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Wake up and Smell the Caffeine
Does the rich aroma of coffee lure you out of bed in the morning? Do you feel like you could not
function without your daily caffeine fix?
Drinking coffee gives you the feeling of temporary alertness and increased energy because caffeine is a stimulant that speeds up your central nervous system and is the world's most popular drug. So what's wrong with a coffee habit? How about mineral depletion, exhausted adrenal glands, anxiety, mood swings and surprisingly, low energy. The very substance you believe is keeping you going, is actually draining away your energy. Caffeine stimulates the adrenal glands to produce two stress hormones – adrenaline and cortisol. Our adrenal glands are powerhouses of hormone production. They sit on top of our kidneys and release hormones in response to both physical and emotional stress. Regular coffee drinkers are keeping their bodies in a constant state of emergency. The roller coaster ride of energy and fatigue that results from caffeine consumption reduces the adrenal gland’s ability to react to stressful situations, essentially lowering your ability to handle stress and leads to overall exhaustion. If you are a coffee drinker who feels no effect from caffeine, you need to ask yourself why your adrenal glands have stopped responding? Caffeine interferes with the absorption of minerals including calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium. In addition, the high acidity of both regular and decaffeinated coffee increases the body's need for calcium to buffer the acid. Drinking coffee not only blocks the absorption of calcium, but also drains calcium from your body. If you don't get enough calcium in your diet, your body will take it from your bones, increasing your risk of osteoporosis. For women at the age of menopause, it is even more important to avoid caffeine since they are at a higher risk for bone density loss. As the body's hormones fluctuate, the adrenal glands release DHEA which converts into estrogen and progesterone. If a woman's adrenals are exhausted, she will likely experience more pronounced symptoms of menopause including depression, mood swings, night sweats and hot flashes.
As your body gets used to caffeine, it needs more and more to get the same effect. As the amount of caffeine increases, so do the side effects. Overnight caffeine deprivation is enough to induce significant effects including tiredness, headaches, depressed mood and anger. Once you have your first dose of the drug, these feelings are relieved. This is why people believe that caffeine is making them feel better, but it is simply masking the symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms begin 12 to 24 hours after you stop consuming caffeine. These symptoms are an indication that toxins are being drained from your body. Of all the dietary habits that people find difficult to change, coffee drinking is one of the most challenging because it is so addictive and socially accepted. If you decide to cut out coffee, you may feel worse before you feel better. Your body needs to recover from its caffeine driven state and find its natural pace. Why not try caffeine-free tea such as roasted dandelion root. It has a sweet, pleasant flavour, and similar to coffee, has a roasted and slightly bitter taste.

Source: http://www.avivaallen.com/resources/WakeUpAndSmellTheCaffieine.pdf