I have been off caffeine for 7 full days and even though that isn’t long, I honestly feel so much calmer. Less anxious sociably and more clear headed. I have been taking 1-2 Cold showers per day, 800mg Ashwaghanda & also 200mg L-Theanine. Drinking plenty of water, running and bodyweight training. And honestly, I feel fantastic.
@@MrBLU80 basically coffee stimulates the adrenal glands, where cortisol is produced. Cold showers naturally stimulate the adrenals but don’t causes a massive cortisol spike the way caffeine does, they also don’t cause you to have a crash 4-6 hours later. Plus it’s a great way of making the withdrawals much, much easier. They help boost mood, tighten the skin giving you a much more healthier complexion. Plus they are hard. Try it for yourself whenever you come off of caffeine and want to get a natural kick of energy 👍🏼
When I gave up coffee and dark teas, or any tea (except herbal tea) for that matter, I now sleep like a rock. My blood pressure (that used to be high) now resides in the normal range. I don't have wild mood swings anymore. Also, TMI, any impotence problems I had before are now only history. That doesn't mean I didn't like how caffeine made me feel. As soon as it hits the tongue, you're off and running. It's an almost invincible feeling.
I drink coffee maybe once every 2-3 months (never been big on it), but I drink green tea every 1-2 days while fasting for the L-theanine for the calming effects...I actually have no idea if I’m addicted but now that I’m looking into it (Caffeine Blues - seeing all the cherry-picked studies that promote caffeine, plus seeing comments like yours of people experiencing better results w/o caffeine) I’m seriously considering fully dropping it all.
Don’t tell the weak out secret ;) hahaha addicted for 15 years, quit one month now for the second time and I feel great again. Hoping to keep my motivation high and keep saying no! Actually having dreams again, didn’t even know that would be a an effect but sleeping better is creating a more intricate neural network. Thanks for the interview!
I quit caffeine (coffee, tea, energy drinks, YERBA MATE) cold turkey. I was drinking anywhere from 300mg-600mg per day. Headaches were awful, I thought I was dying. I was rubbing my forehead and eyes constantly bc of pain. I broke the skin open. After 7 days I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with a SHINGLES breakout on my head and face. The sudden stress of caffeine withdrawal to that extreme caused my body to release Shingles. I didn’t think it was anything other than withdrawal so that’s why I waited so long to seek medical attention. How my eye didn’t get infected and how I didn’t lose my eyesight is beyond me. Now my face is scarred for some time (battle scars I call them). Point is, don’t wait to seek medical attention for withdrawal from this DRUG. This interview is good and if you can drink coffee on Saturday good for you but MOST OF US overconsume EVERY DAY. That is not healthy and you can sugar coat the health benefits all you want but they don’t out weight the negative effects of caffeine.
You're a tough cookie I'm sure youre glad you stuck it out. If you need a warm beverage cinnamon, thyme, and rosemary with honey make an excellent relaxing tea
QUIT you’ll feel so much BETTER!!! I don’t like how he just down played the actual negative effects of what regular caffeine use can have on your body - the negative outweighs the positive & caffeine isn’t all that amazing - what we can do without caffeine is though! 💕
For my health situation, it has taken more than it has given, and since it is addictive and a societal norm it has taken me a while to come to terms with the situation. Wish me luck!
I had a very similar experience when I took a break from coffee & had a flat white one day. Lol I really enjoy listening this guy. With that said, I realized I was addicted to coffee when I didn't want to talk about anything serious or linear until I had my cup of joe. I took a weekend to sleep off my addiction & then started using green tea for about 6 months until I decided to get completely off of caffeine to see how it affected me & how my life style (food, sleep, etc.) was affecting my entry levels. It's been 8 years & I prefer to have an authentic read in my body & it's energy levels. My husband drinks a large cup a day & I'll have a sip occasionally for taste. I do love the smell & flavor of coffee. Coffee is magical. Just have to not forget it is a drug lol
I have given up caffeine most lents for the past 35 years. And its never been too hard except that I miss something hot in the morning. Still very interesting.
IMO caffeine should be banned there is nothing good about it, it’s habit forming, ungrounding and generally discombobulating, people think it gelid them in reality it just gives you a stress response. If you have anxiety of any kind or panic attacks get off it and never go back, you will be surprised how much better you will feel.
I buy green coffee beans and roast them myself. Saturday or Sunday morning routine I roast the following weeks coffee. Usually I brew in an expresso maker, Cafe Americana. I like the idea of quitting for a while. As far as sleep, I think for me coffee is a mixed bag. I sometimes make an expresso or an Aeropress after a day's work and then go out for a significant mountain bike ride, a run, hike up a mountain, or some form of exercise. In such cases I sleep well despite the caffeine.
Coffee makes you hungry and emotionally installed and dependent on where you bought it - that’s why you get offered more coffee in every diner; the protective studies aren’t looking at the whole picture
Is three month off caffeine really quitting? I know it's out of your system and the withdrawals have past but I feel like the mental addiction is still very real.
Coffee is bad... the goods dont outway the bad in the long run. I know this is a short interview but seems like he is being disengenuin not to know that after really researching it.
I stopped all caffeine for about 15 months straight. At a friend's house I have a strong espresso, it me like a rocket. So I started drinking Starbucks everyday for about 5 weeks. It just stopped having any effect at all after a while. So I stopped again for about 3 weeks. Then I studied caffeine and decided to only do it like once a week. Just like this video said.
I don't see how anyone can research caffeine and continue to drink it. I think the day will come where people will realise we've fucked our sleep up with terrible results.......and evolution decided we need 8ish hours of sleep. Must be for a reason.
Yeah I read the caffeine Wikipedia page about 10 years ago and my relationship with it has been tortured ever since. What struck me was learning that caffeine in nature is an insecticide plants release to kill bugs that try to eat them. Exactly what nicotine is. I haven't been able to get that out of my head. Can people still live with caffeine? Yes. But the majority of smokers actually don't get lung cancer. That doesn't make it a smart thing to do.
I don’t find coffee addictive at all. If I run out for a few days.. no big deal. I guess I’m not caffeine sensitive. Weird, because I was addicted to nicotine for years. Now THAT WAS hard to get off of.
Pollan is proving what a mainstream writer he really is. He knows that to condemn caffeine puts you on the fringe of acceptance. You can condemn meat eating and you will still have a fairly large vegan/vegetarian constituency who will love you for it. Condemn alcohol and again, you will earn many fans. But caffeine is SOOOOO widespread that it's untouchable. Too big to fail. You can do it.......like Steven Cherniskie did with Caffeine Blues but I'd venture to say Pollan is much more widely read than Cherniskie. And ultimately he goes way too easy on caffeine. Like, "Hey, I'm a writer. I NEED it". Do you? Caffeine didn't come to Europe until maybe the late 1600's. Shakespeare, Dante, Homer........they wrote all their works without caffeine! And you're not exactly in their class as a writer if I'm being honest.
11:47 Synthetic caffeine was developed in 1942, and is already widely used. It is currently being added to sodas, energy drinks, pills and other edibles.
In the face of alcohol, cocaine, amphetamine et.al I do not really understand why the earth and humans need a debate on caffeine, when my ship is sinking I do not care on the chairs of the sundeck properly positioned
Exactly. I've been drinking one cup in the morning this summer and it's killing my work productivity. By afternoon I can't focus and I'm unmotivated. I know......just have another cup. But I don't want to do that. Then I'll run into sleep problems.
Ive abused coffee over the years with the best of them , but i dont really like him talking about how hard it is to get off , i often go for weeks or months without coffee and have never had a hard time with that
It just might be. I've had similar experiences. Probably because we chase booze to feel nice and calm but when you're off caffeine you already feel pretty calm without all the side effects that booze brings.
How do they studies that coffee is good against Alzheimer etc. ? Really think about it. They give rats coffee to prevent Parkinson MS etc.? Coffee is good? The flavor is bitter without sugar and milk. It's a drug. A drug that we take as we were child's trough cola drink. The best plan for the biggest companies.
Society uses caffeine everyday because we don't eat enough carbohydrates. We demonise Carbohydrates but when we reduce them we tend to chase stimulants. Ie. Tea, Caffeine chocolate etc. Eat as much carbohydrates as you can. 😊
@@Markrobinson-bb3ti Well your an idiot. The reason you have a disease is because the food you eat is causing these issues. Saying you cant eat carbohydrates shows your lack of knowledge on nutrition.
Eat a healthy balanced breakfast before having coffee. The mental fog that he is speaking of is not from a lack of coffee but from a lack of supporting the adrenal system by maintaining glycogen stores. A very simple concept. Caffeine and coffee are not your enemy. An empty liver is your enemy. Caffeine wreaks havoc on a nervous system that is already being flooded with cortisol and adrenaline which are side effects of hunger. Coffee and tea are incredible for digestion, micronutrients, brain health, and focused energy. I have worked in the coffee industry for years and every time I see someone wired or irritable it is generally because they are in a rush and haven’t had their breakfast so they use the coffee as a crutch. Coffee and tea is your friend…you just gotta treat it with some respect.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
I have been off caffeine for 7 full days and even though that isn’t long, I honestly feel so much calmer. Less anxious sociably and more clear headed. I have been taking 1-2 Cold showers per day, 800mg Ashwaghanda & also 200mg L-Theanine. Drinking plenty of water, running and bodyweight training. And honestly, I feel fantastic.
L-Thaenine help reduce any negatives I had from coffee just took a naps from tiredness
Good on you 👋
I went off for seven days and felt atrocious.
Cold showers?...For?
@@MrBLU80 basically coffee stimulates the adrenal glands, where cortisol is produced. Cold showers naturally stimulate the adrenals but don’t causes a massive cortisol spike the way caffeine does, they also don’t cause you to have a crash 4-6 hours later. Plus it’s a great way of making the withdrawals much, much easier. They help boost mood, tighten the skin giving you a much more healthier complexion. Plus they are hard. Try it for yourself whenever you come off of caffeine and want to get a natural kick of energy 👍🏼
When I gave up coffee and dark teas, or any tea (except herbal tea) for that matter, I now sleep like a rock. My blood pressure (that used to be high) now resides in the normal range. I don't have wild mood swings anymore. Also, TMI, any impotence problems I had before are now only history. That doesn't mean I didn't like how caffeine made me feel. As soon as it hits the tongue, you're off and running. It's an almost invincible feeling.
I drink coffee maybe once every 2-3 months (never been big on it), but I drink green tea every 1-2 days while fasting for the L-theanine for the calming effects...I actually have no idea if I’m addicted but now that I’m looking into it (Caffeine Blues - seeing all the cherry-picked studies that promote caffeine, plus seeing comments like yours of people experiencing better results w/o caffeine) I’m seriously considering fully dropping it all.
Yerba mate is a great alternative 🙂
Thanks for sharing
@Adolfo yerba mate is loaded with caffeine
@@DamaniJones In my country, South Africa, grows a naturally caffeine-free tea, called Rooibos tea. It is GREAT with milk and sugar, or without.
Don’t tell the weak out secret ;) hahaha addicted for 15 years, quit one month now for the second time and I feel great again. Hoping to keep my motivation high and keep saying no! Actually having dreams again, didn’t even know that would be a an effect but sleeping better is creating a more intricate neural network. Thanks for the interview!
The dream difference is massive. I've gone on and off several times and I always can't believe how much more vivid my dreams are without caffeine.
I quit caffeine (coffee, tea, energy drinks, YERBA MATE) cold turkey. I was drinking anywhere from 300mg-600mg per day. Headaches were awful, I thought I was dying. I was rubbing my forehead and eyes constantly bc of pain. I broke the skin open. After 7 days I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with a SHINGLES breakout on my head and face. The sudden stress of caffeine withdrawal to that extreme caused my body to release Shingles. I didn’t think it was anything other than withdrawal so that’s why I waited so long to seek medical attention. How my eye didn’t get infected and how I didn’t lose my eyesight is beyond me. Now my face is scarred for some time (battle scars I call them). Point is, don’t wait to seek medical attention for withdrawal from this DRUG. This interview is good and if you can drink coffee on Saturday good for you but MOST OF US overconsume EVERY DAY. That is not healthy and you can sugar coat the health benefits all you want but they don’t out weight the negative effects of caffeine.
Wow, I hope you’re doing better! I’m on day two, feeling like shit.
You're a tough cookie I'm sure youre glad you stuck it out. If you need a warm beverage cinnamon, thyme, and rosemary with honey make an excellent relaxing tea
Same I had awful withdrawals the worst I have experienced.
Listing to Michael Pollan and drinking my coffee, is like a 4D experience
loved your comment hahahah
QUIT you’ll feel so much BETTER!!! I don’t like how he just down played the actual negative effects of what regular caffeine use can have on your body - the negative outweighs the positive & caffeine isn’t all that amazing - what we can do without caffeine is though! 💕
great book suggestion about caffeine -
Caffeine Blues: Wake Up to the Hidden Dangers of America's #1 Drug
For my health situation, it has taken more than it has given, and since it is addictive and a societal norm it has taken me a while to come to terms with the situation. Wish me luck!
Great interview! Michael is interesting and well-spoken (as usual), and the interviewer does a wonderful job as well.
People love to listen to good news about their bad habits :-)
So true.
I had a very similar experience when I took a break from coffee & had a flat white one day. Lol
I really enjoy listening this guy. With that said, I realized I was addicted to coffee when I didn't want to talk about anything serious or linear until I had my cup of joe. I took a weekend to sleep off my addiction & then started using green tea for about 6 months until I decided to get completely off of caffeine to see how it affected me & how my life style (food, sleep, etc.) was affecting my entry levels. It's been 8 years & I prefer to have an authentic read in my body & it's energy levels. My husband drinks a large cup a day & I'll have a sip occasionally for taste. I do love the smell & flavor of coffee. Coffee is magical. Just have to not forget it is a drug lol
What a great interviewer/interviewee combo. I’d love to just chill in a room with them.
By far the #1 addiction in the world is COMPLAINING! 🙏
I have given up caffeine most lents for the past 35 years. And its never been too hard except that I miss something hot in the morning. Still very interesting.
I make something hot with honey a slice of lemon and cloves. Beautiful
In my country, South Africa, grows a naturally caffeine-free tea, called Rooibos tea. It is GREAT with milk and sugar, or without.
CAFFEINE = ANXIETY.
Seriously. Anyone with persistent anxiety should absolutely quit caffeine.
No, it just makes it worse, is not causing it.... There is so much stuff going on in the world, you cannot put it all on coffee
Anxiety can be subtle too; you might not think you have it until you dont. Quitting caffeine shows you this.
@@AndradaBalteanu True but why make it worse? When I've been off caffeine I can't say my anxiety is zero but it's a lot less. Less is good.
IMO caffeine should be banned there is nothing good about it, it’s habit forming, ungrounding and generally discombobulating, people think it gelid them in reality it just gives you a stress response. If you have anxiety of any kind or panic attacks get off it and never go back, you will be surprised how much better you will feel.
what an excellent communicator, man
Incredibly good ibterviewer! Thanks for the clip.
I buy green coffee beans and roast them myself. Saturday or Sunday morning routine I roast the following weeks coffee. Usually I brew in an expresso maker, Cafe Americana. I like the idea of quitting for a while. As far as sleep, I think for me coffee is a mixed bag. I sometimes make an expresso or an Aeropress after a day's work and then go out for a significant mountain bike ride, a run, hike up a mountain, or some form of exercise. In such cases I sleep well despite the caffeine.
I feel like that guy from Limitless when I drink my caffeine.
3 months probably wasn't enough. It takes a full year to go back to normal. A year would have been a proper experiment.
I was thinking the same thing.
Coffee makes you hungry and emotionally installed and dependent on where you bought it - that’s why you get offered more coffee in every diner; the protective studies aren’t looking at the whole picture
😂u should see me on Saturday tho
Lol I'm quitting today so I can get that powerful first cup again.
Tolerance sucks
wouldnt you want to quit so you should never need that cortisol spike?
Thanks. Now I know more about caffeine. And because I know more about caffeine I can enjoy caffeine more responsibly.
Not exacrly negative not for you sleep , caffeine is very addictive and we pay big price.
3:58 I'm doing the three months challenge. From Aug 9 to Nov 9 . But I'm planning of drinking again in Nov 22 with Almond Milk. Oct13. 406am 🇵🇷
great interviewer!
Is three month off caffeine really quitting? I know it's out of your system and the withdrawals have past but I feel like the mental addiction is still very real.
Coffee is bad... the goods dont outway the bad in the long run. I know this is a short interview but seems like he is being disengenuin not to know that after really researching it.
Exactly.
I had those same thoughts.
I agree.
I stopped all caffeine for about 15 months straight. At a friend's house I have a strong espresso, it me like a rocket. So I started drinking Starbucks everyday for about 5 weeks. It just stopped having any effect at all after a while. So I stopped again for about 3 weeks. Then I studied caffeine and decided to only do it like once a week. Just like this video said.
I don't see how anyone can research caffeine and continue to drink it.
I think the day will come where people will realise we've fucked our sleep up with terrible results.......and evolution decided we need 8ish hours of sleep. Must be for a reason.
Yeah I read the caffeine Wikipedia page about 10 years ago and my relationship with it has been tortured ever since. What struck me was learning that caffeine in nature is an insecticide plants release to kill bugs that try to eat them. Exactly what nicotine is. I haven't been able to get that out of my head. Can people still live with caffeine? Yes. But the majority of smokers actually don't get lung cancer. That doesn't make it a smart thing to do.
I don’t find coffee addictive at all. If I run out for a few days.. no big deal. I guess I’m not caffeine sensitive. Weird, because I was addicted to nicotine for years. Now THAT WAS hard to get off of.
No one actually listens to the interview or read/listened to the book?
All comments are negative and Pollan is pretty positive about coffee :p
Pollan is proving what a mainstream writer he really is. He knows that to condemn caffeine puts you on the fringe of acceptance. You can condemn meat eating and you will still have a fairly large vegan/vegetarian constituency who will love you for it. Condemn alcohol and again, you will earn many fans. But caffeine is SOOOOO widespread that it's untouchable. Too big to fail. You can do it.......like Steven Cherniskie did with Caffeine Blues but I'd venture to say Pollan is much more widely read than Cherniskie. And ultimately he goes way too easy on caffeine. Like, "Hey, I'm a writer. I NEED it". Do you? Caffeine didn't come to Europe until maybe the late 1600's. Shakespeare, Dante, Homer........they wrote all their works without caffeine! And you're not exactly in their class as a writer if I'm being honest.
11:47
Synthetic caffeine was developed in 1942, and is already widely used. It is currently being added to sodas, energy drinks, pills and other edibles.
Just one line of cocaine in the morning is fine to start your day
Not eating carbs will affect those issues too.
Vice defines you it defines our society. -McKenna
I'm a totally different person off the drug...caffeine is like speed / taking a mild injection of adrenalin.
With regards to sleep drinking coffee, try to drink only in the morning before 12 m.
Energy drinks are horrible also! Great for a while, until your body starts rejecting it! And yes that includes sugar free ones as well.
In the face of alcohol, cocaine, amphetamine et.al I do not really understand why the earth and humans need a debate on caffeine, when my ship is sinking I do not care on the chairs of the sundeck properly positioned
I drink almost a gallon of homemade cold brew a day. I can’t seem to quit and almost scared to😎
I’m scared for you. Are you still alive?
@@joiab11 I’m an RN, so of course… for now
In my country, South Africa, grows a naturally caffeine-free tea, called Rooibos tea. It is GREAT with milk and sugar, or without.
Im tired all the flippin time because of coffee. Time to quit this dirty habit.
Exactly. I've been drinking one cup in the morning this summer and it's killing my work productivity. By afternoon I can't focus and I'm unmotivated. I know......just have another cup. But I don't want to do that. Then I'll run into sleep problems.
@@BookClubDisaster yup
I have to stop drinking that shit
Ive abused coffee over the years with the best of them , but i dont really like him talking about how hard it is to get off , i often go for weeks or months without coffee and have never had a hard time with that
Did you try writing during those times?
The lack of nicotine is thr cause of anxiety
If you can drink just 1 8oz coffee per day, caffeine is fine. Most of us drink WAYYY more than that.
Lol says the addict
Lost me at 11:20 global warming will have no effect on coffee just like Jimmy Carter saying, by the 1980s there will be no oil, still gonna quit.
No urge for booze after quitting coffee. Is that a thing?
It just might be. I've had similar experiences. Probably because we chase booze to feel nice and calm but when you're off caffeine you already feel pretty calm without all the side effects that booze brings.
How do they studies that coffee is good against Alzheimer etc. ? Really think about it. They give rats coffee to prevent Parkinson MS etc.?
Coffee is good? The flavor is bitter without sugar and milk.
It's a drug. A drug that we take as we were child's trough cola drink. The best plan for the biggest companies.
Yep and super bitter things were signals to our ancestors that it's something to stay away from.
Wheat and grains didnt figure stuff out, theyre GMOs
Society uses caffeine everyday because we don't eat enough carbohydrates. We demonise Carbohydrates but when we reduce them we tend to chase stimulants. Ie. Tea, Caffeine chocolate etc. Eat as much carbohydrates as you can. 😊
What fucking idiot told you that?
@@Markrobinson-bb3ti its pretty simple human physiology really.
@@nicholastemplebrown with my medical disease I have I have to get very little carbs in my diet
@@Markrobinson-bb3ti Well your an idiot. The reason you have a disease is because the food you eat is causing these issues. Saying you cant eat carbohydrates shows your lack of knowledge on nutrition.
@@nicholastemplebrown carbs are key man iam eating tons of carbs coffee is fake energy its stress carbs are real energy
Eat a healthy balanced breakfast before having coffee. The mental fog that he is speaking of is not from a lack of coffee but from a lack of supporting the adrenal system by maintaining glycogen stores. A very simple concept. Caffeine and coffee are not your enemy. An empty liver is your enemy. Caffeine wreaks havoc on a nervous system that is already being flooded with cortisol and adrenaline which are side effects of hunger. Coffee and tea are incredible for digestion, micronutrients, brain health, and focused energy. I have worked in the coffee industry for years and every time I see someone wired or irritable it is generally because they are in a rush and haven’t had their breakfast so they use the coffee as a crutch. Coffee and tea is your friend…you just gotta treat it with some respect.
Stop advertising coffee. Thats it.
that one a day ...becomes two a day.. and so on ... no thanks I’ll stick to NOT drinking any caffeine
....Thanks for the comment Coffee Industry Dude.
coffee is your friend lol what an addict
@@hanskazan7403 I’m addicted to things that are good for me :)
Bullshit!