Fasting and Caffeine

[JM]

Latter this week I wanted to take a 24 hour period to fast but I am concerned that I will get caffeine headaches. To remedy this I thought I could drink plain green tea instead hoping the small amount of caffeine will help stave off any withdraw. Anyone have experience in this area? What do you recommend? I normally drink 4 cups a coffee in the morning. When I go cold turkey it isn't pretty. My head feels like it is exploding.

Thanks,

jm

 

[Eddie L]

I used to have nasty headaches. I thought they might be migraines or something until someone suggested I might have a caffeine addiction. I went off of caffeine cold turkey and had the most miserable 2 weeks of my life. After that, no more headaches. I do drink caffeine now, but have never had enough to become addicted again.

I don't know how that helps you, JM, but it may be something to consider.

 

[JM]

The first series of sever headaches I ever had was due to caffeine withdrawal and I experienced it during fasting. I just cut out coffee cold turkey without realizing the 4 to 6 cups of java a day would leave me almost in tears with headaches. I use to have 2 cups of tea late in the day as well. This habit started because of insomnia. The older I got the more coffee I thought I required to stay sharp. I can be awake without being on point after a few days without sleep so I compensated with coffee.

I'm at a stage now where I drink coffee before lunch and tsanes in the afternoon and evening but I still have 3 cups of coffee in the morning to get the ball rolling. This morning after reading scripture I was drawn to begin Piper's "A Hunger for God" and I thought it was about time I fasted again. The last time was very enlightening.

Piper begins the book with a short series of warnings about fasting and self-denial upon which I'm meditating before I begin.

Thanks Eddie,

jm

 

[cubanito]

Next time you consider fasting, consider weaning yourself off the caffeine by drinking one less cup of cofee every 3 days or so. You could also take caffeine pills to get by for 24 hours. Caffeine is by far the most used addictive drug in the world. There is a precise medical definition of adiction. Interestingly some drugs have a negative addiction profile. For example the more LSD you take, the less you need to get the effect, and the less you want to use. Please do not interpret this as an endorsement of LSD, I have treated people who have become permanently schizophrenic because of it.

JR

 

[JM]

From John Piper's book on fasting:

Beware of books on fasting. The Bible is very careful to warn us about people who “advocate abstaining from foods, which God created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth” (1 Timothy 4:1-3). The apostle Paul asks with dismay, “Why . . . do you submit yourself to decrees, such as ‘Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch’?” Colossians 2:20-21). He is jealous for the full enjoyment of Christian liberty. Like a great declaration of freedom over every book on fasting flies the banner, “Food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat” (1 Corinthians 8:8). There once were two men. One said, “I fast twice a week”; the other said, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” Only one went down to his house justified (Luke 18:12-14).
​

 

[Jack Youngblood]

I would stay away from caffeine altogether; caffeine depletes the body of calcium, and a calcium deficiency causes about 85% of all high blood pressure, not to mention bone spurs and all the other calcium related diseases. It's also one of the worst things for your health - no caffeine is the best policy.

Jack

 

[desmalia]

I haven't had caffeine in years as it causes migraines and PVC's (heart palpitations) for me. So, years ago I had to quit and it was a rough go to start. I have chronic fatigue, so very often wish I could have it. But, that's life.

Have you tried switching to something like Yerba Mate? It's considered to have a "cleaner caffeine". My mother drinks it and has zero withdrawal affects from it, and she is quite sensitive to caffeine. She went without all caffeine for years before trying this stuff, and she highly recommends it now. I'm too sensitive even for that one, but I'm weird that way, lol. Might be worth a try for you.

Also, there are more things you may have withdrawal from. I had withdrawal symptoms for an entire month when I cut out gluten. Sugar is also a big one that takes time to recover from. You might want to cut them down significantly for a while before fasting and see if that makes the transition easier.

 

[nobdysfool]

Hmmm...caffeine doesn't seem to affect me in any negative ways...I do drink a couple of cups of coffee in the morning, sometimes as much as 3 cups, but I also drink iced tea and regular soda, so I get caffeine from them, too. I literally can drink a cup of Starbucks coffee and go to sleep without any trouble. I apparently have a high tolerance for it. I have occasionally had days where I didn't have any coffee, but I have never experienced the headaches, or other withdrawal symptoms. It does pick me up in the morning, and actually helps me with regularity.

If I were fasting, I wouldn't drink anything with caffeine, and I think there are several different types of fasts, some which are just partial, some like "juice fasts", or abstaining from certain types of food. If God leads you to fast, it is for a specific reason, usually, and I think it's important to let Him lead you and guide you as to how he wants you to do so. Self-initiated fasts can turn into a works-like activity if one is not careful. Also, one can fast just for health reasons. It is thought that occasional fasts for health reasons can help to balance and correct disharmony in the body's systems. Given the exposure to chemicals, pesticides, and other contaminants in much of our food supply, fasting may give the body a chance to "catch up" in its processing of such foreign substances.

Personally, I prefer naturally grown, organic, as-God-intended foods, as close to fresh as possible. If you can grow your own, so much the better, because you can control how and where they're grown, and what is put on them. Not everyone can do that. My health is very good, I do take whole food supplements from reputable sources, and try to get enough sleep, to keep me healthy. At 60, I'm feeling more like I'm 30.

I realize I strayed a little from the subject, and for that I apologize.

 

[DeaconDean]

Hmmm...caffeine doesn't seem to affect me in any negative ways...I do drink a couple of cups of coffee in the morning, sometimes as much as 3 cups, but I also drink iced tea and regular soda, so I get caffeine from them, too. I literally can drink a cup of Starbucks coffee and go to sleep without any trouble. I apparently have a high tolerance for it. I have occasionally had days where I didn't have any coffee, but I have never experienced the headaches, or other withdrawal symptoms. It does pick me up in the morning, and actually helps me with regularity.

If I were fasting, I wouldn't drink anything with caffeine, and I think there are several different types of fasts, some which are just partial, some like "juice fasts", or abstaining from certain types of food. If God leads you to fast, it is for a specific reason, usually, and I think it's important to let Him lead you and guide you as to how he wants you to do so. Self-initiated fasts can turn into a works-like activity if one is not careful. Also, one can fast just for health reasons. It is thought that occasional fasts for health reasons can help to balance and correct disharmony in the body's systems. Given the exposure to chemicals, pesticides, and other contaminants in much of our food supply, fasting may give the body a chance to "catch up" in its processing of such foreign substances.

Personally, I prefer naturally grown, organic, as-God-intended foods, as close to fresh as possible. If you can grow your own, so much the better, because you can control how and where they're grown, and what is put on them. Not everyone can do that. My health is very good, I do take whole food supplements from reputable sources, and try to get enough sleep, to keep me healthy. At 60, I'm feeling more like I'm 30.

I realize I strayed a little from the subject, and for that I apologize.

Since I'm a graveyard worker for the last 14 years, coffee/caffine has been a regular part of my daily routine.

I get up at 9:30 pm EST, have 2 cups before I go to work. Brew at least two pots while at work. Get off at 7 am, go home and in an hour after reaching home, I'm in bed.

It doesn't bother me.

There is a book I read while in seminary that helped me in this particular area (fasting).

Look for a book called "Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough: A Guide to Nine Biblical Fasts" by Elmer L. Townes

It is on amazon.com for $11.55

I have tried the first one the "Disciples Fast".

It answers a lot of questions.

God Bless

TIll all are one.

 

[JM]

Some studies have shown Mate is linked with throat cancer...but I do drink it once in a while. Here is my Mate in an orange.

I'll look it up Dean.

 

[desmalia]

Throat cancer, yikes I didn't know that.

 

[JM]

Throat cancer, yikes I didn't know that.

I don't know if the studies are trustworthy.

It seems the same group of people used, in the few different studies completed, chain smoked cigars and cigarettes as well as drank their Mate at extremely hot temperatures. It is a cultural thing I guess. It has been suggested that drinking near boiling liquid and smoking gives you an increased risk of throat cancer which makes sense.

I still drink it but I don't over do it...like everything I guess.

To the Glory of God.