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!
tomlinsonian says:
hi
ironic – i am just sipping good coffee while i type this….my first of many this day, i am sure.
meditation is the one thing that ive found very hard. To shut off internal dialogue and lost track of the environment is almost impossible for me…maybe i’m just a restless guy( I know i am)
and as for the comment you left…i suspect its the latter!!
😉
January 25, 2005 — 8:19 am
sat_chit_anand says:
Re: hi
As for meditation …it cannot be hard…if its hard it is not meditation because meditation is doing NOTHING!!!!…if you are trying to do something then you arent meditating. Best way to meditate is to let go….if thoughts come let them come….Every seen a glass of muddy water ….stirring it doesnt make it clean. Let it rest..do nothing and the mud settles down….
Aummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!
January 25, 2005 — 11:34 am
tomlinsonian says:
Re: hi
Aaaaaaahhhhh…there is the problem….you see, i believe my mind is already a glass of clean water.
I am never restless, I am tranquil beyond the pettiness of the world.
And all insights come with cognition as well as anything else.
Jnana, bhakti, yoga and kriya – all of them are ways to wisdom. Mine is the first.
January 25, 2005 — 7:15 pm
Lakshmi says:
Re: hi
Manu, if your mind is indeed as clear as a glass of clean water, don’t resort to something as external as caffeine to keep it that way…:-)
January 27, 2005 — 12:48 pm
tomlinsonian says:
Re: hi
Indeed locks, I never do.
This is a phrase from Hurricane ( Ruben Hurricane carter, the boxer who was unjustly(?) imprisoned for 20 years)
I’M FREE ON THE INSIDE BECAUSE I NEED NOTHING FROM THE OUTSIDE.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Its the same way for me – i dont need anything. But i am no ascetic – i take pleasure in a lot of things. And like Feynman, i never do anything that messes with my mind – i respect it too much.
But to abnegate the mind’s position at the top of my system is neither easy nor my aim right now – rational thought rules.
January 27, 2005 — 1:11 pm
Lakshmi says:
Re: hi
You cannot learn to meditate from a book, Manu… You must go to a teacher. There are techniques that help you to meditate and a book is simply no match for a teacher.
As for my *missing* comment, all I can say is…. Good for you! I’ve been there before and believe me, it’s a great place to be in…:-)
January 25, 2005 — 12:11 pm
tomlinsonian says:
BTW locks….
i respect you enough to always consider anything you say , even if I dont agree with you.
But I dont usually take well to advise from people who dont know me – i mean, they dont know me!
January 27, 2005 — 3:20 pm
Lakshmi says:
Re: BTW locks….
Oops… if you’re talking about any advice implied by my *missing* comment, I’m really sorry! I meant to give no advice whatsoever. Was just happy for you…
If you’re referring to what I told you about meditation, then all I can say is that I speak from personal experience.
In any case I’ve managed to tread on your toes, I am so awfully sorry…
January 27, 2005 — 7:02 pm
sthira says:
I’ve never been a caffeine person and even on days when I wanted to really stay awake and thought I’d seek help from that thing , it never worked. I slept despite it, I remained awake when I wanted to.
Mind…will…the caffeine??
January 25, 2005 — 8:55 am
Lakshmi says:
In fact, I’ve found that a glass of warm water has the same effect on me as that of a cup of coffee.
January 25, 2005 — 12:12 pm
parag says:
Did you hear about caffeinated water? It is marketed for weight-concious people who don’t want extra calories while getting all the caffeine.
Don’t know where you got that brain blood flow bit from but it doesn’t seem to be correct. Headaches that you get from not consuming caffeine are from reduced blood pressure.
First, it was fat, then sugar, and now caffeine is bad too… What the hell are we supposed to enjoy? grass??? (oh no… I didn’t mean that “grass”) 😉
January 25, 2005 — 10:25 am
sat_chit_anand says:
Enjoy your own mind!!! If we just observe your mind you will find that it entertains you so much ….constantly stirring up thoughts …random thoughts ….
January 25, 2005 — 11:33 am
parag says:
Yeah, right! Just thinking about food doesn’t fill anyone’s stomach. If it did, I’d be lying on a couch somewhere thinking about it and not working to make money to buy real food.
January 25, 2005 — 11:52 am
sat_chit_anand says:
There is difference between fulfilling basic needs and giving up stuff which apparently entertains you. Caffeine is certainly not a basic need. What I meant when I said refer to ones mind..I meant it was much better than any artificial highs that we seek for.
January 25, 2005 — 12:39 pm
parag says:
OK. Now, I agree with you with that little explanation.
January 25, 2005 — 12:43 pm
tomlinsonian says:
Parag, good to see you back.
I have asked this before of myself too- what does a man enjoy? I am against the concept of Fundamental guilt( to quote Rand). I think what is given to you is to enjoy everything but not get attached to anything.
Its not hard, I’ve done it easily.
On the other hand, the one place this fails to work is in human interactions – you can’t love without being vulnerable.
Thanks a heap for a beautiful card – that cute baby has a lot of friends in this world,i tell ya!!
🙂
January 25, 2005 — 7:22 pm
fugney says:
‘Coffee Tights’ are panty hose with caffeine woven into the threads and that supposedly helps to shrink thighs.
Weird. Amazingly weird.
January 25, 2005 — 9:54 pm
99kanitas says:
coffee shot = 1 tbsp inst. coffee piled carefully on the tongue, drowned with water.
January 25, 2005 — 11:38 pm
Lakshmi says:
Hey, why don’t you write any more?
January 27, 2005 — 12:49 pm
99kanitas says:
no reason really 😀
last sem., working more
January 31, 2005 — 8:18 pm