Ultrarunner2020
Member
- Apr 29, 2020
- 101
- 8
Hey guys;
I almost gave up coffee.
I have an anxiety problem. So I do some Googling and find many blogs on how caffeine can exacerbate anxiety. So I thought maybe I should try cutting it out.
Of course, I was also aware that when these 'experts' (most of these articles I read were on reputable websites) were talking about caffeine and anxiety, they were talking a much higher level of caffeine than what I was taking in my one 12oz cup of FP brew. I think they referred to 400mg as the upper limit on 'acceptable' levels of caffeine. I seriously doubt that I am getting more than 150mg in my cup.
In any case, I told myself I would give up my morning joe, (and anything else caffeinated) for 30 days. I was nearly out of beans by the end of last week, so instead of buying more, I just used up what I had for a 6oz cup. That would be my last cup of coffee for 30 days...
My first couple of days without caffeine went fairly well. But after that, I fell into a downward spiral. I was experiencing more anxiety, not less. And to boot, I had increase in depression - which is also a problem for me.
Now let me mention that I was also taking CBD in the morning. Usually a gummy containing 50mg full spectrum CBD + 5mg THC. I have found the CBD helps with the anxiety and depression. But while I was 'off coffee', I also found that the CBD appeared to have less of an effect on my mood.
On Tuesday - only four days after I had sworn off caffeine, I purchased another 2lbs of beans from my usual roaster. I didn't brew a cup until Wednesday, but wow! What a difference it made. Along with the CBD in the morning, the single 12oz cup of coffee I brew in the French Press makes me a different person.
Occasionally I will drop 1ml (100mg) CBD oil into my hot cup of joe (in lieu of eating the gummy). The CBD seems to work very well in coffee - at least for me.
I have talked to my doctor about caffeine and CBD. While he has never told me I should get away from caffeine (my BP and other vitals are fine), he does not approve of the use of CBD.
I think it's mostly a professional thing: Very few medical professionals will recommend taking anything that hasn't been through the rigerous testing required by the FDA before a med can be released to the public. But we all know that the market for 'herbal remedies' is a multibillion dollar industry, and it's only getting bigger.
We all know what coffee (caffeine) does for us. Most of us also enjoy the flavor. I have been drinking my FP brew black with no sweetener, and enjoy it. Most people I know say 'yuck' when I describe my coffee. I won't even bother to offer them a taste. My sister will dump sweetener and creamer into her Kerug K-cup brew. It was the washed out taste of that Kerug brew (if you can actually call it a brew) that got me into French Press brewing.
I have considered trying other methods, such as pour-over, and maybe I will try it someday. Or perhaps I'll spring for an Espresso machine. But at least for now, I'm sticking with the French Press. Not only do I enjoy the brew, I find the whole process of brewing - especially grinding my beans in my 1ZPresso JX Pro a very pleasing experience. It is something I look forward to when waking each morning.
I might consider my short-run experiment a failure. But in science, there is no such thing as a failed experiment. One does not always get the result that was expected, but then if we did, what would be the sense of the experiment in the first place?
I almost gave up coffee.
I have an anxiety problem. So I do some Googling and find many blogs on how caffeine can exacerbate anxiety. So I thought maybe I should try cutting it out.
Of course, I was also aware that when these 'experts' (most of these articles I read were on reputable websites) were talking about caffeine and anxiety, they were talking a much higher level of caffeine than what I was taking in my one 12oz cup of FP brew. I think they referred to 400mg as the upper limit on 'acceptable' levels of caffeine. I seriously doubt that I am getting more than 150mg in my cup.
In any case, I told myself I would give up my morning joe, (and anything else caffeinated) for 30 days. I was nearly out of beans by the end of last week, so instead of buying more, I just used up what I had for a 6oz cup. That would be my last cup of coffee for 30 days...
My first couple of days without caffeine went fairly well. But after that, I fell into a downward spiral. I was experiencing more anxiety, not less. And to boot, I had increase in depression - which is also a problem for me.
Now let me mention that I was also taking CBD in the morning. Usually a gummy containing 50mg full spectrum CBD + 5mg THC. I have found the CBD helps with the anxiety and depression. But while I was 'off coffee', I also found that the CBD appeared to have less of an effect on my mood.
On Tuesday - only four days after I had sworn off caffeine, I purchased another 2lbs of beans from my usual roaster. I didn't brew a cup until Wednesday, but wow! What a difference it made. Along with the CBD in the morning, the single 12oz cup of coffee I brew in the French Press makes me a different person.
Occasionally I will drop 1ml (100mg) CBD oil into my hot cup of joe (in lieu of eating the gummy). The CBD seems to work very well in coffee - at least for me.
I have talked to my doctor about caffeine and CBD. While he has never told me I should get away from caffeine (my BP and other vitals are fine), he does not approve of the use of CBD.
I think it's mostly a professional thing: Very few medical professionals will recommend taking anything that hasn't been through the rigerous testing required by the FDA before a med can be released to the public. But we all know that the market for 'herbal remedies' is a multibillion dollar industry, and it's only getting bigger.
We all know what coffee (caffeine) does for us. Most of us also enjoy the flavor. I have been drinking my FP brew black with no sweetener, and enjoy it. Most people I know say 'yuck' when I describe my coffee. I won't even bother to offer them a taste. My sister will dump sweetener and creamer into her Kerug K-cup brew. It was the washed out taste of that Kerug brew (if you can actually call it a brew) that got me into French Press brewing.
I have considered trying other methods, such as pour-over, and maybe I will try it someday. Or perhaps I'll spring for an Espresso machine. But at least for now, I'm sticking with the French Press. Not only do I enjoy the brew, I find the whole process of brewing - especially grinding my beans in my 1ZPresso JX Pro a very pleasing experience. It is something I look forward to when waking each morning.
I might consider my short-run experiment a failure. But in science, there is no such thing as a failed experiment. One does not always get the result that was expected, but then if we did, what would be the sense of the experiment in the first place?
