| Do you grab a cup of coffee as soon as you get | | | | hormones. The consumption of cola drinks has |
| up in the morning? Do you drink pop throughout | | | | also been shown to be associated with lower |
| the day? Do you go out for coffee during the | | | | bone mineral density. Caffeine is showing up in |
| week or maybe pick up a caffeine drink on your | | | | weight-loss supplements, added for its energy |
| way to work? For many of us this is a social | | | | enhancements, appetite suppressant and |
| habit, as well as a personal habit. A cup of java | | | | 'fat-burning' properties. The heartburn many feel is |
| after a meal gives people time to relax and talk, | | | | not so difficult to detect. |
| but drank in the evening, can cause insomnia. | | | | The list of reasons not to consume caffeine goes |
| We all have habits of one kind or another. | | | | on and on. Much research is being done on this |
| Caffeine is a habit that doesn't hurt other people, | | | | drug so what does this mean to us, the |
| but what is it doing to those of us drinking it? | | | | consumer? The answer may be simpler then you |
| Caffeine comes in a lot of different drinks, foods | | | | think. Part of what is going on when you drink |
| and desserts. For some of us, it's the energy that | | | | coffee is the ritual of it all. If you want to remove |
| we get from it that beckon us to consume more. | | | | coffee from your diet, cut back slowly and start |
| Most people just enjoy the flavor or even the | | | | by changing the way you drink it. In the morning |
| smell of hot coffee. So what is the big deal? | | | | instead of getting up and having that first cup, put |
| Caffeine is addictive and can be harmful for us, | | | | the kettle on the stove and wait for the water to |
| but like all things that we enjoy, we tend to | | | | boil. In anticipation, get out your favorite mug, cut |
| pretend that we are not having any adverse | | | | a lemon slice and slit the fruit to stay on the edge |
| effects by consuming it. Think about a cold | | | | of your cup. After the water boils, slowly pour it |
| morning and getting up to that first hot cup of | | | | in. Squeeze the lemon and drop it inside. Sip the |
| coffee. You pour it into your favorite cup, hold | | | | water slowly and take care not to burn your |
| your hands around the drink to help warm | | | | mouth. This is just one example of how, 'what' |
| yourself, sip it cautiously so you don't burn your | | | | you do with coffee, is part of what you love |
| mouth, and ahh. Drinking coffee for many of us is | | | | about it. Sometimes it's best to just replace the |
| a ritual. Whether you add any cream or sugar, | | | | habit with a new habit, as opposed to removing |
| well that's another story. The cost of stopping for | | | | the caffeine from your life all together. |
| a caffeine drink every morning on your way to | | | | Keep in mind that if you are choosing to cut back |
| work, can be more expensive then you think but | | | | on consuming caffeine, that it is a drug, your drug |
| all that said, what else happens when you down | | | | of choice. Removing it from your diet will take |
| that great cup of coffee? | | | | time and should not be removed abruptly. |
| Science suggests that caffeine, not just that in | | | | Decreasing the amount that you drink may help |
| coffee, can be a diuretic and create a loss of | | | | you feel better and therefore encourage you to |
| fluids in the body. High blood pressure is blamed | | | | consume less. Maintaing your health is all about |
| on the drug by some. There is evidence that | | | | moderation. |
| suggests caffeine can cause an elevation in stress | | | | |