Simpleology Blog

Hey Mark,

I totally agree and drink some tea or coffee daily just for that little motivation it gives me.

It seems that a lot of people are getting their caffeine from sources like carbonated energy drinks, which are loaded with sugar and caffeine. I myself used to drink them daily and found myself feeling drained if I did not have them around when I needed them.

Now I prefer a cup of black and green tea with a drizzle of honey and milk to start my day.

Yes, Mark, I think you're right about this one . . . I prefer Yerba Mate; it is a nice source of caffeine and is also tonifying and a good source of nutrients.

I agree that caffeine can cut your appetite, but a donut sure goes good with a cup of coffee.

I agree caffeine is one of the more mild chemicals that work directly on the central nervous system, however I would not recommend anyone resort to the caffeine tablets and use something more natural as stated above like Yerba Mate. The one negative with taking caffeine direct into the blood stream via tablets etc is in 60% of people it causes carb cravings, and unfortunately most people get their carbs from chocolates & snacks like chips, but like all things trial and error and monitoring your own bio feedback is essential.

Hello Mark, really love my simpleology cockpit.ect.I may not be flying as a net success but I do order mylife a lot better it is great.Thanks.

You are quite awesome Mark Joyner,
regards
Patricia.

Yep, been working at losing weight most of my adult life, and I am not a coffee drinker, but I do find that a cup of strong black coffee in the morning does help, especially if I am going out for a wlak that morning.

Hey Mark,
I am definitely one of those 'natural' people but I wholeheartedly agree. Not necessarily with the 'weight loss' aspect of caffeine but definitely with the 'boost' it can give you that helps put you ahead of your mid-afternoon sleepies. I drink green tea in the a.m. and if I need a little kick in the afternoon I pull out the espresso machine and make myself a small espresso (much better for your body than regular ground coffee).

Mark, Agree about caffeine.

Why is caffeine in carbonated drinks so bad though? I drink a can of diet coke once in a while, and it sure helps me stay awake in those post lunch meetings :) I thought these drinks just contain carbonated water, flavor, caffeine and artificial sweetener, right? What harm can these cause?

I still enjoy an accasional coffee, and I have been in the overdose mode. About 18 years ago, after my first wife left, and I was a solo dad with three businesses to run, I found myself working from 4am to midnight 7 days a week and drinking about 25 cups of coffee a day. One afternoon at the aero-club I asked one of the other pilots who was also a doctor if he knew what might be causing the shaking I was experiencing - hand tremors and a buzzy feeling in the chest.
He asked me how much coffee I drank, then advised that I stopped.
Three weeks of violent stomach craps and headaches later - I was off coffee, and the shakes had stopped.
I still occasionally do an all night programming session or a 20 hour drive with lots of coffee, but don't make a habit of it.
1 or 2 a day is my normal maximum now.

Mark,
You guys are awesome, but please! Stay away from sodas. They will literally rot your brain. And for all of you caffeine junkies, make sure that you drink an equal amount of water along with your beverage to avoid dehydration! Or just get tired again and repeat the whole process...Stay healthy!
Marco.
PS. Love your books by the way!

Natives from South American rainforests would walk for days using guarana, a natural caffeine source which provides 3-4 times the caffeine of coffee. Guarana has also been linked with weightloss (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guarana) and is available in beans, powder and capsule forms for those who don't like to drink tea or coffee.

Hello Mark.
In the Simpleology book, and in the courses, you give some wonderful examples of paths of excess you took in the past. I love the cartoons and your light touch and willingness to poke fun at yourself to make a point.
Caffeine became, for me, a drug of choice about the time of the "Summer of Love." In 1967 it seemed everyone in the world was seeking to expand their consciousness. Me too.
The very idea of "drugs" was alien to me, but I really wanted to experience mental "enhancement."
My solution: After drinking a pot of percolated coffee (the only kind available then) I would chew the coffee grounds, listening to jazz (via a big box over my head with a 12" speaker inside) and then write poetry.
I should be afraid and ashamed to admit to this, but it was over 40 years ago, and I'm still laughing at myself. Feel free to join me in that.
Now I've begun my second run-through of Simpleology 103 and looking forward to many more decades of many kinds of expansion.
Keep up the great work!
Your friend,
Harry The Librarian

Hi Mark,

I'm actually quite tired of the whole weight loss dilemma and the millions of weight loss products out there - Let them be caffeinated or not.

The massive amount of more than $33 Billion Dollars spend obsessively by Americans each year for weight loss products, pills and services, shows how desperately people are seeking for a solution.

Somehow they don't seem to get that the solution can't be found in drugs or other stimulants.

I know it's probably the hardest pill to swallow for the majority of people to realize and actually to overcome the gap between wishful thinking and taking action.

That's the only way to burn calories, get back into shape and balance again.

No one can really say if caffeine is hindering or supporting weight loss.

There are always two sides of the coin and tons of research out there that proves and disproves the use of caffeine in weight loss programs.

I do believe that natural weightloss products containing plant extracts - which caffeine is part of - do help during the seriously hard time of losing weight.

Initially, people who decide to loose weight should invest their money into stuff that "calls to action" (like the Simpleology Courses), rather than swallowing a pill and passively wait for an improvement of their situation.

People should be responsible with the only life they have and confront obesity with doing excercise on a regular basis.

If they are over the first hill, well then, why not integrate a natural based supplement in moderation as a little support.

I found two related articles on the web that are worth reading for everybody who is interested:

http://www.ineedcoffee.com/05/weightloss/ and
http://www.teeccino.com/weightloss.aspx

best wishes,
Steffen

For Ritesh, who questioned the negative side of diet sodas, the aspartame (which has a controversial list of side effects) and the phosphoric acid (used in the carbonation process) are the culprits. With the current rate of soda consumption we can expect to see osteoporosis increasing in younger people. Sodas really have no redeeming qualities,except I admit they do taste good on occasion.

Mark,

You also get some exercise getting up to make the coffee and filling your cup.

Yerba Mate, grean tea, coffee are great.

Forget Carbonated drinks especially diet. The intensity of the sweetness causes carb cravings. Sacharin is carcinagenic and has caused brain legions.

This might be controversial but FLOURIDE ingested through water is also poisonous. They can not give it to cattle because of the crippling effects after two generations.

Freshly made green tea, especially Japanese, has a smoother vibrational effect and might empower you to get up and walk a bit...

hope it helps....

Hi there Mark

There is another use of caffeine that I'm sure a lot of people do not know about.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia are becoming more and more prevalent, especially amongst young executives and entrepreneurs, mostly due to plain old burnout. I've managed to overcome this, and one of the "remedies" I've used is three or so cups of coffee a day.

Although it seems from research that caffeine can actually increase the pain response in Fibromyalgia, I've found that since I'm already managing the pain with medication, this is not a factor, and that the coffee and occasional sugar-free energy soda actually helps me to get through the day.

It also helps to curb the sugar cravings caused by the low serotonin levels associated with these diseases (which, ironically leads to overweight, and even more cravings).

Caffeine has helped me tremendously over the past two years, so it's bottoms up for me!

Regards

Louise Fourie

I work in health care and can tell you:-
Green tea (with no black tea) only contains one third of the caffeine of black tea. Green tea gives you a lift without doing too much damage and is also very good for the digestion.
Sodas/fizzy drinks make you fat, cause cellulite and leach calcium from your body. They are a no no!
A glass of wine also has the effect of stunting your appetite, so a regular glass of red wine in the evening will stop you feeling the need to pig out.
In the end it is all about moderation, keeping a balance with everything.
It is okay to have a little of everything as long as it is the best quality you can find.

There is a lot of confusion over caffeine. Most people are not aware that there are 3 types.

Caffeine from roasted Coffee beans

Caffeine from from the Red Bull pick me up type drinks - which is in fact an artificial
analogue of caffeine synthesised in a lab. It is actually a white powder.

There there is caffeine from wholly natural sources such as Guarna, Kola nut and Green tea.

The first forms of Caffeine are toxic and detrimental to health. the intense high heat during the Coffee bean roasting process renders not only the caffiene but the many alkaloids in the bean into potent carcinogens.

The many benefits of natural Caffeiene are profound it is a brain tonic and cardio stimulant, as well as being highly thermogenic (fat burning)and a mild euphoriant.

But please get your Caffeine from a natural source and Green Tea is one of the best and most widely available. Personally I have access to Bitter Kola from Africa. A pure source of unprocessed Caffeine. I chew one or two of these and boy do I get a buzz. Though I find myself talking more than I'm used to!

Hey... there is no way I'm ever going to give up my caffeine for anybody... including me! But... I do know the problems of excessive caffeine consumption. If you are sitting for hours at the good old PC (which many of us do)... something that can really help to rejuvenate you, is calorie free, great for your health... is the stock standard glass of water! It not only hydrates your body it also reduces fatigue and gives your body an internal massage on its way down (truly!). Now I'm not a health fanatic at all... but water works as a great appetite suppressant.

Jeanne
http://www.goalsnaspirations.com

There is growing evidence that it isn't what you eat but rather what you think about what you eat that makes it bad or good for you. In other words some people can have a butter and fat laden meal and stay skinny (think of our French friends) others may have that same meal and have a negative reaction i.e. put on a pound or two.
Obviously there has to be some sense of moderation in all this.
Mark I agree with your assessment of sugar laden soft drinks. A researcher friend of mine said that if people were to consume as many soft drinks per day as some people do cigarettes they would not live three years due to the ingestion of so many nasty substances despite the research posted above.

Ritesh asks "... and artificial sweetener, right? What harm can these cause?"

In response, I give you an article I got some years ago, specifically on this;

============================
Aspartame; Sweet, But Sour
Every time someone buys a soft drink they make a choice: With toxins or without?
Of course, you could make a case that virtually all soft drinks contain toxins. But there's one particular toxin that prompted this e-mail from an HSI member named Imelda: "I would love to see you write your views on aspartame."
Coincidentally, the very week I received Imelda's e-mail, this one arrived from a member named Gerald: "Aspartame is a known nerve toxin and is sold under the guise of a diet supplement. Why isn't something being done about that?"
Actually, there is something being done. At the grass roots level, anyway. A quick search on the Internet yields many web sites that offer detailed warnings about the dangers of aspartame. But I've got a feeling that Gerald wants to know about "something being done" on an official level. And the "something" on that level is: Not much.
-----------------------------------------------------
Aspartame goes in... problems come out
-----------------------------------------------------
In the world of harmful food additives, aspartame is probably the most notoriously harmful of them all. Better known by its brand names - Equal and Nutra-sweet - research shows that aspartame may mimic or worsen diseases such as Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia, and depression.
In 1994 the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a list of 61 reported adverse reactions to aspartame, including: chest pains, asthma, arthritis, migraine headaches, insomnia, seizures, tremors, vertigo, and weight gain.
The surprising item on that list is "weight gain," given the fact that aspartame is the sweetener used in most diet sodas. In fact, according to one study, aspartame may actually STIMULATE appetite, prompting cravings for calorie- rich carbohydrates.
But weight gain is nothing compared to some of the horror stories out there.
-----------------------------------------------------
One man's story
-----------------------------------------------------
On an HSI Forum thread titled "Fear The Turtle," a member named John shares some of the details of how a steady intake of diet soda prompted a debilitating hormonal reaction to aspartame. The details are no less than tragic, although John was fortunate enough to discover the source of his physical and neurological disorders in time to take the necessary action to nurse himself back to relative good health. I say "relative" because apparently he will never fully return to the robust health he once enjoyed.
John's story is fascinating, and you can read the full account of his case history (along with several others) on a web site called "Aspartame Poisoning Information Site" (aspartame.ca).
-----------------------------------------------------
FDA-approved poison
-----------------------------------------------------
According to an article on aspartame by Dr. Joseph Mercola, methanol is the probable trigger for most of the adverse reactions associated with aspartame. When aspartame is combined with the enzyme chymotrypsin in the small intestine, methanol is released and breaks down into formaldehyde, a potent neurotoxin. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers methanol to be a "cumulative poison" and recommends a safe consumption of no more than 7.8 mg per day. If you drink a one-liter beverage containing aspartame, your body creates seven times that amount - about 56 mg of methanol.
But it gets even worse. Because if the product containing aspartame is heated to a temperature above 86 degrees Fahrenheit, "free methanol" is created, speeding up the absorption of methanol, and magnifying the effects of the neurotoxins. Nevertheless, in 1993 the FDA approved the use of aspartame in food items such as gelatin desserts that require heating well over the 86-degree range.
The result? People are hurting - people like John, whose life will never be the same. According to the FDA's Adverse Reaction Monitoring System, approximately 75 percent of all complaints received about food additives are aspartame related. That's right: 3 out of every 4! And yet the FDA still refuses to acknowledge the evidence that aspartame is essentially poison.
-----------------------------------------------------
Something fishy
-----------------------------------------------------
If, like Gerald, you're wondering why the FDA hasn't taken some sort of action against a food additive as dangerous as aspartame, you're not alone. In fact, there are quite a few web sites that put forth something of a conspiracy theory that involves a high-profile government official, a major pharmaceutical firm, and some corporate-political string pulling that has supposedly created an FDA "hands off" policy concerning aspartame.
I can't confirm the accusations behind this theory, so I'm not going to open that can of worms here. Suffice it to say that in spite of the clear dangers of aspartame, FDA officials have ignored calls for a ban and have resisted efforts to establish a warning label for aspartame, stating (completely contrary to all the evidence) that the complaints against the sweetener aren't sufficient enough to warrant such a warning.
But really, what good would a warning label do? Does the average consumer actually read the fine print on his can of diet Mountain Dew?
What's needed here is not an FDA regulation, but rather some Water Cooler Regulation. Visit John's website for the whole story. Then, tell your friends and family about the dangers of aspartame. Spread the word. As always, feel free to share this e-Alert with them. In time, people may wise up and start choosing their drinks without the special interest- sponsored toxins.
Sources:
"Reported Aspartame Toxicity Effects" Holistic Healing Web Page, holisticmed.com
"Aspartame - Avoid It" Dr. Joseph Mercola, mercola.com
"Menthanol - AKA Wood Alcohol or Poison - 10% of Aspartame" Dr. Joseph Mercola, mercola.com
www.hsibaltimore.com
============================
I hope this causes you to reconsider Ritesh!

Wow what a great line of discussion this is proving to be ? well worth reading all the posts.
Here?s my six-pennies-worth
Caffeine has medicinal properties
My Chinese medicine practitioner prescribes coffee (in the form of espressos) when my body suffers from ?damp? ailments. Sluggish circulation, fluid retention etc.
In mid winter I am often advised to use coffee once a day ? to ?heat-up? my system and improve joint mobility. On days when my joints flare up I?m on Nettle and chamomile tea ? coffee is banned.
Fresh coffee has the best benefits
when it?s 'instant' heated and sits around in a jug on hot plate the benefits are dramatically reduced and coffee has been shown to increase ?bad? cholesterol levels.

Coffee can be used as an analgesic, anti-emetic, diuretic and appetite modulator.
=>If you get motion sickness have a strong fresh coffee before you travel and you wont feel sick!
=>The effects on reducing appetite are limited (2 / 3 hours)
=>The effects on metabolism are negligible
=>Got a bad headache - take a double espresso - it will help for a while
=>Suffer swollen ankles - try an Americano at mid day.

Coffee contraindications
Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others ? and even 2 cups a day can cause hypertension ? the effect is cumulative - so if you have high blood pressure , high cholesterol or suffer with stress relates disorders maybe coffee should be a delicious and well deserved treat, not an every day beverage

Coffee Alternatives
If u feel down, suffer afternoon slumps and food cravings or get excessive appetite try a substance called 5HTP ? it help with serotonin uptake ? As an energy booster Green Tea is a superior substance as it stimulates and calms at the same time ? and it?s full of anti-oxidants.

Need an energy boost?
get up and move your body. Take 10 long deep breaths and exhale fully. OXYGEN depletion is the biggest cause of mid day fatigue and headaches.

Personally though I just enjoy the luxury of a really good cup of Java ? and a java soy late (unsweetened) is the best indulgence of all ? with a couple of squares of 85% Maya organic chocolate on the side - what a great way to take stock, wind down, sitting on the veranda watching the tide roll in.

Check out the coffee called Slim Beans! :) Love it - works great for some weight loss as well as the kick to get the day going!

Ah, the seductive charms of coffee...its hot invigorating promise, bold flavor and aroma is what gets me out of bed in the morning. It gives me the shove I need to get to the gym. I take my coffee black and unsweetened and let its piquant bitterness linger on the tongue. And, yes, I think coffee has been an ally my battle against obesity. Tea, I take later in the day with affection, yes, but not with the passion I have for coffee.

Folks,

I have noticed that even some of the "fat burner" pills on the market contain caffeine.

I would stay away from sodas completely. They are just empty calories! Most sodas contain "high fructose corn syrup" (HFCS) even in diet sodas. The HFCS is 55% fructose and 45% glucose (sugars) that counteract any diet claims and adds the calories to one's bodies. Studies have shown fructose fed to mice cause obesity. Large quantities of fructose stimulate the liver to produce triglycerides, promotes glycation of proteins and induces insulin resistance. And then we wonder why we're becoming a nation of diabetics even in children?

Splenda actually contains sucrose as the main ingredient, which is a sugar! The "sucralose" in Splenda is a sugar alcohol which technically has "0" calories (until processed in your body!). How do manufacturers get around "0" calories? A technicality ("loophole") that the FDA allows them to use! The FDA is the #1 Danger to America's health! They allow aspartame and pushed it through because of payoffs from the ones promoting it.

For the REAL effects of aspartame, check out Dr. Mercola's site: http://www.mercola.com/ then search and review what he has to say about artificial sweeteners. Then go to the following site for an unbiased look at the TRUTH: http://myaspartameexperiment.com/

I KNEW about aspartame long before I knew of this site. It just confirms what I already know to be true as a Chemical Engineer. Who wants a product that will break down into methanol and formaldehyde at 90F when your body temperature is 98.6F? Also, some say this is the REAL CAUSE of the "Gulf War syndrome" as the soldiers were allowed to drink as much Diet Coke as they wanted in the HOT desert!

Learn the TRUTH and LIVE!

Mark, thanks for your books and newsletters! Thank you for your inspiration.

Remember too much caffiene can make you jittery and nervous. It can also make your heart beat arrythmically. It does me. I take no caffeine after 4PM

Hi Mark-
I agree with you that caffeine isn't all bad. Caffeine from coffee or tea (any color) gives me the energy I need. And I love that about it. Depending on my metabolism that day though, even one mug can wire me out. Another thing that's weird is that it actually increases appetite for me. I know this is different and most people don't experience this, but I do.
So I just make sure I eat with it.

I agree. I used to avoid caffeine and only drink water for the most part, but then I did some research. Once I decided a little caffeine was ok (and maybe a little good), I found I could not drink coffee as it makes me feel terrible. But for some reason, I have no trouble with Yerba Mate. And it gives me alert energy rather than nervous legs energy (though I have to add flavored cream to make the taste tolerable lol).

My day wouldn't be complete without the rich aroma and taste of a cup of fresh roast. I drink Green Tea when I have the time to sit down for a more ritual like cuppa, but I get my metabolism up to speed using natural and whole food ingredients such as Guarana (has excellent antioxidant and antibacterial properties too), Green Tea that is specifically standardized for EGCG content, Panax Ginseng and Maca Root all combined with Fibersol-2 which is a natural, safe, and healthy source of soluble fiber that is known to support and promote healthy weight loss. So, I guess I burn off more than I consume, while keeping my caffeine levels in moderation and my mental alertness and energy levels at optimium. :)

I am studying nutritional therapy and i agree that caffeine is excellent in some cases. A lot of the other comments have been good in that caffeine should only come from natural sources such as tea, coffee, and dark chocolate (small amounts), and not fizzy drinks or pills. It does suppress appetite and increase metabolism and motivation. However you should be careful with blood sugar problems, which occur much more commonly than people think, especially in obese people. Caffeine raises the blood sugar levels, giving a peak similar to eating junk food. And biscuits, cakes and donuts should definitely be avoided with that coffee.

Hi Mark,

I have never drank a cup of coffee and I haven't had a soda in 6 years and 194 days... I like the fact that I don't have caffeine in my system because it makes me a calmer person. That being said, I AM 40 and probably could use the boost that caffeine gives. What do you think about the 5-Hour Energy drinks?

Hi;

Great tip to get into effortless weight reduction!
There's truth to that and If I may add...there is a natural form of Caffeine called Guarana. It is a Natural form of mild stimulant that has similar effects as Caffeine but the onset of it's effect to peak is gradual and the duration is much longer and fades gradually.
No sudden surge and no headaches cause by sudden drop or withdrawal effects.

And yes! It is a fat burning stuff.

Hi,

I agree. I prefer my black coffee in the morning above all those light soda drinks. Those light drinks can cause some damage to your body (bad teeth, makes you fat, aspartaam is being investigated and probably correlated with certain forms of cancer, ...)

An article from Live Sciences quoted Coffee as one of the bad things that are good for you!! It sounds like this: "Is it good for you? Is it bad for you? Both? The consensus, now anyways, seems to favor those who enjoy their morning jolt-unrelated studies claim coffee is a major source of antioxidants in our diet and can help lower your risk of diabetes. Something in the beans is also thought to ease the onset of cirrhosis of the liver and pancreatitis, good news for those who like to party hard all night before their morning caffeine boost." My guess is, they do more good than harm, with minimal intake of course.

Rgds.

Caffeine can promote weight loss, and increase energy, but there are some deleterious effects associated with it as well: hyperactivity, fibromyalgia, anxiety and other effects that I cannot mention right now since I can only be on the web for a few minutes - someone else is going to use this computer, but I just thought I'd mention that even though caffeine does have some benefits, it also has risks, and it would be good to weigh the pros versus the cons and decide for yourself if it's really worth it to consume caffeine, especially since there are other substances and activities that can also give you the same benefits of caffeine. Just do some research- that's all! I'm outta here!

Неплохо для первого раза :)

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addistity
http://vyazaniespichami.blog.ru/ -
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Your goals are different if you're trying to lose weight that just manage or maintain a certain weight. A good program will have two different aspects to address each phase - loss and maintenance. I always look for those features of any 'diet' before I'll endorse it.