrun your behavior.

Irritability and anxiety are the most commonly seen emotional effects of caffeine, but caffeine enables all of your emotions to take charge.

The negative effects of a caffeine-generated adrenaline surge are not just behavioral. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University found that large doses of caffeine raise blood pressure, stimulate the heart, and produce rapid shallow breathing, which deprives the brain of the oxygen needed to keep your thinking calm and rational.

The Ugly: Sleep

When you sleep, your brain literally recharges, shuffling through the day’s memories and storing or discarding them (which causes dreams), so that you wake up alert and clear-headed. Your self-control, focus, memory, and information processing speed are all reduced when you don’t get enough—or the right kind—of sleep. Your brain is very fickle when it comes to sleep. For you to wake up feeling rested, your brain needs to move through an elaborate series of cycles. You can help this process along and improve the quality of your sleep by reducing your caffeine intake.

Here’s why you’ll want to: caffeine has a six-hour half-life, which means it takes a full twenty-four hours to work its way out of your system. Have a cup of joe at eight a.m., and you’ll still have 25% of the caffeine in your body at eight p.m. Anything you drink after noon will still be at 50% strength at bedtime. Any caffeine in your bloodstream—with the negative effects increasing with the dose—makes it harder to fall asleep.

When you do finally fall asleep, the worst is yet to come. Caffeine disrupts the quality of your sleep by reducing rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the deep sleep when your body recuperates and processes emotions. When caffeine disrupts your sleep, you wake up the next day with an emotional handicap. You’re naturally going to be inclined to grab a cup of coffee or an energy drink to try to make yourself feel better. The caffeine produces surges of adrenaline, which further your emotional handicap. Caffeine and lack of sleep leave you feeling tired in the afternoon, so you drink more caffeine, which leaves even more of it in your bloodstream at bedtime. Caffeine very quickly creates a vicious cycle.

Withdrawal

Like any stimulant, caffeine is physiologically and psychologically addictive. If you do choose to lower your caffeine intake, you should do so slowly under the guidance of a qualified medical professional. The researchers at Johns Hopkins found that caffeine withdrawal causes headache, fatigue, sleepiness, and difficulty concentrating. Some people report feeling flu-like symptoms, depression, and anxiety after reducing intake by as little as one cup a day. Slowly tapering your caffeine dosage each day can greatly reduce these withdrawal symptoms."

Now don't get me wrong. I drink coffee but probably my greatest endearment to the beverage is the strong aroma, not really the taste. But even at that, is my love for the aroma (or taste even) enough to discount the obvious draw-backs? I think not. 

So if you so badly crave the "kick" to get your day started, or perhaps need some energy to make it through a busy day, can I recommend an healthier alternative? Ever heard of FAB, the Forever Active Boost energy drink?? Well, I got to agree it's not a like-for-like replacment but at least it delivers that "kick" we crave without all the possible side-effects *_*.

FAB is a caffeine-free all natural energy drink from the stable of Forever Living Products. FAB's "boost" is different from other energy drinks because it gives you both immediate and long-term energy. The immediate boost comes from guarana, a natural ingredient that is very popular in Brazil, while the long-term energy is powered by ADX7 technology: a proprietary blend of adaptogenic herbs and other nutritionals developed by a leading Russian sports scientist and researcher. ADX7 has helped Russian track and field athletes win over 130 medals in Olympic competition!

FAB is a quick, refreshing way to stay energized and alert all day long. And it revitalizes you so you have the endurance and concentration to do all things you have to do, plus the things you want to do.

SUGGESTED USE
One to three cans per day. Shake gently. Serve chilled.
Not recommended for children or pregnant women. Consult doctor before using if you have a medical condition.

If you're interested in getting FAB please holler @me. We'll get it delivered to you anywhere in Nigeria.

So, dear V, I got a question: do you think you can go one more step and discard another member of your famed 3C's?? It won't be easy I know, but trust me, even asking this of you isn't. But am sure you could try...*_*

Until next time folks, please do take care of your body - cos your #BodyMatters...much!

To Your Health & Wellness,                                                     AdeDolamu                                                                                         BB PIN: 21D51EFE || Tel: +234-803-4065-5551 || Email: so_hardey@yahoo.co.uk