Simply Being | Simple Being

Miss my cuppa!

My Mom makes phenomenal coffee. She uses Bru Instant and on some days, she tops the frothy cup with chocolate flakes and the result is pure heaven. Unfortunately, I never inherited those coffee-making skills and after coming to USA, my coffee-drinking reduced drastically. I could never make it as well as my Mom did and as a result, I lost my taste for it. No Starbucks/Barista/Dunkin Donuts could ever compare to Mummy’s concoction.

The latest copy of National Geographic has a large feature on caffeine. History, geography, trivia and some hard facts. It’s sobering to know how much that regular dose of caffeine can do to your nerve cells, stomach lining and *alertness*. Weary soldiers in Canada’s Operation Nighthawk tested chewing gum with 100 mg of caffeine per stick as a *fatigue countermeasure*. They had a rigorous schedule which allowed them just 3 hours of sleep in 52 hours of running, target shooting and vigilance exercises. Did anyone tell them half an hour of meditation has the same relaxing effect as 8 hours of deep sleep? Why even resort to caffeine?

Caffeine is the only habit-forming psychoactive drug that is routinely served to kids (sodas and chocolate bars). In fact, most babies in the developed world are born with traces of caffeine in their bodies, a direct transfer through the umbilical cord from the mother’s Snapple or latte.

The caffeine cycle is kinda scary: You take caffeine and you are more alert. Then the next morning, the effect of the drug has worn off and you need more of the drug to restore the alertness. Thus the cycle continues. Studies reveal that going without caffeine for a day and a half increases blood flow in the brain which may explain why people get headaches when they first give it up. Btw, caffeine is being developed as a pesticide for slugs and snails. The latest product to which caffeine has been added: ‘Coffee Tights’ are panty hose with caffeine woven into the threads and that supposedly helps to shrink thighs.

Some statistics:
Espresso, 1-oz shot – 40 mg of caffeine
Coca-Cola, 20-oz bottle – 57 mg of caffeine
Red Bull energy drink, 8.3-oz can – 80 mg of caffeine
Excedrin pain reliever, 2 tablets – 130 mg of caffeine
Brewed coffee, 12-oz cup – 200 mg of caffeine
Mountain Dew, 64-oz Double Big Gulp – 294 mg of caffeine

Phew!