Caffeine: Switching coffee for tea!

Discussion in 'Health and Fitness' started by Bozza Bostik, Jan 31, 2015.

  1. Bozza Bostik

    Bozza Bostik Antichrist on Button Moon

    I am thinking of ditching coffee but I am quite worried about the caffeine withdrawal symptoms. Would tea be a good replacement and prevent the symptoms?

    As I have mentioned on other threads I have Crohn's disease and I am really trying to find foods that aggravate the symptoms and eliminate them from my diet. Coffee can be bad for some CD sufferers. I don't care about the caffeine...just the coffee itself.

    Any ideas?

    And no.....coke (any type) is not an option. :p
     
  2. philosoraptor

    philosoraptor carnivore in a top hat Supporter

    I've gone through caffeine withdrawal several times. It sucks but it wasn't that bad. Ibuprofen is enough for the headaches. I drank a lot of water, maybe fruit juice if I wanted something with flavor. Some teas have quite a bit of caffeine in them. Not sure how that would work with CD.
     
  3. Moi

    Moi Warriors live forever x

    Tea will lower your caffine I take but usually it's still there
    Might be a way to cut down without cutting it out at first. There's always that green crap :)
     
  4. philosoraptor

    philosoraptor carnivore in a top hat Supporter

    Yerba Mate is a type of tea or something I think. It gives quite a kick!
     
  5. Moi

    Moi Warriors live forever x

    I'm trying to cut out red wine and use tea instead. I have a variety of herb & fruit ones that keep things different :) I have camomile at bedtime which really does seem to help me relax. They're worth a try. Red berry ones are good :)
     
  6. Shmook

    Shmook Valued Member

    How much coffee do you drink now?

    It is an intestinal irritant for me, so I try and avoid it save for the odd cup, but as a result I don't/won't get withdrawal.

    How much do you need to drink for you to become addicted to it? Genuine question :)
     
  7. philosoraptor

    philosoraptor carnivore in a top hat Supporter

    Only 2 or 3 IV bags a day.

    I think it's a question of how you incorporate coffee into your routine. I know people who only have one cup a day in the morning, but will get withdrawal headaches if they do not.
     
  8. pseudo

    pseudo Padawan

    See... i don't seem to suffer the consequences of caffeine withdrawal like others do. During the week i drink 1 to 2 pots of coffee a day and weekends i may have 1 cup if any, i never have problems. The worst i suffered was a mild headache when i cut caffeine out for an extended period of time when i was eliminating and re-adding things back into my diet.

    Depends on the tea, herbal teas have little to no caffeine.

    A note on crohns. A friend of mine has some debilitating symptoms, one of his triggers is anything pork. Maybe try going off the Bacon? I know, no one wants to give up the bacon it's a sin, but if it eases the pain... and pork may not be a trigger for you fingers crossed.
     
    Last edited: Jan 31, 2015
  9. Pearlmks

    Pearlmks Valued Member

    It's an infusion that can be drunk with hot/cold water, juice or alcohol. It can be unsweetened or with added sugar/sweetener. It has quite a bit of caffeine I believe. It is an excellent work/studying drink since it's more "active" (can't think of a better word right now) since you have to keep pouring it.

    Should anyone be interested in trying it and doesn't know how to make it, give me a shout.
     
  10. belltoller

    belltoller OffTopic MonstreOrdinaire Supporter

    One can always acquire crystalline caffeine (lab grade). Its lethally pure so you'll have to use a cutting agent - such as chocolate powder, etc., - you can cook it up in a spoon and ... :p

    Can you not find those little bottles of concentrated caffeine - known as "5 Hour Energy Drinks" here in the States - in Finland?

    The volume of liquid one has to consume to get the equivalent caffeine is so negligible that your stomach would probably not notice.
     
  11. aaradia

    aaradia Choy Li Fut and Yang Tai Chi Chuan Student Moderator Supporter

    How much coffee do you drink a day? Can you wean yourself off of it to lesson caffeine withdrawal symptoms? Like drink one less up a day for a week, then a cup less for the second week- until you are down to zero?
     
  12. Archibald

    Archibald A little koala

    I tried giving up coffee last January for a date (I work at a speciality coffee shop), and it was like I had a tropical disease - cold sweats, headaches, lack of focus, the whole lot lol.

    I've tried drinking just tea (black tea that is) at home but I go through it just as much as coffee (I actually love tea so that doesn't make it easier).

    Is Rooibos tea available where you are? It's a red tea made from a bush in South Africa, it has a strong flavour so you feel like you're actually drinking something, unlike a lot of herbal teas, and is caffeine free. A lot of cafés here in Oz actually run it through their espresso machines like a coffee shot, to make "red espresso".....it's actually pretty nice, I prefer the taste of it to decaf coffee.
     
  13. philosoraptor

    philosoraptor carnivore in a top hat Supporter

    True fact, it's actually not lethal to me because I've consumed so much damn caffeine.
     
  14. belltoller

    belltoller OffTopic MonstreOrdinaire Supporter

    Sounds good. Have to try that one.

    Its lethal. Its actually used as a laboratory calibration standard - rather than as a food-stuff. I don't know what's involved in processing food-grade caffeine.
     
  15. AndrewTheAndroid

    AndrewTheAndroid A hero for fun.

    It depends on which kind of tea. There are about 6 different varieties, with hundreds if not thousands of variations on those varieties.

    I prefer Pu'er tea myself. It's more bitter and has a significant amount of caffeine in it.
     
  16. kuntaoer

    kuntaoer Valued Member

    I go between Green tea and Oolong.. Never been much of a coffee drinker even when in the military or on the current job. The Oolong has a little more of a caffeine kick in it than the green tea does
     
  17. Bozza Bostik

    Bozza Bostik Antichrist on Button Moon

    Thanks for all the suggestions! A fair few replies, I don't know where to start.

    As I mentioned, my aim is to eliminate coffee, not caffeine, so I am looking for a replacement. I'm on an elimination diet, so it's a case of switching one thing at a time, waiting for 3-5 days and noting and changes. *sigh*

    I drank tea this morning. I forgot how much I hate the stuff...sod being British, it's coffee all the way. Tea's vile stuff and makes me feel nauseous. After about 4 hours I started feeling a bit rough - caffeine withdrawal - so I had a half cup of coffee (with food) and 20 mins later my stomach started to feel a bit weird - not a massive problem, but a bit of bloating and churning. So maybe coffee is now off.

    I think I am only allowed coffee, tea, mint tea and green tea on the diet I am following.

    Bad for Crohn's though apparently. I don't know whether it is something that should be avoided by everyone or it's down to the individual, but when I got diagnosed with CD I got an information pack which had a list of medicines I shouldn't take, stuff with ibuprofen was one of them.

    Beef is the usual problem meat. I think pork is ok as long as the cut isn't too fatty and I don't fry it.

    Honestly mate, it's got to the point when I will give up anything if it stops the bloating and cramps and cuts down my time in the bathroom a bit :) I haven't eaten or drank dairy products for weeks, which I love. And I have lasted about two weeks without cake or chocolate. :(
    I don't know if those are a problem either, but it's elimination diet fun and games for the next year or three!

    I drink about 5 mugs a day. Used to be much more, about 12. Going from 12 to 5 was rough enough.

    I think I'll try green tea as the regular stuff is disgusting. The only thing I like about tea is the adverts!

    [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFTuR6OZOdM"]Brooke Bond Advert - TV Repair Men 1980's - YouTube[/ame]
     
    Last edited: Feb 1, 2015
  18. ned

    ned Valued Member

    Hey Bozza,thought of you yesterday;read an article about cold brew coffee.
    Basically the process involves steeping the (coarse) grounds overnight in cold water and then straining through cheesecloth or other fine strainer.
    The main health benefits are a greater level of antioxidants and reduced acid
    content - might be worth investigating ?
     
  19. Bozza Bostik

    Bozza Bostik Antichrist on Button Moon

    That's a good idea!

    Problem is with these dietary things is that it's not always the food itself, it can be the cooking method, portion size or frequency of eating. So I have to try everything and find a handful of foods that cause no symptoms and move forward from there.

    Thanks!
     
  20. belltoller

    belltoller OffTopic MonstreOrdinaire Supporter

    Bozza - I'm as big of a coffee drinker as they come but I"ve learned that if I drink coffee after eating, I often don't feel too well. If I have coffee before I eat, its never a problem.

    Been that ways since I was a child.
     

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