My Name is Amanda, and I am a Coffee Addict

Excerpt from Coffee Addiction Signs written by Rachel Mork

"While many food and drink items contain caffeine, brewed coffee is the beverage that typically contains the most caffeine per ounce. Many medications, such as appetite suppressants and pain medications, also contain caffeine, often in higher doses than a cup of coffee. You may not realize how much caffeine you are consuming each day, especially if you are dependant on coffee, carbonated sodas and appetite suppressants. The amount of caffeine consumed can become staggering, causing heart palpitations and an actual physical dependence on the stimulant.

If you are addicted to caffeine, you probably exhibit the following signs of caffeine withdrawal whenever you do not have access to coffee, carbonated sodas or appetite suppressants:

* Mood changes: You probably respond to lack of caffeine with a grouchy mood and a low patience level.

* General malaise: You may get severe headaches, stomachaches, nausea and vomiting when you do not get enough caffeine.

* Mental dullness: You may become irritated easily and feel unable to think clearly because you feel dull-headed or foggy-minded.

Because caffeine is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and affects your body within minutes of consumption, you may feel immediately better after you drink a cup of coffee, setting you up for a dependence on caffeine, if not an addiction. The effects of caffeine linger for hours until your body excretes it all from the bloodstream, making it a tempting stimulant."

Photo Credit Functional Supplements

Excerpt from All4Women by Dr. J Mercola

Why you need to kick your coffee habit

"Coffee contains no vitamins, minerals, or enzymes

Why has a substance which places an enormous metabolic burden on your body and offers no nutritional value at all - no vitamins, no minerals, no enzymes - become so widely used throughout the world?"

Coffee is NOT good for you

The simple fact that remains however is that, coffee is not good for you and it's not a health food, as some published re­ports would have you believe. There are much better, less risky ways to achieve any professed benefits of coffee consumption. Don't use pro-coffee reports or propaganda as an excuse to hang onto your coffee habit!

The truth: coffee can wreck your health

Among the typical health claims about coffee is it decreases the risk of developing cer­tain cancers and diabetes. However, it increases your risk for stomach cancer and leu­kemia. Just like with most drugs, there are perceived benefits - and then there are the side effects which often render the "cure" worse than the disease.

Coffee can also:

* Interfere with your body's ability to use water, and promote fluid loss
* Raise your cholesterol
* Send your insulin levels out of control
* Contribute to rheumatoid arthritis and stroke
* Damage your blood vessels
* Increase your risk of heart disease

Coffee interferes with your body's ability to use folate, and vitamins B12 and B6. Your body needs these nutrients in order to keep your homocysteine level in the healthy range. Elevated homocysteine levels are associated with a wide range of serious, even life-threatening conditions.