Why Am I Addicted To Caffeine & Should I Quit?

Transcript:

BRITNI: Welcome to Dishing Up Nutrition. If you clicked on this podcast episode, you're probably curious about your caffeine consumption and how it might be affecting your health. Maybe you've been thinking about cutting back, or maybe you've tried to cut back, but those withdrawal symptoms are just too rough, and then you go back to it. I think a very common question that a lot of people are wondering is how much caffeine is too much? I mean, I get asked that from my clients quite often. Do you hear that too?

BRANDY: All the time.

BRITNI: Yeah.

BRANDY: Yep.

BRITNI: And it's no wonder that so many people drink caffeine. It is the world's most widely used psychoactive substance. Which is kind of, kind of kind of crazy to think about. So it could be your morning coffee, dark chocolate, tea, decaf coffee even. The caffeine really can add up quite a bit.

So the truth is that drinking caffeine is so common, and honestly, it can be hard to avoid, and we're going to dive into what the effects are, how much is too much, and if you are an individual that it might just be worth cutting out and see how you feel. So before we get any further, I want to introduce ourselves. I am Britni Vincent, a Registered and Licensed Dietitian, and with me today is my cohost Brandy Buro, and she's also a Registered and Licensed Dietitian.

BRANDY: Hi Britni.

BRITNI: Hello.

BRANDY: It's good to be here today.

BRITNI: Yeah. I'm curious. What is your caffeine drink of choice if you have one?

BRANDY: Definitely coffee. You know, I have my French press routine in the morning. It's very special to me.

BRITNI: So do I. And I, you brought up routine. I mean, I think that the, the caffeine consumption, a lot of it is routine.

BRANDY: It's a ritual for so many.

BRITNI: It is. It's like there's something so peaceful about savoring a nice cup of tea or coffee. And I hear that a lot from clients too.

BRANDY: Yeah. I think for a lot of people it is more so about the ritual and that time to themselves in the morning. Maybe less so than the effects on their energy. But like it or not, it's impacting your brain and your health. Something that you need to really take a look at and understand what it's really doing to you.

BRITNI: Yeah. because a lot of people, you've probably been doing it so long, everything's relative, so you don't really realize how it's actually affecting you.

BRANDY: That's right. So we are going to break it down today and try to describe like what's the impact of caffeine? How do you know if it's a problem for you? And this is relevant, I would say to most people because like you said, it's something that is widely consumed and most of our country's population consumes caffeine on a daily basis, right? So at what point is this ritual becoming a problem?

So if you are really relying on it, like you can't get through the day without caffeine, it might start affecting your physical and mental health in ways you didn't expect. Or maybe you are just needing a soda or another cup of coffee in the afternoon just to get through the day, having enough energy to finish work.

BRITNI: Mm-hmm.

What is caffeine addiction & how much is too much?

BRANDY: And the line between just use or abuse, it gets a little blurry in those cases. So what is caffeine addiction really? So caffeine addiction, like any addiction, is when somebody is physically dependent on caffeine. So your body basically starts to rely on it to function, and if you go without it, you experience withdrawal symptoms.

And I've experienced this by accident once. Just by, well, I didn't, for some reason I didn't make coffee that morning and a couple hours later I was like, why do I have this splitting headache? So I think that's probably one of the first withdrawal symptoms someone might experience. But you may actually just feel like really irritable and testy; just really tired and fatigued. You can't focus, you can't get tasks done until you have your caffeine. So those are some signs that you might be addicted.

BRITNI: Yeah. And if you're resonating with all of that and it's like, yes, that's me, I mean, then it's just easy to continue that habit of drinking caffeine throughout the day, you know, most people that get to this point are probably drinking more than one or two cups in the morning to become addicted to this. So like we talked about, how much is too much? You know, a lot of people just kind of rely on it to get their day going, get that little burst of energy.

I do agree with what Brandy and I were talking about earlier. A lot of people, it's just part of their morning ritual. They find it peaceful, relaxing. So there's that aspect of it. And I think at the end of the day, how much is too much? It really depends on the person. There's no straight answer that fits for everybody.

BRANDY: Unfortunately. I wish it was easy.

BRITNI: Right. I know, but we're all individuals and yeah, we have individual needs but if you do look up the general recommendation from the Food and Drug Administration for what amount of caffeine is safe, you'll find the answer is up to 400 milligrams, which is about four cups of coffee.

BRANDY: Mm-hmm.

BRITNI: You know, typically for our clients, we recommend less like 200 or below, which would be two cups or 16 ounces of coffee, and it is really important to mention caffeine affects everybody differently. You know, age, genetics, other health considerations are going to play a role into how efficiently you actually metabolize caffeine. I mean, I know people that cannot have even one cup of coffee 'cause for some reason their body just does not metabolize caffeine very well.

BRANDY: And I've even seen that change with age too. Where maybe someone in their thirties could have one or two cups of coffee and now they're in their sixties and it, it's just destroying their sleep. So they have to like back off completely.

Sources of caffeine

BRITNI: Yeah, that's a good point. It could change just depending on what's going on in our life. And I do think a lot of people are not necessarily aware of all the sources you're getting caffeine from: sodas, tea, chocolate, kombucha has caffeine.

BRANDY: Right.

BRITNI: Right. I don't think everybody realizes that. There's all these different sparkling waters out there now. Some of those have caffeine, so you really need to be aware of the labels and you know, I have found working with clients that some people can't even have a square of dark chocolate at night.

BRANDY: Oh, what a shame.

BRITNI: Right? Because that little amount of caffeine is enough to negatively impact their sleep. On average, an ounce of dark chocolate has about 23 milligrams of caffeine, so that's equivalent to about a quarter cup of coffee.

BRANDY: Yep.

BRITNI: Decaf coffee: that has a tiny amount of caffeine too, about seven milligrams, so significantly less. But again, if you are somebody that is extremely sensitive, that could potentially disrupt your sleep.

BRANDY: Hm-hmm. And if you're somebody that thinks I'm drinking decaf, I can have as much as I want. I mean, one cup times eight cups.

BRITNI: Yeah. That's a great point.

BRANDY: I mean, there we go. And I remember one client I was working with. Like you mentioned with the sparkling waters, she had kind of gotten in the habit of having a sparkling water when she's cooking dinner. You know, kind of as a substitute for wine. But she found out she was buying the caffeinated version of that.

BRITNI: Oh, wow.

BRANDY: And couldn't figure out why her sleep was so rocky. So learned her lesson. You know, read your labels. Be very careful for sure. Because they are sneaking it in everywhere.

BRITNI: Yeah. And, and it sometimes it's written teeny, teeny tiny, so it's hard to even notice.

What happens in the body when caffeine is consumed?

BRANDY: Yeah. It looks like any other package right next to it. So be really diligent with that. And like you said, caffeine affects us all a little differently, but why does caffeine has such an impact on some of us, some, for some people, it's really quite a dramatic effect. So I just wanted to talk about some of the basic biochemistry. What happens in our body when you consume caffeine?

So caffeine is a stimulant. I think we all understand that. So what it's doing is it's stimulating the adrenal glands to release adrenaline. So adrenaline is our fight or flight hormone. It's the hormone that is released in times of stress and when you drink caffeine, but it, it basically gets you ready to fight a threat so it's, it's preparing your body for that action.

It's going to increase your heart rate, it's increasing your blood pressure, it's making you feel more alert and alive and you're ready to go. So I think that's what a lot of people enjoy about caffeine. Something else it does is it blocks something called adenosine.

So adenosine is a transmitter that makes you feel sleepy. So adenosine is something that will build up over the course of the day. So by the end of the day, it's doing its job, it's helping you feel tired and ready for bed. But caffeine basically wipes out that adenosine from its receptors in the brain. So then that sleepy effect is kind of erased.

BRITNI: Interesting.

BRANDY: Yeah. So that is why if you are drinking caffeine later in the day, you might have a hard time falling asleep at night.

BRITNI: Makes a lot of sense.

BRANDY: Yeah. So the timing of caffeine is really important. If you're going to enjoy some caffeine, try to time it so it's earlier in the day so that we're still having that natural buildup of adenosine to help you sleep at night. The thing though is if you rely on caffeine too much every day and throughout the day, your brain can actually start relying on it to stay awake and that can lead to some dependency.

And over time, you will develop a higher tolerance. So you might find that you need more and more caffeine to get the same effect, and if you don't get your fix, you will start to experience some of those withdrawal symptoms that we mentioned a little bit earlier. But headaches being one, irritability, fatigue. Some people might even have flu-like symptoms, just feeling kind of like achy and just off.

BRITNI: Not a good feeling.

BRANDY: No, no.

BRITNI: And you know, another big factor that I think drives people to drinking caffeine is that it boosts dopamine, serotonin, and GABA, which are all feel good brain chemicals, neurotransmitters, and they lift our moods, they help us focus better and, you, it makes you feel wonderful.

BRANDY: Yeah.

BRITNI: For a moment.

BRITNI: Yeah, exactly. It doesn't last though. And the dopamine, I mean, I know dopamine, there's been lots of information out about dopamine in the media, this is the neurotransmitter that is connected to addiction. So addiction, drugs, alcohol, caffeine, like we're talking about, but also scrolling on your phone gives you a boost of dopamine.

BRANDY: Yes.

BRITNI: Online shopping, gambling. Unfortunately in today's society, most people are kind of seeking that next little dopamine hit throughout the day. So as you can see it becomes really easy to get in this cycle of your body. Your body likes that little boost and so you crave it. You want more of it.

And what I've seen, you know, from family members that have become sober and eliminated alcohol from their life, a lot of times they rely more on caffeine. Or sometimes sugar.

BRANDY: Totally. Mm-hmm.

BRITNI: Because they're still kind of seeking that dopamine hit. Just from a different substance.

BRANDY: Exactly. I've seen the same thing. And people close to me too. It's like no alcohol anymore, but it's definitely a dependence on caffeine or nicotine and, like sugar of some form, like Skittles or Lifesavers.

BRITNI: Yeah.

BRANDY: Just anything to kind of get that dopamine. They're always chasing it.

BRITNI: Yeah. And we all have a unique biochemistry and some of us have a tendency toward lower dopamine, so that's just kind of part of our biochemistry of seeking those behaviors or substances.

Are there health side effects that can result from too much caffeine?

BRANDY: Mm-hmm. And beyond, you know, the dependence that it can create, too much caffeine intake can have other health side effects. I think of cardiovascular health for one. Because caffeine will increase adrenaline and increase heart rate. Consistent use of caffeine can keep your heart rate elevated, it can increase your blood pressure. You could even experience heart palpitations and if somebody already has hypertension or high blood pressure, excessive caffeine use can just exacerbate that.

BRITNI: Yeah. And that's a very scary feeling, as people have told me to feel your heart skip a beat or feel like your heart is racing too much, and that could all be from excessive caffeine.

BRANDY: Absolutely.

BRITNI: So, you know, not to mention we kind of talked about sleep a little bit. But the huge part of this is caffeine has a half-life of about five to six hours for typical adults, meaning that if you have a cup of coffee in the afternoon, half of that caffeine is still in your system by bedtime. So, you know, of course that could lead to insomnia, difficulty falling asleep, just overall really poor sleep quality.

BRANDY: Yeah.

BRITNI: And then you're tired the next day, so you want your caffeine. And it just becomes this, this vicious cycle.

BRANDY: Yeah.

Recommendations on timing of consuming caffeine IF consuming it

BRITNI: And so Brandy, you mentioned earlier the timing of when you're going to choose to partake is super important. And I mean, I think a good rule of thumb is have your caffeine before noon.

BRANDY: Yeah. And I encourage my clients to do the same because if you are having like an afternoon cup of coffee or energy drink, whatever it might be, you're basically resetting the clock so that half-life is starting all over again.

BRITNI: Yep.

BRANDY: I also want to mention, just a quick thing about digestion, 'cause it can impact digestion for some people. I think a lot of people recognize like, oh, a cup of coffee in the morning. It actually helps with regularity. I see that as a benefit for some. But for some people it can actually trigger acid reflux. I see it's more common in people that already have acid reflux, but caffeine can just be one of those triggers that make symptoms worse.

BRITNI: Yeah.

BRANDY: I wouldn't say it's necessarily the cause of the acid reflux, but it can just make things a little more uncomfortable for those people.

BRITNI: Yeah, I've seen that too. It just kind of exacerbates the issue that's already there. And you know it, most people have heard this caffeine acts like a diuretic, so it that means it, you become more dehydrated when you drink it. So a very good practice is, and I tell myself this every morning, drink your glass of water before you start with your coffee or tea or whatever your caffeine drink of choice is just to ensure that you're not letting yourself get too dehydrated. Because otherwise, I think for a lot of people you could be sipping on your coffee till 10:00 AM and have no water.

BRANDY: Right. And that dehydration is not going to help your energy any.

BRITNI: Yeah. No, not at all. And then just being mindful to drink water in between coffee too. Well, it is time for our break and when we come back we're going to talk more about caffeine. 

-----

How does caffeine affect mental health?

Well, we are back from our break and we have been talking about caffeine and its possible effects on the body, and we're going to dive into the, how it affects your mental health.

BRANDY: Mm-hmm. Yeah, I mean, since you, we've been talking about like neurotransmitters and dopamine. I mean, there's a pretty strong connection there. And I would say while moderate amounts of caffeine can have positive impacts, like alertness and focus, too much consumption can actually cause anxiety.

And there is a link to depression as well. But I found this to be true for myself. If I have too much caffeine in the morning, especially without any food, I get really anxious. My heart starts to race. I start to sweat. My energy is just really frantic.

BRITNI: Mm-hmm. I've heard that from other people too. I think that’s a very common response.

BRANDY: Yeah. Yeah. And for some people it could even lead to a panic attack, you know, if you're really sensitive. And chronic overuse can wear out the dopamine response like you talked about earlier, Britni. And that plays a really crucial role in regulating your mood. So it's the same concept with any other addiction, whether it's addiction to another substance or addiction to a behavior; just needing more and more of it to get the same effect that you're going after.

Possible withdrawal symptoms of quitting caffeine

And when you look at what some of those withdrawal symptoms are of caffeine, the irritability, the fatigue, the low energy, there's a lot of overlap there with symptoms of depression.

BRITNI: Yeah, that's true.

BRANDY: And I would say it can exacerbate existing depression. So it can be really, really difficult to cut back on caffeine when the consequences of withdrawing are so similar to something that's so debilitating, and I just want to point out that you'll probably experience those withdrawal symptoms within 24 to 48 hours.

That's probably when they'll be at their peak if you start cutting out caffeine. But for some people it can last like a full week. You know, it can be a pretty in involved process to wean yourself off depending on how much caffeine you're consuming to begin with.

BRITNI: Yeah, I think that's helpful for people to just know if they're going to try to cut back, just kind of know what the process is going to be like. Kind of prepare yourself.

BRANDY: Yeah. So hang in there. Be patient with yourself. Your body will adjust in time. But yeah, just recognizing what those withdrawal symptoms are so you know what, what the heck is going on with your body. But yeah, give it time and you'll, you will start to feel better.

Ideas on how to cut back on caffeine or eliminate it

BRITNI: And so you're probably wondering, I mean, what's the solution? How can you gradually cut back? Or maybe you're motivated to just cut out caffeine completely and see what happens.

BRANDY: Yeah.

BRITNI: I think one thing that tends to work really well, instead of cutting it out completely, swap it with a different beverage. And I think this is a good method with food too we talk about a lot.

BRANDY: Yeah. Healthy swaps.

BRITNI: So instead of drinking your fully caffeinated coffee in the morning, maybe you switch to a half calf.

BRANDY: Yeah.

BRITNI: Or if you really want to, you could switch to a decaf or swap to tea. I mean, generally any sort of tea is going to have less caffeine than a cup of coffee. But green tea especially is, is going to have even less.

BRANDY: And then you still have the ritual in place.

BRITNI: Yes, exactly.

BRANDY: Where you're still preparing a nice warm beverage for yourself.

BRITNI: Yeah. Or you know, if you are a soda drinker, the sparkling water works really well for some people.

BRANDY: Yes.

BRITNI: And there's so many options on the market that you could explore. Just making sure, reading labels, looking for hidden sugar. Making sure that how much caffeine it actually has.

BRANDY: Right.

BRITNI: And so by doing this and potentially gradually reducing, you're going to minimize those withdrawal symptoms if you experience them at all. I think it's important to stay hydrated. You know, prioritize your sleep. Consume balanced meals throughout the day that we talk about here at Nutritional Weight and Wellness. And that's going to help with the withdrawal symptoms, but also all of those things are going to help with your energy.

BRANDY: Mm-hmm.

BRITNI: And I think some people rely on caffeine just for the energy boost. So if you're increasing your energy other ways, then you're going to be less likely to gravitate towards it.

BRANDY: Right. And it's real energy.

BRITNI: Yes. Right. It's sustained energy. You're not going to crash from it. Yeah. That's a good point.

BRANDY: And when I'm working with clients who are trying to cut back on caffeine, that is one thing that they notice is like when I'm eating in balance and I'm hydrated, the energy that I get from that is so much more fulfilling. It feels so much more real than the energy I get from caffeine, which is just a little more like frantic and like scattered.

BRITNI: Yeah.

BRANDY: The food piece is so important. I mean, that can have such a big impact and I think it's so common now. I mean, our lives are so busy and fast paced that skipping breakfast, even skipping lunch is not all that unusual.

BRITNI: Yeah.

BRANDY: But that is what's really fueling your body with energy. You need to give your body fuel from food to create energy for yourself. Just sustaining yourself on caffeine isn't really doing much for your body, so you want to prioritize a balanced breakfast in the morning. So making sure you have some kind of protein with healthy fat and some real food carbohydrates, even if that means it's a simple protein shake, you know?

Something that's fast to make, isn't like a huge plate of food. Something that you can sip on throughout the morning. Great for people that maybe don't have much of an appetite for breakfast, but it kind of gets your body the energy that it needs right away.

BRITNI: Yeah, I agree. I do find that for somebody who's not eating breakfast at all that is kind of a nice option to start with.

BRANDY: Absolutely. For me, you know what works great, I think eggs are a really fast breakfast.

BRITNI: Yes.

BRANDY: And I'll usually, and this is what I did this morning, a couple eggs, some leftover sausage from dinner before. And leftover brown rice and broccoli.

BRITNI: Yum.

BRANDY: Just, I mean, that was very fast to make enjoyable.

BRITNI: Sounds delicious.

BRANDY: I feel amazing.

BRITNI: Yeah. Gets you off to a good start for the day.

BRANDY: And it is important to have food in your stomach as I've learned if you're going to consume caffeine because, that can actually slow down the, the spike of caffeine and kind of prevent some of those anxious feelings.

BRITNI: That's very good advice. And, you know, working with clients, I find that some people do need to totally cut out caffeine because even if they have a cup in the morning, it still negatively impacts your sleep. I don't think that's the case for most people. But if you are struggling with sleep, it could be worth the experiment.

You know, I've had some people too, just they're motivated, they decide to cut out caffeine and generally speaking, they feel a lot better. They have more energy throughout the day. Their mood might be better. So all things to consider. Or like we've talked about, maybe you just deciding to reduce it.

BRANDY: Mm-hmm.

A few guidelines of what to look for in coffee

BRITNI: Stick to the caffeine in the morning I think is a really good place to start. And if you are going to, we talked about decaf coffee, just kind of a side note. How they process coffee to make it decaffeinated varies quite a bit. And there can be some harsh chemicals used. So I would look for one that is water processed. And it generally says it on the bag.

BRANDY: Good point.

BRITNI: And then just generally speaking, coffee is one of the most heavily sprayed crops with pesticides and herbicides. So organic really is, is the best option.

BRANDY: And it tastes better.

Who might benefit from cutting caffeine out completely?

BRITNI: Yeah. I agree. And you know, I do think another, we've talked about sleep, people that struggle with insomnia, individuals that have intense amounts of stress, and they've been under chronic stress for a long time, those would be the individuals that would likely really benefit from just cutting it out completely. Because even that one cup of coffee, or tea for that matter, could be another stressor. Whereas somebody that is not under that extreme stress, that one or two cups is not necessarily going to be a stressor on the body.

BRANDY: Right. But that is what caffeine is doing, right? It's triggering a response from the adrenal glands. So if you're under a lot of stress, they're already kind of working overtime. And if you're, you know, talking yourself into this plan of cutting back on caffeine, you're thinking like, yes, this is what I need to do;

Just another tip for how to boost energy naturally is to get yourself outside in the morning, you know, expose your eyeballs to sunlight first thing in the morning. It doesn't have to be for a long amount of time, just like three to five minutes really works wonders.

And what that's doing is it's basically just kind of sending a signal to your brain through the eyeball that it is morning. It's time to wake up. It's time to go. And that regulates your circadian rhythm, so it wakes you up in the morning. And then it kind of starts the clock and naturally you'll kind of wind down throughout the rest of the day; hopefully be tired at night. It might be surprising how this little trick really helps with your sleep regulation and energy, but it really does work.

BRITNI: Yeah. And I think we all have an extra couple minutes to just go out there. Especially when you're going to feel better.

BRANDY: Yeah. Worth it.

Supplement support to reduce or quit caffeine

BRITNI: I also want to mention a supplement that I have had clients use when working on reducing caffeine or sugar. So the supplement's called DopaBoost. It contains an amino acid called tyrosine, and that's a precursor to dopamine.

And we are naturally going to get tyrosine in these precursors from eating animal proteins and, and getting that in throughout the day. But for some individuals, some people just have a biochemically a tendency towards lower levels of dopamine in the body.

They might benefit, from using this supplement, even if it's just for a short amount of time. So if you have a lot of sugar cravings. I mean, you've recognized you're addicted to sugar or caffeine and you are motivated to reduce or eliminate, this can be super helpful.

I have also used it for individuals that have ADHD, 'cause those individuals also have low dopamine and the medications that are used for ADHD just boost your dopamine. So this could be a, an alternative, and I've found that to be effective as well.

BRANDY: Would you take that like throughout the day or just in the morning?

BRITNI: Yeah, great question. So I've played around with it a little bit with clients and one client I can think of specifically: she was having very intense sugar cravings throughout the day. So what we found to be most effective for her is to take one in the morning and then one, like around lunch, early afternoon time.

And that seemed to really help her cravings throughout the day. And then she noticed it just, it improved her mood, generally speaking. She felt less depressed. Which makes sense, because her brain, it was helping her to make more dopamine.

BRANDY: Yeah. So she wasn't like seeking that dopamine hit from some other source.

BRITNI: Exactly.

BRANDY: Love that. Well, there's another supplement that I like for energy production. It's a multivitamin actually. It's called Mitocore. So the full dose is four capsules, and when you take that full dose, it can actually make you feel like you have a little caffeine buzz. Because it, it is kind of energizing.

BRITNI: Yeah.

BRANDY: And that's because it has a really good amount of B vitamins and B vitamins are really important when it comes to energy production, especially vitamin B12 and vitamin B6. So both of those B vitamins help your body convert the food that you eat into the energy that your body uses. And again, you, like you said, with tyrosine, you can get these B vitamins from protein-rich foods as well.

BRITNI: Yeah.

BRANDY: But the multivitamin is just giving you a little bit more of a boost, you know? Some people do need a little bit more than what they can get from diet alone. So supplementing with a good multivitamin like Mitocore just gives you a good amount of B vitamins for that energy production. So I wouldn't think of it as a substitute for real food because obviously protein like eggs and fish and beef give you so much more than just B vitamins. But it is an important piece of the puzzle.

BRITNI: Yeah, that is a good one. I've had clients really notice a difference in their energy, and that one is a little unique. Like the B vitamins, but it also helps your mitochondrial health.

BRANDY: Yes.

Eat in balance throughout the whole day for sustained energy

BRITNI: So it creates more cellular energy. So if you are somebody that really struggles with fatigue, I would highly recommend that one. And the food part, I mean, nothing replaces eating real food. These are all kind of extra things that can help you. And we always emphasize the importance of eating a balanced breakfast because it just sets you up for a much better day. More energy. You might have less cravings for caffeine too, if you are well-nourished throughout the day too.

And eating that balance of protein from some sort of animal source, carbohydrates from a little bit of fruits and vegetables, and then that healthy fat makes a well-rounded delicious breakfast and you know, I too rely on eggs in the morning or sometimes I just eat leftovers. I think once you get over the idea that you don't have to eat breakfast food for breakfast.

BRANDY: Yep.

BRITNI: That can be helpful. So leftovers can be very satisfying, especially if you're somebody that gets sick of eggs. Eating them every day and like, the smoothies are great and you can also combine too, if you want to drink a smoothie and have a little bit of extra protein on the side. I have some clients that do that as well.

BRANDY: Yeah. I love that idea. So many ideas when it comes to breakfast. Lots of good recipes on our website, weightandwellness.com as well.

Check Out Some of Our Recipes!

BRITNI: Yeah. I have a lot of clients that make our egg bake recipe. That's a good one. And you can vary it with different veggies or kind of whatever you want.

BRANDY: Yeah. For me it's like a clean out the kitchen.

BRITNI: Yes totally.

BRANDY: Clean out the fridge recipe. Food is so important. Like we can't really out supplement a poor diet. We can't out caffeinate a poor diet. And when it comes to having good energy throughout the day, you just, you need to fuel your body with food.

Coffee alternatives

But if you really do miss your coffee right now there are so many good coffee alternatives that have come out in recent years because this isn't really, you know, a new thing. People are really trying to address this caffeine addiction. So there's some good options as you're maybe trying to wean yourself off.

BRITNI: Yeah, I actually eliminated coffee for an entire year.

BRANDY: Wow.

BRITNI: And I found myself, like we've talked about, I just wanted a warm cup of something. So I tried some of the teas out there that taste a little bit like coffee and those were good. I just landed kind of on like a black tea. Which was really nice. For me personally, I didn't necessarily notice a benefit from eliminating the caffeine or the coffee. So I added my cups in the morning back in, because I like the taste of it.

BRANDY: Something to be said for that flavor.

BRITNI: Yeah.

BRANDY: But it's good to have alternatives. Another alternative that I like, you know, just for something different is green tea.

BRITNI: Yeah.

BRANDY: I do enjoy the flavor of green tea. It has a little bit of caffeine, not as caffeinated as coffee, but there's something else about green tea that I love. It contains am an amino acid called L-Theanine, and we have talked about L-theanine on the show quite a bit. I often talk about it as something that can help with anxiety.

BRITNI: Yeah.

BRANDY: And sleep. And it just has a calming effect. And that's why I like green tea because it has a little stimulation from the caffeine, but then the l-theanine just naturally promotes relaxation, but it doesn't make me feel drowsy. It's just a very focused energy.

BRITNI: Yes.

BRANDY: So, and that's a good combination and a lot of people really like that as an alternative to coffee because it doesn't make them feel too anxious.

BRITNI: Yeah. And I've seen, lots of other health benefits of having green tea. Even helping with metabolism. And so if you like green tea, I think that's a really, really nice option.

BRANDY: Yes. Matcha is another drink that is really trendy right now.

BRITNI: It sure is.

BRANDY: It is a type of green tea. It's basically powdered green tea. And since you are, you're basically consuming the whole tea leaf in powdered form, it does come along with some antioxidants. So there's a little bit of a nutrition boost there. This is another product though, that you'll really want to be careful when you read the labels because some matcha powders can also have some added sugar to make it taste sweeter.

So if this is something you want to experiment with at home, try to find a product without added sugar. It will be a little bitter. You're drinking tea leaves, but, you can always add maybe some stevia.

BRITNI: Yep.

BRANDY: Or monk fruit to add a little sweetness if you need to.

BRITNI: Yeah. My husband really likes matcha, so I've even played around and made matcha smoothies.

BRANDY: Oh, that sounds good.

BRITNI: So just buying the unsweetened powder. Yeah, they're very delicious. Especially, I think it's a nice summertime thing.

BRANDY: Yeah, I like that idea. I've never tried it in a smoothie.

BRITNI: Yeah, and if you are feeling motivated listening to Brandy and I to just bite the bullet, decide to eliminate it altogether, there are so many herbal tea options out there. I know a lot of people say, I don't really like tea, but honestly take a peek because there's fruity flavors.

There's more herbal type flavors out there. So many options that you could try. Peppermint, ginger, can be a favorite of many people, and those can boost mental energy without providing that caffeine as well.

BRANDY: Yeah, there's, you can get really creative and mix teas. You can steep just about anything and call it a tea.

BRITNI: Yeah, that's true.

Establish a consistent sleep schedule

BRANDY: Lots of options out there without any caffeine. Well, one last thing that I want to talk about, and this is something I discuss with my clients, is the importance of establishing a consistent sleep schedule. Because your body does really love routine, and maintaining a regular sleep schedule is one of the best ways to do that.

The best way to improve sleep quality is by having a consistent bedtime and a consistent wake time. Your body relies on that routine so that you can get good quality sleep, wake up feeling refreshed, and not rely so much on that caffeine to wake yourself up in the morning.

Ideally, your bedtime and your wake time is going to give you the opportunity for at least seven and a half to nine hours of sleep, so dial the clock back based on when you have to wake up and that is your bedtime. Maybe give yourself an extra 30 minutes so you have some time to settle in and actually fall asleep. But if you are getting less than seven hours, you're I think, clinically sleep deprived.

BRITNI: Yes. Yeah.

BRANDY: So that, that's a serious thing. And that can make it really difficult to get through the day without caffeine. We have a lot of resources about how to improve your sleep on our website, weightandwellness.com.

Check Out More Resources On How to Improve Sleep

And there you can find other episodes that we've done on Dishing Up Nutrition about sleep. Sleep is a struggle for so many. We've definitely explored this topic a lot. So if you are needing help with that, we've got the help that you need.

Recap

BRITNI: Well, let's recap what we've talked about today. I think to answer the question, who should eliminate caffeine; people that are really, really struggling with their sleep, it might be worth completely eliminating, at least reducing to see if that improves your sleep. And then those individuals that are just under an immense amount of stress, that caffeine could just act like another big stressor on their body.

BRANDY: Right.

BRITNI: So those are two reasons why you might think to eliminate it. But I would say everybody should avoid drinking any sort of caffeine after noon, so giving that time to, for your body to metabolize so you're ready to go to bed. And we really hope you enjoyed our discussion today and answered some of your burning questions about caffeine. If you are struggling to cut back on caffeine, remember those withdrawal symptoms don't last forever.

BRANDY: Right.

BRITNI: Just kind of power through them. Know that there's an end in sight. And your body will quickly adapt and you'll start feeling more energized and balanced without that need for caffeine throughout the day. If you feel like you need help, we are here to help. And we understand that everybody has a unique biochemistry and a unique lifestyle, so we provide a unique plan to support all of that, and there's no one size fits all approach.

And if you do have questions or want to get that scheduled, you can call us at (651) 699-3438 or visit our website at weightandwellness.com.

Schedule Nutrition Counseling

Until next time, have a great day. Thanks for listening.