Why Do I Crave Caffeine?

When you drink caffeinated drinks like coffee, tea and most sodas, the caffeine in the drink causes increased neuron activity in your brain, which in turn results in the release of a hormone we all know well - adrenalin.

This is exactly why caffeine gets us wide-awake and alert in the morning, isn't it? Well, unfortunately it isn't such a great thing for your body. As the adrenal high wears off, you start to feel tired, irritated, confused and may experience a headache. This usually results in reaching for another cup of coffee/tea/soda and the roller coaster ride starts over.

Is Caffeine Really Dangerous Or Addictive?

Because of caffeine, a negative roller coaster effect can occur by the release of adrenalin released by caffeine. Caffeine is very addictive. You create artificial adrenalin high by drinking caffeinated drinks, and then experience the withdrawal symptoms - which of course leads you to crave more caffeine.

Caffeine Health Effects:

Caffeine can cause alls sorts of damage to your health. Here are just a few of the undesirable side effects of caffeine on your health.

- The adrenal glands pump out stress hormones that stay elevated for up to 18 hours after consumption
- The liver releases higher amounts of sugar and fat into the blood stream.
- The pancreas produces insulin to remove the excess blood sugar and store it as fat.
- The insulin spikes create a blood sugar rollercoaster.
- Muscle tension is increased.
- The blood vessels constrict, reducing the flow of oxygen to important areas like your brain (up to 30%) and your extremities.
- Digestion and the immune system are impaired or suppressed.
- The production of DHEA and other anti-aging hormones is decreased.
- We lose Calcium and Magnesium by drinking coffee
It takes the body 24 hours to flush out the harmful effects of coffee (even 1 cup!), even though it contributes absolutely nothing to the total body chemistry and is harmful to the liver, kidneys, heart, bladder, digestive tract, bones, teeth, skin, growing fetuses and newborns.

The action of caffeine on the human heart is so stimulating and damaging that when a person has a heart attack, high blood pressure, kidney or bladder disturbance, normally their physician will prohibit any coffee or caffeine consumption.

What Can I Do To Curb My Caffeine Cravings?

The best way to curb caffeine cravings is to wean yourself away from coffee and caffeinated sodas. It's not going to be easy and you will feel withdrawal symptoms at first, but here are some tips to help you kick the caffeine habit.

-Eat five to six small meals a day and include some protein in each meal. This will help keep your blood sugar stable and provide you with the energy to keep going all day long.
-Drink at least eight glasses of water. Water will help keep you energized
-Drink a glass of water or green tea (see below) in the morning to help you wake up.
-Get plenty of fresh air and sunshine each day. Use your usual coffee break to take a little brisk walk outside.
-Switch to green tea. In addition to tasting great and giving you energy, it is packed with flavonoids and antioxidants, both of which are beneficial to your health.

Start by cutting down on your caffeine consumption and replace as much of it as possible with green tea and water. You may experience a caffeine withdrawal headache, but this is normal and a sign that it's working. Keep cutting more caffeine out every few weeks. Before you know it you will break the caffeine habit for good.