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)
A lot of people often wonder what caffeine is. When isolated in pure form, caffeine is a white crystalline powder that tastes very bitter. The chief source of pure caffeine is the process of decaffeinating coffee or tea. Caffeine is used to provide“boost energy” or a feeling of heightened alertness. It is often used to stay awake longer and late into the night. Many people feel as though they “cannot function” in the morning without a cup of coffee to provide caffeine and the boost it gives them. Caffeine is an addictive drug. It operates using the same mechanisms that amphetamines, cocaine, and heroin use to stimulate the brain. Caffeine effects are more mild than amphetamines, cocaine, and heroin, but it is manipulating the same channels, and that is one of the things that gives caffeine its addictive qualities. If you feel like you have to have caffeine everyday and cannot live without it, then you are considered addicted to caffeine.
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?
As mentioned earlier, relying on caffeine to wake you up and keep you that way reduces your body’s ability to do that itself. The problem, one might argue, is not necessarily the coffee, but the school giving the student so much work that they have to stay up late enough to rely on coffee to keep themselves awake, or the teen’s lack of self-regulation staying up late doing pointless activities such as playing video games. And that one would have a point, except that we aren’t here to argue for educational reform or about “darn kids” and their video games. Those things are the source of the problem, but caffeine is a symptom that perpetuates itself and many other problematic symptoms. Even without school or video games, the problems associated with caffeine still
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.
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.
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.
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.
It’s important to watch how much caffeine your body is receiving each day in the foods and drinks you consume. Caffeine is not a bad drug, but be careful to watch for symptoms of withdrawal and caffeine intoxication. It can be dangerous for your body if too much stress is put on it. Remember, there are always decaffeinated options and sometimes these are the best to keep your body healthy. Works Cited faculty.washington.edu/chudler/caff.html greenfacts.org/en/psychoactive-drugs wisegeek.com/what-is-caffeine.htm psych.umn.edu/courses/spring05/ / caffeine.
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