Many of my readers know that I like to write some of my health blogs from personal experiences. It makes my blog filled with...well...more ME :) So, on to my caffeine story.
A few weeks ago my husband and I bought a delicious decaf Chai tea that we could brew at home. Those of you that know us, know that we are both very sensitive to caffeine, and we normally don't have any caffeine in our diet (besides the occasional dark chocolate fix that I MUST have). But, we both kind of "forgot" that decaf black tea still contains caffeine.
Needless to say, after drinking the "decaffeinated" chai tea for ONE DAY, I started to wake up in the morning with anxiety. This anxiety upon waking isn't normal for me by any means. I blamed the anxiety on an upcoming trip we were making. But, every morning I had Chai tea and the next morning I woke up with anxiety. After making the connection I stopped drinking the yummy tea, and guess what?? The anxiety went away!
How many of you wake up with anxiety? Go to bed with anxiety? Have anxiety throughout the day?
How much caffeine are you drinking? Remember, decaf coffee also contains caffeine. If this tiny amount of caffeine can cause me to have anxiety, think about what a fully caffeinated beverage is doing to you. There are multiple studies done to prove that caffeine causes anxiety.
People tell me that they must have caffeine to have energy throughout the day. Those people often crash in the afternoon and have to consume more caffeine to bounce back. Many people who stop consuming caffeine have incredible boosts of energy levels they never thought they could have without caffeine (once their body has detoxed from the caffeine).
Just a small snippet of health conscious advice: examine what effect caffeine is really having on you. Be honest with yourself. As a recovering caffeine addict (going on 5 years now) I know how difficult it can be to discontinue your most treasured beverage. But to me, my health is more important than a tasty beverage.
A few weeks ago my husband and I bought a delicious decaf Chai tea that we could brew at home. Those of you that know us, know that we are both very sensitive to caffeine, and we normally don't have any caffeine in our diet (besides the occasional dark chocolate fix that I MUST have). But, we both kind of "forgot" that decaf black tea still contains caffeine.
Needless to say, after drinking the "decaffeinated" chai tea for ONE DAY, I started to wake up in the morning with anxiety. This anxiety upon waking isn't normal for me by any means. I blamed the anxiety on an upcoming trip we were making. But, every morning I had Chai tea and the next morning I woke up with anxiety. After making the connection I stopped drinking the yummy tea, and guess what?? The anxiety went away!
How many of you wake up with anxiety? Go to bed with anxiety? Have anxiety throughout the day?
How much caffeine are you drinking? Remember, decaf coffee also contains caffeine. If this tiny amount of caffeine can cause me to have anxiety, think about what a fully caffeinated beverage is doing to you. There are multiple studies done to prove that caffeine causes anxiety.
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| Is this you with your coffee?? |
Just a small snippet of health conscious advice: examine what effect caffeine is really having on you. Be honest with yourself. As a recovering caffeine addict (going on 5 years now) I know how difficult it can be to discontinue your most treasured beverage. But to me, my health is more important than a tasty beverage.
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Svea Lynn is a traditional Naturopath, classical homeopath and holistic doula. Her private doula practice can be found here.
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