Is caffeine truly helpful in your everyday life? It may give you that extra pep in your step but the facts are that having caffeine over the recommended use can have health risks associated to cardiac arrhythmia, an increase of serum cholesterol, and increased blood pressure. So, the question is why do people continue to consume caffeine? Some of the reasons could be due to lack of sleep the previous night or simply because your body has formed a dependency on it. People who are trying to get off caffeinated drinks will experience withdrawals such as; headaches, anxiety, dizziness, vomiting, fatigue, and even depression. Is this what you want to put your body through? Is the risk higher than the reward? You can ask these questions to yourself and determine whether you want to make coffee or caffeinated drinks your best friends. Did you know that caffeine can influence the nervous system, absorption of vitamins, and for most women, it can be linked to Fibrocystic Breast Disease? As a personal experience, I was drinking maybe 3-4 cups of coffee a day on top of that a shot of espresso just to get going. However, I started to notice a lump on my left breast and that’s when I started to panic. I made an appointment with my doctor and he determined it was fibrocystic. They eventually took it out and it was a benign cyst, but the doctor said it was related to having a high consumption of caffeine. From that point on I decided to turn to teas and played around with different types of tea leaves. You can have the option of having a hot tea or even a cold ice tea whatever works best for your preference. But the truth is that there are other healthier options you can turn to that will give you that energy burst to start your day.
Options: Decaf Tea: There are many herbal teas that do not contain caffeine such as; Chamomile Tea Hibiscus Tea Ginger Tea. Herbal Coffee Tea
You can even plan a brunch with your girlfriends and have a cold ice tea sangria, strawberry sweet tea vodka, or even a fresh lavender lemonade. This can eliminate any mix drinks that contain caffeine such as; red bull and vodka, monster and vodka, or even coke and whiskey. Tea is not as bad and can be fun and safe! Why not try it? It will only benefit you!