Caffeine When I was challenged with giving up a habit, food or something I rely on for a 72-hour period I initially drew a mental blank. Eventually I settled on giving up caffeine. This proved to be quite a challenge since I rely on heavy doses of caffeine to help me throughout the day. Usually, I prefer to use caffeine Monday through Friday in an attempt to jump start my work productivity. After giving up caffeine for 72 hours I noticed some initial changes in my routine, some benefits without caffeine and also some drawbacks without caffeine included in my morning routine. The first day without caffeine was pure torture. My usual morning routine is simple. It consists of three simple steps. As a boss, I like to be the first person to work each morning. This shows dedication and also sets the standard for my younger co-workers. The second thing I do is walk around the building and unlock the two entryway doors. Finally, before I go into my office, I stop by the snack-bar and purchase a Monster Energy Drink. This routine changed as soon as I gave up caffeine for 72 hours. My caffeine-free challenge began Wednesday July 5, 2017. After I arrived to work that day I initially thought of just cheating and purchasing an energy drink. I believe this was my subconscious trying to feed my caffeine addiction. …show more content…
I still had some cravings, but not nearly as many as the previous day. My meeting schedule was a little lighter in comparison to the Wednesday prior, but I still had a lot of important projects in work. I also had to conduct two interviews and brief one new master sergeant that I just hired the week prior. This briefing was important because it set standards for a new position with duties, in which the master sergeant had no previous experience. Luckily, I wasn’t as sleepy so the briefing went well. The awesome part is, the next day was even easier to function without
Planaria are commonly known as flatworms. These flatworms have sensory organs which allow them to detect light using eyespots (Planaria,2017). The eyespots contain receptors that are highly sensitive to light stimuli causing planaria to prefer darkness. Planaria do not have lungs nor gills. Oxygen enters their bodies through membrane diffusion. Although planaria are just worms, their body react very similar to that of humans when injected with certain drugs or stimulants. One overused and highly popular stimulant is caffeine. Caffeine is known to increase individual’s energy and physical activity which makes them more alert of the surroundings. This observation leads to the question of how different concentrations of caffeine would affect planaria’s
The objective of this experiment was to perform extraction. This is a separation and purification technique, based on different solubility of compounds in immiscible solvent mixtures. Extraction is conducted by shaking the solution with the solvent, until two layers are formed. One layer can then be separated from the other. If the separation does not happen in one try, multiple attempts may be needed.
Researchers have found that setting gradually lowered criteria within a monetary incentive program to be effective in reducing caffeine intake in excessive coffee drinkers (Foxx & Rubinoff, 1979). High levels of caffeine can produce physiological effects similar to the side effects of...
Caffeine is a mild stimulant that occurs naturally in at least 63 plant species. Caffeine can be found in the leaves, stems, seeds, and roots of these various plants. Caffeine is part of the methylxanthine family. It consists of a xanthine molecule with three methyl groups attached to it. Caffeine can be found in many products like sodas, tea, and coffee, but it also occurs in several other products such as prescription medications, diuretics, and pain relievers. Caffeine’s widespread use and popularity have caused many people to view the substance as an addictive drug. Thus making caffeine the most inexpensive and readily available drug known to man. Then on the other hand there are people who view caffeine as a helpful stimulant that increases the individual’s concentration and awareness as well as many other physical traits. The important thing to remember is that caffeine’s affects vary based on the person, the amount ingested, the frequency of consumption, and individual metabolism. (http://www.pp.okstate.edu/ehs/kopykit/caffeine.html)
After reading about the abstinence experience assignment, giving up the daytime show “The Young and the Restless” came to mind. However, my immediate answer to myself was “no way.” I attempted to think of something else that would be more difficult. I find it odd that dieting did not come to mind during my pre-contemplation stage. I kept trying to come up with something other than giving up my favorite show. I attempted to minimize the impact that missing the show would have on me by telling myself that the Young and the Restless show really is not be a big deal ; I needed to find something else that would give me a true feel for what a person who is attempting to abstain from drug use would experience. However, I decided that giving up the Young and the Restless Show would be very difficult for me. After all I have watched the Young and the Restless show since I was in the 6th grade. I remember lying on the hallway floor and hiding beside my grandparents couch to secretly watch the show. My parents and grandparents did not allow children to watch these types of shows. I debated for several days and changed my start date twice. Finally, I began the abstinence experience on July 10, 2010. July 10, 2010 is a Saturday; I usually watch any shows that I missed during the week on Saturday’s.
Caffeine also increases dopamine levels in the same way that amphetamines do (heroine, and cocaine also manipulate dopamine levels by slowing down the rate of dopamine reuptake). Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that, in certain parts of the brain, activates the pleasure center. Caffeine’s effects are obviously much lower than heroin’s, but it is the same mechanism. The long term problem with caffeine is the effect it has on sleep. The half life of caffeine in your body is about 6 hours. That means that if you have a big cup of coffee with 200 mg of caffeine in it at 3:00pm, by 9:00pm about 100 mg of that caffeine is still in your system. You will still be able to fall asleep but your body is going to miss out on the benefits of deep sleep. The next day you are probably going to feel worse, so to make yourself feel better, you will need caffeine as soon as you get up and out of bed. This cycle can start to continue day after day. This is why 90% of Americans consume caffeine everyday. Once you get in the cycle, you have to keep taking the drug (home.howstuffworks.com).
When I found myself running low on energy during an assigned shift I relied on 5 hour energy drinks, red bull energy drinks, and coffee to get me through my shift. Although these beverages gave me the energy I needed to provide the care my patients required the effects on my body were very negative. After the artificial energy wore off, my body crashed. I became impatient, easily irritated, easily distracted, and lacked drive because I was tired. There were times when I became so physically exhausted after a crash that I could barely walk to my vehicle.
Beep Beep, Beep Beep! Your alarm is going off, so you roll over and hit snooze. This happens a few times, and before you realize it, it is 7 o’clock. You have 30 minutes before your big biology final, and you’re still groggy and tired. You throw on your clothes and grab a caffeinated beverage of your choice before sprinting out the door. You know you can’t rely on caffeine to stimulate your brain, or can you?
Scrutiny of caffeine and its effects has increased dramatically in the last 20 years, due in part to an increase in consumption of caffeine. In fact, coffee consumption among young adults rose to 3.2 cups per day in 2008 from 2.4 cups per day in 2005 (Rokerya 1). For instance, in a one hour period, on Richland College’s on-campus Starbucks, the author took note of how many customers arrived and purchased a cup of coffee. Between 8:00 and 9:00 AM, there were 51 customers, implying that – especially at college - many people are dependent on coffee in the mornings. However, the results from these studies are inconclusive and often somewhat contradictory – many studies (such as that by Tetsuya Ohara et al.) show that caffeine is a great boon to
I chose to work on my morning routine but I work Saturday evenings 7pm to 7am. This leaves me exhausted Sunday morning. I do not go to bed until Sunday evening. This means Monday morning I am still utterly exhausted and no cookie in the world is going to encourage anything from me. Those two days out of the week made making this a habit very hard.
In order to develop a fixed negative reinforcement schedule, I divided my cigarettes into groups allowing myself only three cigarettes a day. I placed my daily ration of cigarettes into envelopes and labeled them for each day of the week. I smoked one cigarette after lunch, one after dinner, and one later at night. I would reward myself with a cigarette after attending classes and eating lunch. I would then reward myself with another cigarette after homework and dinner. Through the course of my week, I violated my regimen only twice. On Wednesday and Friday, I “bummed’ a cigarette from one of my friends. After feeling guilty about violating my regimen, I repented for hours, and swore to myself that I was going to beat my addiction. Primary negative reinforcers also helped me stick with the plan such as improved stamina during physical exercise and more money in my pocket.
As the vast majority of Americans are addicted to caffeine, studies show that the effects during post-consumption, can be positive or negative depending on the amount and frequency of caffeine intake. As the demand for caffeine has increased, the caffeine industry has increased its amount of marketing and establishments to help aid this demand. Caffeine addiction can lead to serious health detriments and physiological detriments. It is evident that the primary reason for consumption of caffeinated beverages is due to positive effects, such as alertness. The media has an abundance of marketing to continue to illustrate this main effect. The media fails to project the negative effects of excessive caffeine intake. This literature review will illustrate how excessive caffeine consumption can be detrimental to one’s life, and how problematic caffeine use derives from conditioning by the caffeine industries.
Coffee is the first thing that people associate with instant energy on a groggy morning. “In the U.S., coffee is king of beverages” (Reinke) Research has been done that has named coffee as an addiction to the people who consume large quantities of it. Coffee was named the top source of antioxidants. This is partly because of the amount consumed each day. Some of the antioxidants that coffee has are quinines and chlorogenic acid. It also contains trigonelline, an antibacterial compound. This is where coffee acquires its delicious aroma. Now let’s step back for a minute and just think about how much caffeine people consume. In an 8oz cup of coffee it has about 85 milligrams of caffeine. This is about double the amount that tea contains. Studies have shown that caffeine stimulates the brain and nervous system. This is where you get that energized feeling. After about the third cup, knees start to bounce, pens are clicking and people start running laps around the office. Caffeine can become addicting if you drink too much. Coffee can become that addictive habit people are unable to shake.
Millions of Americans begin each day by consuming the most widely used drug in the United States: caffeine. Over 90% of United States adults consume caffeinated food or beverages on a daily basis and over 50% take more than the recommended amount. Our innocent daily ritual can turn into an addiction for some, because many do not realize that caffeine is even a drug, let alone the effects it can have on their bodies. Its use is becoming more and more prominent in our society. It’s not uncommon to walk outside and see a Starbucks or coffee shop on each corner.
Moreover, I learned that effecting even the smallest change in my lifestyle can be extremely difficult at first since breaking a habit is the first, but often the most challenging step. With this change did come certain repercussions, as well as benefits to my health. In the beginning, I drank less coffee in the morning in order to drink more water, this caused mild headaches for the first few weeks of the change, however, now that I do drink more water in place of other less-hydrating drinks, I have seen a steady decrease in the amount of headaches I drink. I even hope to return to my physician this summer and inquire whether I can be taken off my headache prevention medication. This realization has been the most exciting and rewarding aspect of this