@compunaut I used to dislike the taste of coffee… then I had a decent cup of coffee and it was magical. Also I felt like I could karate kick through a stone wall. What about tea?
@compunaut On the other hand, I used to drink 2-3 liters of Diet Mtn Dew daily, and have slowly worked that down.
But, if I’m getting some mid-morning crashing going on [something that never happened back in the height of my Mtn Dew days], I just chew 2 or 3 pieces of that caffeinated gum I bought from Meh, and I’m all good til the afternoon.
I need my 25-30 oz. of fresh-brewed coffee to start the day. I rarely have any caffeine after about 10 AM, other than green tea, but I’m not very sensitive to caffeine. I can drink espresso an hour before going to sleep.
Since I insist that my coffee at home be Arabica, organic, and preferably Fair Trade, that’s a big NO to all on your list. I really liked one of the articles on 8 Coffee Brands to Avoid - because I do avoid them. Many years ago, I bought SBC coffee and loved it - until it was bought by Starbucks. Oddly (or not) I have tried every brand of coffee on the “buy this instead” list.
I don’t normally drink caffeine. Occasionally I’ll get some from chocolate. Once in a blue moon I’ll drink a hot tea. I have to make sure I drink it early. Any kind of caffeine keeps me awake now.
When I used to drink Mountain Dew, I could sleep even when full of caffeine because I was so desensitized to it.
Only one I have heard of is deathwish, because it’s made into Vodka (yep) and was(might still be) used by BBOTH to make a high caffeine shot (was not very tasty, my daughter tells me, she knows the guy casually)
That being said, I once knew someone who used aqua java (early caffeinated water) to make her coffee. Knew someone else that would drop 2 bags into a commercial bunn and use half the water (can you say nasty!)
I’ll stick with my local roaster’s compassionately and ethically sourced single country (if not farm) and do my best to follow the rule of sevens.
How much do I drink, meh, whatever feels right
Now ask me Saturday, I might be having palpitations.
Yes, Riot, it has both, so does tea.
Coffee does not keep me awake
Tea does. I attribute it to being a rapid caffeine metabolizer and that they stimulant effect of the theophylline is what does it.
That being said, caffeine does not trigger my a-fib either, but red wine does.
Cerridwyn, RN, MSN, abcdefg
@Cerridwyn@Kidsandliz@PhysAssist @RiotDemon I was told this by a doctor friend many years ago. At the time I was working rotating shifts (6 mids, 2 off, 6 days, 2 off, 6 eves, 2 off). I developed a trick to adapt my body to the insane shift changes while avoiding caffeine addiction. I’d punch the mids with a lot of coffee, tapering back on the last two days. The first two day watches I’d start with a blast of coffee, then switch to tea for the rest. I’d try to do minimal stimulants on eves; tea if absolutely necessary. Of all my coffee/tea experiments, it was the best way I could find to cope with the hellish schedule.
I just did chocolate recreationally.
I’m not really sure how much air I need to not die- I just breath a lot and that seems to be working out pretty well so far. Very similar deal with the caffeine.
I had tried Biohazard, which someone gave me as kind of a joke. It was strong, like jittery strong, but not very good.
We do Peet’s French Roast, sometimes cut 1:4 with Peet’s Mocha-Java, 3 to 4 cups a day. We can get it fresh roasted from the local stores here in the SF Bay Area. Sometimes get the Midnight Sun organic french roast from the local market, which is from a local Santa Cruz roaster that is part of a sustainable and free trade co-op.
So, yeah, need a lot of caffeine, but we need to know we’re getting quality and fair trade/sustainability practices. And no pumpkin spice. Coffee good! Starbucks sucks.
I WISH I could stomach coffee even a little because then I’d drink gallons of it- it’s awesome for health- reducing risks of liver and colon Cancer, dementia, and tons of other maladies.
However, since I cannot even sip it without vomiting nearly immediately, instead every evening I ingest 2-3 of the Dove Dark chocolate squares/bars- which are the next most documented-antioxidant containing food product with measured health benefits. [BTW, I don’t mean that they have the most antioxidants, I mean that dark chocolate, especially that made using the process that Dove uses has been well documented to provide significant health benefits.]
@PhysAssist Have you tried a good (not Starbucks) Americano? It is straightforward diluted espresso: tastes much better, to me, than brewed coffee. It is what I drink when I have to buy a coffee.
@PhysAssist When I used to take adjudicated youth canoeing across the state of FL, I’d fill up a water bottle with M&M’s that I’d sneak a snack while canoeing with a JD in the bow of the canoe. Never got caught. Staff would joke about our Vitamin M; ask whether we had taken it yet today - comment that it was necessary for our health, well being and future happiness… I like Dove chocolate too but it would just melt in FL in the summer in a canoe. M&M’s usually more or less survived the heat.
@lseeber I’m just the opposite. Love coffee, allergic to coffee. Drink tea. Don’t need caffeine though it doesn’t bother me. I just don’t care much for most herbal infusions. I like black, green or white tea.
@moondrake Yeah… when I say I need coffee… it’s like… it’s a habit… I like it. But it’s decaf. I guess I worded that wrong! lol.
I’m the same with the herbals. I want to like them. I have probably about 15 different flavored mixes now in my cabinet (mostly loose leaf) but I always default back to black tea. I like strong tea. So, sometimes if I’m in the mood for an herbal tea, I still drop in a reg black teabag with it. Although, I did get a cardamom/cinn blend at whole foods last week and it’s pretty good. But I know me. I have a cup or 2 and then go back to coffee or black tea.
Question… what reaction does one who is allergic to coffee have? I’m curious because one of the reasons I’ve cut back on it so much is my body doesn’t process it well. Particularly the caffeine. And it raises my cortisol levels tremendously.
And, funny thing. I hated, hated, hated coffee until I was about 8 months preg with my 2nd. I suddenly started craving it, bought a percolator and drank about 7 cups a day! Down to 1 or 2 now.
@lseeber There are chemicals in coffee that irritate the stomach and bowel. A doctor friend told me that it’s a drug/chemical reaction, not an allergy, but allergy is simple shorthand that everybody gets. At the most basic, I just get ferocious pain in my gut. A bad reaction comes with a rapid drop in blood pressure, tunnel vision, shallow respiration, cold chills, and diarrhea with substantial bleeding which can last several days. I have the exact same reaction to red chile, but I can eat green chile all day, even though it is the same fruit at different levels of ripeness. Even a dash of paprika on a deviled egg can get me. The coffee I did to myself, I was mad for coffee as a kid, my parents let me start drinking it at age 12 and I drank it to excess through teen years to adulthood. After about 20 years of consumption I started reacting to it. Here on the border red chile is ubiquitous, menu descriptions often don’t mention it, so I usually must tell waiters I’m allergic and ask them to check with the cook and still have many times had to send food back because of an unwelcome surprise. Many seasoned salts contain paprika, and people don’t think about that falling under the banner of red chile. They also sometimes think I’m just a gringa that can’t take the heat and assume that since the chile is mild it will be okay. I can take the heat fine, but not the red.
@moondrake Oh yuck! That’s harsh. Somehow the coffee bean and red chile much have similar chemical makeup or are related.
But I totally understand about an ingredient being in other things that no one ever considers. I run into that with other stuff.
@spacezorro And if you’re anything like my husband was… the caffeine no longer has much effect in staying awake. Hubby could drink 10 cups (and he did… at least) and sleep like a baby. Until a certain age and then I switched him to decaf after 3pm.
@spacezorro Yup. Built up a tolerance. He would complain sometimes that he needed a cup to wake him up but it wouldn’t. I told him if he layed off of it for just a bit, it would work again. He couldn’t do it tho, lol. All those Army yrs and then a few decades as night shift ATC. That’s all those guys did, smoke and drink coffee. None of them ever had any normal sleeping habits either.
Reminder: after about 2 weeks, caffeine stops being an effective stimulant unless you increase your dosage. All you’re doing is staving off withdrawal.
I still drink 1 cup a day for some reason (partly because I just like coffee) but I’m glad I cut down from 2-3 a day. It sucks having to be semi-miserable when (inevitably) you can’t get your second/third cup.
I drink 1 Rockstar Silver Ice in the afternoon and Mio Energy in my water throughout the day. I drank 2 Rockstars yesterday, one at 11:30 a night, after which I went to bed.
This is straight from med students and doctors. Been doing that instead for years. Now I drink coffee and tea for the flavor. As a New Orleans native, Community is my brew and available most places now. The half-caf cafe roast (light/medium) is my daily driver. The King Cake and the Praline are my holiday/flavored varieties.
For tea, I buy bulk loose leaf Vahdam brand (https://www.vahdamteas.com) and toast cardamon pods and spices to blend my own chai.
@mike808 I don’t know about this stuff but when I was younger had to take No-Doze a few times and ugh… it made me feel awful. Jittery, shaky, fuzzy headed. But I didn’t drink coffee or anything caffeinated back then so that could be why.
A single espresso or espresso-based drink contains 63 mg.
Decaf coffee contains about 3 mg of caffeine (on average).
So a 200mg dose is a 16 oz mug or 2 cups. The pill form gives you exact control over the exact amount you take and when, and doesn’t stain your teeth, or if you just don’t like coffee and prefer to put it in a smoothie or OJ or crush and sprinkle on anything.
If you leave a half cup to get cold, then you’re not getting a full dose of caffeine. Just don’t double-up and take a dose and drink coffee. Also, tea has about 1/2 the caffeine of coffee.
Also note that the darker the roast, the less caffeine generally, and espresso is a 2 oz shot. An Americano gets you a full cup with half the caffeine, so it’s basically a half-caf drink.
@mike808 yeah… but like I said… i took it back when I was younger and didn’t take any caffeine in any form. Nowadays… wouldn’t hurt. But… the only reason I drink coffee now is for the taste. I only drink decaf and even with that, I can’t drink it in the afternoon or I’ll be awake too late. But… good to know if I have a road trip.
@mike808 Oh… and I know there were some military guys on Shark Tank once and my daughter was telling me about it. A sniper team and they had to stay alert for hours on end without movement so they came up with something, I think they called it ruckpack or something like that. Helps you stay awake and 0 jitters. No caffeine.
This thread reminded me of someone in my office years ago who kept trying to order “expresso” coffee. Not too sure what that was, but we collectively decided that it must be some kind of dark roast coffee that was quickly absorbed and made you talk too much.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Not a coffee drinker…
@compunaut I used to dislike the taste of coffee… then I had a decent cup of coffee and it was magical. Also I felt like I could karate kick through a stone wall. What about tea?
@Targaryen I drink iced tea fairly regularly (this is TX, after all). I just don’t use caffeine to get me going in the morning.
@compunaut
/giphy projectile vomiting
Ditto- unless you want to see some projectile vomiting…
@compunaut On the other hand, I used to drink 2-3 liters of Diet Mtn Dew daily, and have slowly worked that down.
But, if I’m getting some mid-morning crashing going on [something that never happened back in the height of my Mtn Dew days], I just chew 2 or 3 pieces of that caffeinated gum I bought from Meh, and I’m all good til the afternoon.
I need my 25-30 oz. of fresh-brewed coffee to start the day. I rarely have any caffeine after about 10 AM, other than green tea, but I’m not very sensitive to caffeine. I can drink espresso an hour before going to sleep.
Since I insist that my coffee at home be Arabica, organic, and preferably Fair Trade, that’s a big NO to all on your list. I really liked one of the articles on 8 Coffee Brands to Avoid - because I do avoid them. Many years ago, I bought SBC coffee and loved it - until it was bought by Starbucks. Oddly (or not) I have tried every brand of coffee on the “buy this instead” list.
All of it!
I’ve tried Death Wish. It was bold, but I didn’t really notice much in the mega-caffeinated department.
@ruouttaurmind
Exactly.
I don’t normally drink caffeine. Occasionally I’ll get some from chocolate. Once in a blue moon I’ll drink a hot tea. I have to make sure I drink it early. Any kind of caffeine keeps me awake now.
When I used to drink Mountain Dew, I could sleep even when full of caffeine because I was so desensitized to it.
I care more about flavor than the amount of caffeine extracted. That being said, I drink 2 large cups
I won’t drink decaf.
@rtjhnstn Sorry, what is this… “decaf” you speak of?
@rtjhnstn @Targaryen Warm brown sadness water.
Friends don’t let friends drink decaff
Only one I have heard of is deathwish, because it’s made into Vodka (yep) and was(might still be) used by BBOTH to make a high caffeine shot (was not very tasty, my daughter tells me, she knows the guy casually)
That being said, I once knew someone who used aqua java (early caffeinated water) to make her coffee. Knew someone else that would drop 2 bags into a commercial bunn and use half the water (can you say nasty!)
I’ll stick with my local roaster’s compassionately and ethically sourced single country (if not farm) and do my best to follow the rule of sevens.
How much do I drink, meh, whatever feels right
Now ask me Saturday, I might be having palpitations.
https://www.la-coffeefestival.com
Enough to win.
My caffeine delivery system is Dr. Pepper. I am trying to cut back due to empty calories plus caffeine is not good for my AFIB.
So none.
@jst1ofknd I’ve switched to Dr. Pepper 10 to reduce calories; way better flavor than diet. I think still full caffeine, tho.
@compunaut
I think I’ve tried it and didn’t like it. Either way it’s not “on tap” at my work so I would actually have to buy it…
Red Goat coffee! Perfect!
No I haven’t tried it, just thought it was worth mentioning. Y’know, cuz’ goat.
Do not need caffeine unless it comes by way of decent chocolate.
@Kidsandliz @RiotDemon Technically, you’re looking more at a related compound Theobromine [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theobromine] from chocolate, just like Tea has mostly Theophylline. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theophylline]
@Kidsandliz @PhysAssist interesting. It does have caffeine as well.
https://www.healthline.com/health/does-chocolate-have-caffeine#6
@Kidsandliz @PhysAssist @RiotDemon
Well said PA dude. I’ve been telling people that for years and they don’t often believe me.
Yes, Riot, it has both, so does tea.
Coffee does not keep me awake
Tea does. I attribute it to being a rapid caffeine metabolizer and that they stimulant effect of the theophylline is what does it.
That being said, caffeine does not trigger my a-fib either, but red wine does.
Cerridwyn, RN, MSN, abcdefg
@Cerridwyn @Kidsandliz @PhysAssist
@RiotDemon I was told this by a doctor friend many years ago. At the time I was working rotating shifts (6 mids, 2 off, 6 days, 2 off, 6 eves, 2 off). I developed a trick to adapt my body to the insane shift changes while avoiding caffeine addiction. I’d punch the mids with a lot of coffee, tapering back on the last two days. The first two day watches I’d start with a blast of coffee, then switch to tea for the rest. I’d try to do minimal stimulants on eves; tea if absolutely necessary. Of all my coffee/tea experiments, it was the best way I could find to cope with the hellish schedule.
I just did chocolate recreationally.
@mehcuda67 by recreationally you mean that you didn’t swallow or didn’t inhale?
I’m not really sure how much air I need to not die- I just breath a lot and that seems to be working out pretty well so far. Very similar deal with the caffeine.
How much coffee? All of it.
I had tried Biohazard, which someone gave me as kind of a joke. It was strong, like jittery strong, but not very good.
We do Peet’s French Roast, sometimes cut 1:4 with Peet’s Mocha-Java, 3 to 4 cups a day. We can get it fresh roasted from the local stores here in the SF Bay Area. Sometimes get the Midnight Sun organic french roast from the local market, which is from a local Santa Cruz roaster that is part of a sustainable and free trade co-op.
So, yeah, need a lot of caffeine, but we need to know we’re getting quality and fair trade/sustainability practices. And no pumpkin spice. Coffee good! Starbucks sucks.
https://www.teeturtle.com/products/i-dont-do-decaf
I love coffee. It makes everyone else’s day better.
Another coffee thread? I MUST post this mug…
I WISH I could stomach coffee even a little because then I’d drink gallons of it- it’s awesome for health- reducing risks of liver and colon Cancer, dementia, and tons of other maladies.
However, since I cannot even sip it without vomiting nearly immediately, instead every evening I ingest 2-3 of the Dove Dark chocolate squares/bars- which are the next most documented-antioxidant containing food product with measured health benefits. [BTW, I don’t mean that they have the most antioxidants, I mean that dark chocolate, especially that made using the process that Dove uses has been well documented to provide significant health benefits.]
@PhysAssist Have you tried a good (not Starbucks) Americano? It is straightforward diluted espresso: tastes much better, to me, than brewed coffee. It is what I drink when I have to buy a coffee.
@PhysAssist
Another thing is to try a good cold brew. They have less acidity (not the pH kind but the kind people attribute to coffee.)
@PhysAssist Dark chocolate! Better than snake oil!
Maybe @AlexJones should add it to his stuff
@PhysAssist When I used to take adjudicated youth canoeing across the state of FL, I’d fill up a water bottle with M&M’s that I’d sneak a snack while canoeing with a JD in the bow of the canoe. Never got caught. Staff would joke about our Vitamin M; ask whether we had taken it yet today
- comment that it was necessary for our health, well being and future happiness… I like Dove chocolate too but it would just melt in FL in the summer in a canoe. M&M’s usually more or less survived the heat.
https://draxe.com/benefits-of-dark-chocolate/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-health-benefits-dark-chocolate
http://ageright.org/2014/02/04/how-much-chocolate-a-day/
https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-and-nutrition-pictures/delicious-reasons-to-eat-dark-chocolate.aspx
@PhysAssist - try these, if you can find them near you
Need coffee. Don’t need caffeine. Caffeine doesn’t like me. I drink decaf… and yeah… I know… I’ve heard it all.
@lseeber I’m just the opposite. Love coffee, allergic to coffee. Drink tea. Don’t need caffeine though it doesn’t bother me. I just don’t care much for most herbal infusions. I like black, green or white tea.
@moondrake Yeah… when I say I need coffee… it’s like… it’s a habit… I like it. But it’s decaf. I guess I worded that wrong! lol.
I’m the same with the herbals. I want to like them. I have probably about 15 different flavored mixes now in my cabinet (mostly loose leaf) but I always default back to black tea. I like strong tea. So, sometimes if I’m in the mood for an herbal tea, I still drop in a reg black teabag with it. Although, I did get a cardamom/cinn blend at whole foods last week and it’s pretty good. But I know me. I have a cup or 2 and then go back to coffee or black tea.
Question… what reaction does one who is allergic to coffee have? I’m curious because one of the reasons I’ve cut back on it so much is my body doesn’t process it well. Particularly the caffeine. And it raises my cortisol levels tremendously.
And, funny thing. I hated, hated, hated coffee until I was about 8 months preg with my 2nd. I suddenly started craving it, bought a percolator and drank about 7 cups a day! Down to 1 or 2 now.
@lseeber There are chemicals in coffee that irritate the stomach and bowel. A doctor friend told me that it’s a drug/chemical reaction, not an allergy, but allergy is simple shorthand that everybody gets. At the most basic, I just get ferocious pain in my gut. A bad reaction comes with a rapid drop in blood pressure, tunnel vision, shallow respiration, cold chills, and diarrhea with substantial bleeding which can last several days. I have the exact same reaction to red chile, but I can eat green chile all day, even though it is the same fruit at different levels of ripeness. Even a dash of paprika on a deviled egg can get me. The coffee I did to myself, I was mad for coffee as a kid, my parents let me start drinking it at age 12 and I drank it to excess through teen years to adulthood. After about 20 years of consumption I started reacting to it. Here on the border red chile is ubiquitous, menu descriptions often don’t mention it, so I usually must tell waiters I’m allergic and ask them to check with the cook and still have many times had to send food back because of an unwelcome surprise. Many seasoned salts contain paprika, and people don’t think about that falling under the banner of red chile. They also sometimes think I’m just a gringa that can’t take the heat and assume that since the chile is mild it will be okay. I can take the heat fine, but not the red.
@moondrake Oh yuck! That’s harsh. Somehow the coffee bean and red chile much have similar chemical makeup or are related.
But I totally understand about an ingredient being in other things that no one ever considers. I run into that with other stuff.
I added everything up I average ~ 650mg a day.
According to my wife I have been self medicating for adult ADHD for years.
@spacezorro And if you’re anything like my husband was… the caffeine no longer has much effect in staying awake. Hubby could drink 10 cups (and he did… at least) and sleep like a baby. Until a certain age and then I switched him to decaf after 3pm.
@lseeber if I’m having trouble sleeping about 50-80mg calms me down enough to go to sleep. (Big cup of coffee or a soda)
@lseeber @spacezorro
Me too lseeber!
@spacezorro Yup. Built up a tolerance. He would complain sometimes that he needed a cup to wake him up but it wouldn’t. I told him if he layed off of it for just a bit, it would work again. He couldn’t do it tho, lol. All those Army yrs and then a few decades as night shift ATC. That’s all those guys did, smoke and drink coffee. None of them ever had any normal sleeping habits either.
@lseeber
Reminder: after about 2 weeks, caffeine stops being an effective stimulant unless you increase your dosage. All you’re doing is staving off withdrawal.
I still drink 1 cup a day for some reason (partly because I just like coffee) but I’m glad I cut down from 2-3 a day. It sucks having to be semi-miserable when (inevitably) you can’t get your second/third cup.
@haikiba source on this?
I drink 1 Rockstar Silver Ice in the afternoon and Mio Energy in my water throughout the day. I drank 2 Rockstars yesterday, one at 11:30 a night, after which I went to bed.
W-what are you s-staring at?!
I-I d-d-don’t have a c-cafffffeine p-problem!
Simple, consistent dosing at $0.02 per dose vs cup coffee price and unknown caffeone content.
Watch for sales. https://pipingrock.com
This is straight from med students and doctors. Been doing that instead for years. Now I drink coffee and tea for the flavor. As a New Orleans native, Community is my brew and available most places now. The half-caf cafe roast (light/medium) is my daily driver. The King Cake and the Praline are my holiday/flavored varieties.
For tea, I buy bulk loose leaf Vahdam brand (https://www.vahdamteas.com) and toast cardamon pods and spices to blend my own chai.
@mike808 I don’t know about this stuff but when I was younger had to take No-Doze a few times and ugh… it made me feel awful. Jittery, shaky, fuzzy headed. But I didn’t drink coffee or anything caffeinated back then so that could be why.
@lseeber
The average caffeine content of:
So a 200mg dose is a 16 oz mug or 2 cups. The pill form gives you exact control over the exact amount you take and when, and doesn’t stain your teeth, or if you just don’t like coffee and prefer to put it in a smoothie or OJ or crush and sprinkle on anything.
If you leave a half cup to get cold, then you’re not getting a full dose of caffeine. Just don’t double-up and take a dose and drink coffee. Also, tea has about 1/2 the caffeine of coffee.
Also note that the darker the roast, the less caffeine generally, and espresso is a 2 oz shot. An Americano gets you a full cup with half the caffeine, so it’s basically a half-caf drink.
@mike808 yeah… but like I said… i took it back when I was younger and didn’t take any caffeine in any form. Nowadays… wouldn’t hurt. But… the only reason I drink coffee now is for the taste. I only drink decaf and even with that, I can’t drink it in the afternoon or I’ll be awake too late. But… good to know if I have a road trip.
@mike808 Oh… and I know there were some military guys on Shark Tank once and my daughter was telling me about it. A sniper team and they had to stay alert for hours on end without movement so they came up with something, I think they called it ruckpack or something like that. Helps you stay awake and 0 jitters. No caffeine.
@lseeber Probably close to the small bottles in the convenience store that are basically a 10x daily dose of B12, C, and other B vitamins.
More than I have consumed today.
This thread reminded me of someone in my office years ago who kept trying to order “expresso” coffee. Not too sure what that was, but we collectively decided that it must be some kind of dark roast coffee that was quickly absorbed and made you talk too much.
@rockblossom I hear that a lot.