Discussion Board

*yawn*

I've been cutting back on caffeine (I know can cause problems) and I've been getting up earlier (which can also cause problems) however, I am so sleepy all day long! By mid-day I am struggling to keep myself awake. Are there any caffeine-free ways to wake myself up? Or do I just need to adjust?

I'm afraid I might have to start eating fruit! Not my most favourite thing in the world, I have no idea how I'd fit it in!

That can definitely be one of the problems! It's called withdrawal from caffeine addiction And getting enough sleep is absolutely crucial for health anyway so if getting up earlier, you might need to go to bed earlier. Turn off the TV, computer, Blackberry, etc an hour or more before you need to go to bed.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/366222-research-on-adhd-therapeutic-essential-oils/There are linked references at that site. If you have health food store near by that sells them, they usually will have testers you can go sniff and see if anything perks you up.

I repeat the info below from a previous thread. It may be worth knowing that you'll be okay after trying to stick it out. And you may find that you sleep sooo much better. Hope you get past the sleepiness soon. Quitting caffeine is a toughie!

Coffee's Jolt Just an Illusion? Study finds regular drinkers need it simply to return to normal state of alertness:
http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/639720.html

Excerpts: "Although caffeine consumers feel alerted by caffeine, the effect is actually only bringing you back from caffeine withdrawal-induced, low-level alertness," said study author Peter Rogers, a professor in the department of experimental psychology at the University of Bristol in England. "You are not gaining anything over and above a non-consumer of caffeine."

Caffeine, sometimes called the most commonly used drug in the world, acts on the central nervous system's receptors for the neurotransmitter adenosine, according to background information in the study. Adenosine is involved in regulating blood pressure, as well as sleepiness and wakefulness, alertness and anxiety responses, Rogers said.

"What this study does is provide very strong evidence for the idea that we don't gain a benefit in alertness from consuming caffeine," Rogers said. "Although we feel alert, that's just caffeine bringing us back to our normal state of alertness."

Thanks for the suggestions. I might try the aromatherapy bit, since it's something that I really like. Perhaps I can warm some in the morning if I need it.

I'm not a big coffee drinker, it's chocolate and tea that gets me. Perhaps I need to learn how to cut this stuff out for good! I find that if I cut out chocolate I'm ok, but if I have just a little bit, I'm eating crazy amounts of chocolate again! I need a chocolate 12-step program!

That article was interesting. I found it funny how thay explain what a caffeine buzz is and then tell you not to cut it out, and that these caffeine drinks might have some benefits, but don't list any! I guess people like to hear good things about their bad habits!

Wife loves coffee but it gives her gut fits (aside from other issues) so she discoverer Raja's Cup. It is made by Maharishi Ayurveda, sold in some health food stores or used to be, but she gets it on line. Adds a splash of oat milk and loves it without any downside.

Does Raja's Cup actually taste like coffee. I was disappointed by teechino being too weak for me.

I don't think it really tastes like coffee but I have not even tasted coffee in about 45 years. Always found it disgusting and nothing personal at all but even worse than the taste is the smell on people's breath who drink it.

What I have found eating this way, is that to make it work, I pretty much have to give up on substitutes tasting like what I am giving up. Face it, a McDougall style pizze does not taste like Papa Murphy's w/ sausage on it! And a McDougall burrito just does not and never will taste like a carnitas burrito. I did miss some things terribly for awhile but decided my long term health and well being were much more important to me than a few minutes of mouth pleasure. Now I really don't miss those things except in a very abstract, mental sort of way.