An assortment of little things

You might be wondering how the caffeine cut-down is going. Thanks for asking - I think its going quite well. I haven't had resort to caffeine patches, and nobody has commented (that I know of) that I've been more bitchy than usual. I won't deny that its been a bit challenging, but its mostly in terms of overcoming habits, rather than suffering from withdrawals. I've been having the minimum caffeine required to keep headaches at bay, which I usually consume by 11 am. But in the afternoon I find myself jonesing for bubbles. Usually I would reach for diet coke at this point, but I have found that diet lemonade is enough to keep my mind off it. So, I'll continue like this for another week or two until I've fully adjusted, and then cut the caffeine by half again.

I've been married for almost a year now, and after careful consideration, Bryan and myself have decided that we each still think the other is ace. We'll be going back to sunny Queensland next weekend to celebrate our anniversary.

I recently became an Aunt for the 3rd time, to little Caelin. She is extremely cute, and a surprisingly feminine addition to the Coad bloodline. I say that because many of us couldn't fathom the idea of having a girl born into the Coad family. After some questioning of Bryan about his family tree recently, we discovered that in addition to his 2 male siblings, he has a disproportionately high (something like 90%) number of male cousins on both sides of his moderately sized family and one of his few female cousins is adopted. So he has always felt destined to spawn a predomonantly male family one day. But this is not the case with me - I was brought up in quite a girly household where even the dog had to be female. We couldn't fathom the idea of boy in the family (although things have changed now that my sister has brought little Benjamin into the world). One day one of will have some adjusting to do I guess!

Speaking of the dog, Molly is going back into surgery tomorrow to have her knee tuned up. I can't remember if I blogged about it at the time, but she blew out her knee joint while chasing rabbits back in July. Knee injuries are apparently very common in dogs of her speed and stature (i.e. Keg on legs, Ferrari engine with a Volkswagen chassis). She had surgery to repair the cruciate ligaments, but after 8 weeks with quite a lot of pain and minimal recovery, she needs a bit more repair. She probably still has some damaged meniscus preventing a full range of motion (and hurting like hell). Anyway, hopefully she will be on the road to recovery after tomorrow's surgery. She's such a stoich little trooper, and a very special pup to me.

Stop me if you've heard this before...

I've decided to cut down on my caffeine intake. Again. But this time I'm just cutting down gradually, rather than emulate my previous attempts which have been cold turkey. If I were to go cold turkey now, I think I might have to be locked in a padded room.

Today I've had one 8 oz skinny mocha and a can of diet coke. That is very moderate for me. Very moderate indeed. Its less than half what I would normally have in a day. So, assuming I make it through the rest of the day without a desperate binge on Nescafe, I'll do this for a week or so and think about what I can cut out after that.

I am a truly sad case. I need help.

Not much to say

I haven't been blogging much lately, mostly because I've been insanely busy with work, wedding planning and getting ready to move house (the worst is not yet over).

I started writing a post a few weeks ago about how I was giving up fizzy drinks, particularly Diet Coke - due to yet another study revealing links between soft drink consumption (including diet soft drinks) and various manifestations of poor health. I didn't get around to finishing the post for a week or so, and by the time I got around to it I had fallen off the wagon and was back on the bubbly. So needless to say, I didn't bother posting that one.

It's a good thing I don't smoke or do drugs, because I have absolutely no capacity to overcome addiction. Seriously, I'd be just like Lindsay Lohan. I'd be fresh out of a luxury Resort Rehab for the second time in a year, showing off my Diet Coke ankle bracelet. I'd be having a really good time at a party until someone made a snide remark about my ankle accessory, despite the fact I perfectly colour coordinated it with my Jimmy Choos. Provoked into a violent rage I would down a few cans of DC (But officer, I swear it was decaf! Somebody must have spiked it) and argue with this person about the pressures of my life. Then I would follow them out of the party, borrow a SUV and chase them at speed...

Its the small victories

Last year when I still worked at UBC and was doing a lot of data entry and number crunching work, I found myself a regular visitor to the diet coke vending machine in my building. I visited that machine at least daily. Then it started taking my money and not giving me the drink, which obviously is breaking its side of the deal. I think what happened is that it was out of diet coke, but not registering that it was out of stock. So it would think it was giving me the diet coke, but in fact, wasn't.
This happened a couple of times before I chucked a tanty and called the vending machine company, Aramark Refreshments, to demand they fix the problem and refund my money.
Its not like it was a lot of money, but its the principle of the matter. No vending machine company should have machines out there that aren't holding up their side of the bargain. That's just stealing, and it leaves the caffeine dependent even more cranky than they were before (and nobody wants that!)
In total the vending machine took $3.75 of my money without issuing the caffeine. I called the company and told them. A couple of weeks later they sent me $1.25 in coins, which is clearly not good enough. I rang them again and told them had jipped me on the compensation, and they still owed me $2.50. I never got the rest of the money....
...Until today, that is!!! They had sent the money to my UBC work address, but it arrived about 3 weeks after I had finished working there and returned to Australia. Another girl I know from the same department recently moved to Melbourne also (and happens to work about 100 metres away from me here). She was sent a care package from our department at UBC, and my ex-boss included an envelope addressed to me. The care package arrived today and Melissa passed on the envelope to me. I nearly died laughing when I realised what it was, and the stupidity of receiving Canadian coins in the mail. But I laughed even more when I realised that the envelope contained $3.75, $1.25 more than I was owed. I call it the 'Careless Tax', and it serves Aramark right for depriving me of diet coke when I needed it most.
I make it a habit to let all vending machine companies know when their machines are faulty. I used to have the Coca Cola vending machine faults hotline programmed into my phone because it happened so often. They used to send me a money order and a Coca Cola pen whenever I called them to report a fault. I got my mum into it too. We have quite the Coca Cola pen collection, I can tell you.

I wish to sleep

I haven't been sleeping well for the last few nights. Ever since I slept for 11 hours on Saturday night, I've only been getting 5-6 hours a night.
Today I'm doing field work which involves leaving the house at 5:15 am. I knew I would need to get some sleep beforehand. But I screwed up. I made some crucial mistakes. And that is why I'm awake now at 3:48 am, writing this post.
Here's where I went wrong. I came home early yesterday afternoon and took a 1 hour nap to get myself a little head start on the sleep catchup. I felt good when I woke up. Then we went out for pizza and beers, except instead of beers, I drank two large glasses of Diet Coke. Stupid! How could I have been so stupid? I should know better after all these years: afternoon nap + evening caffeination = poor night's sleep.
I went to bed a little after 11 pm feeling tired and knowing at best I would get 5.5 hours sleep. Well it turns out that I just lay awake for the whole night thinking about how little sleep I was getting. I think I got about 10 minutes at one point because I had some weird thoughts that were consistent with dreaming. But that's it. Now I'm awake with a coffee in my hand, and about to watch an episode of Desperate Housewives before I hit the road.

A coffee a day keeps the doctor away

I reached record levels of caffeine intake yesterday. A cup of instant when I rolled out of bed, 2 cans of diet coke in the morning, a grande mocha in the afternoon, followed by a 600 mL bottle of diet coke. And yes, I had a few mouthfuls of water in between. I'm not going to pretend that that is a healthy intake of coke, coffee or caffeine, but I will say that while I was eating my lunch today I came across an article about how coffee is good for you, in an old copy of Canadian Living.

A cup of coffee a day keeps the doctor away

By Paul Benedetti

For years coffee has endured a bad rap, but experts now say the caffeine content can actually do you some good.

Every morning Lesli Boldt starts her day with a serious cup of coffee -- a two-shot espresso with hot water. "I have one coffee a day and I want it to be a good one," says Lesli, 35, a manager of marketing and communications for the Vancouver Public Library.

Not only does Lesli's coffee taste good, but new research suggests that it may also be good for her. Recent studies have found that drinking coffee can actually be a healthy habit, enhancing athletic performance, increasing mental alertness and protecting against serious diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and even liver and colon cancers. "Coffee consumption fits into a very healthy diet and, if anything, may have a beneficial effect," Dr. Eileen Madden, a toxicologist and food-safety expert, told a symposium on coffee and health last fall at the New York Academy of Sciences.

That's surprising news for most Canadians who love coffee but treat it as something of a guilty pleasure. Canadians have mixed feelings about the beverage they love to drink, says Massimo Marcone, a food scientist and adjunct professor at the University of Guelph in Ontario who has studied coffee production and consumption all over the world. "People have a preconceived idea about coffee -- they think it's bad for you," he says.

And no wonder. Almost every day media reports tell us that consuming coffee may be associated with serious health problems, such as osteoporosis, elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, infertility, fibrocystic breast disease (FBD), breast cancer and even miscarriage. But, say the experts, many of those findings were based on poorly designed research and were not supported by further studies.

The benefits of coffee

If you love coffee, here's some of the latest good news.
• A study of 90,000 Japanese by the National Cancer Center in Tokyo found that people who drank one to four cups of coffee daily had half the liver cancer risk of those who never drank coffee. Researchers aren't sure why, but they speculate that antioxidants may play a role.

• A study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health that followed more than 125,000 men and women for more than a decade found that regular coffee drinkers had a significantly lower risk of developing type 2 (or late-onset) diabetes. Studies in Sweden and Finland also concluded that coffee consumption offers protection from type 2 diabetes. Again, researchers aren't sure why.

• A half-dozen recent international studies showed a positive relationship between drinking caffeinated beverages -- including coffee -- and lower rates of Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.

• Other research links coffee consumption with reduced risk of cirrhosis of the liver, colon cancer and asthma.

• A cup or two of coffee can improve endurance in activities such as running, cycling and swimming, according to other research. Coffee has a strong ergogenic effect, meaning it helps people work harder and longer, explains Lawrence Spriet, an exercise physiologist at the University of Guelph who has researched the effects of caffeine on athletic performance for more than a decade. "Even small amounts of caffeine can be quite powerful," he says.

It's still too early for blanket endorsements, but this kind of evidence has many scientists cautiously optimistic about the health-enhancing powers of coffee. "There is some solid scientific data that show there are some health benefits to moderate coffee consumption," says Marcone.

That's good news, especially for the 81 per cent of Canadians who drink coffee occasionally and the more than 63 per cent (18 years of age and over) who drink it every day. The average Canadian consumes about 2.6 cups of coffee a day.

Caffeine is the key

Although there are about 2,000 substances in a cup of coffee, its main active ingredient is caffeine, a naturally occurring alkaloid. Tea leaves, cola nuts and cocoa beans also contain caffeine, but coffee beans have far more. An eight-ounce cup of brewed coffee has about 135 milligrams of caffeine compared with 36 to 46 milligrams for the same amount of cola and 43 milligrams for the same amount of average-blend tea (instant coffee contains 76 to 106 milligrams of caffeine).

Caffeine acts as a stimulant, promoting the release of adrenaline in the body and suppressing a natural relaxant in the brain called adenosine. The result? Less fatigue, elevated mood, increased alertness and more energy. Not surprisingly, people who need to drive long distances, focus on a project, work a night shift or fight off jet lag drink caffeinated drinks to stay alert. The stimulating effects of caffeine may also result in enhanced athletic performance.

The benefits are a blessing to coffee lovers, but there's a price to pay. Because caffeine is a mild stimulant to the central nervous and cardiovascular systems, it can temporarily raise your blood pressure and, in larger doses, cause sleeplessness, anxiety and nervousness. "Caffeine jazzes up your body and creates a stress reaction," explains Dr. David Posen, a stress-management consultant in Oakville, Ont.

Caffeine is habit-forming, too, and although not technically addictive, it can cause some mild withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, fatigue or drowsiness if you stop cold turkey.

Moderation is best

So what's the bottom line? Overall, coffee consumed in moderation is safe. After reviewing numerous studies on the effects of caffeine on human health, researchers at Health Canada recently concluded that for the average adult, a moderate intake of caffeine (400 to 450 milligrams per day, or the equivalent of three to four 8-ounce cups of brewed coffee) "is not associated with any adverse effects."

Marcone agrees, saying, "As long as you stay within the guidelines, you're safe, and I'm confident of that based on the best science."

Rosie Schwartz, an author and dietitian in Toronto, also concurs with this assessment. "Moderation is the best approach," she says.

You're the best judge of your coffee capacity, but remember that your response to caffeine may change over time. "The key," says Schwartz, "is to figure out how it's affecting you. Listen to what your body is telling you."

If you're feeling stressed, jittery or are having trouble sleeping, Posen recommends that you gradually reduce your coffee intake as an experiment. And he suggests that you don't drink coffee after lunchtime.

Similarly, if you're planning to get pregnant or are already pregnant or breast-feeding, you should consider moderating your intake of caffeine. Health Canada recommends a maximum of 300 milligrams per day (about two to three 8-ounce cups) of brewed coffee. Although there are no definitive studies showing adverse effects, Schwartz advises pregnant women to drink even less than the two to three cups recommended by Health Canada. "It's best to err on the side of caution," she says.

If you love coffee and want to drink several cups a day, Schwartz has some great advice: use good quality coffee, but try a blend of half-caffeinated and half-decaffeinated. And if too much coffee irritates your stomach, giving you indigestion or heartburn, try a low-acid coffee, says Schwartz.

"Coffee, in moderation, is one of life's great pleasures," says Marcone. "You should not feel guilty when you're drinking it. When you have a cup of coffee, enjoy it."

The caffeine content of your favourite drink

The caffeine content of coffee varies depending on how the beans are roasted, the amount of coffee used per cup and how it is brewed. For soft drinks, the caffeine content is consistent.

Espresso coffee (1.5 to 2 oz)
45 to 100 mg of caffeine

Red Bull energy drink (8.2 oz)
80 mg of caffeine

Brewed coffee (8 oz)
80 to 135 mg of caffeine

Cola beverages (12 oz)
43 to 55 mg of caffeine

Warning: Some prescription and over-the-counter medicines contain significant amounts of caffeine. Be sure to check the label or talk with your pharmacist or other primary care provider before taking them.

*****
I estimate my caffeine intake from yesterday to be about 400 mg, which from this article I have learned is at the upper levels of recommended adult intake. Today is looking more moderate, I've only had about 200 mg.

This is a puppy after my own heart

Image from Cuteoverload (best time-wasting website ever!!)

Now surrounded by even more coffee

You'll be pleased to know that in the 2 months since I reported there were 79 Starbucks outlets within a 5 mile radius of my house, two more outlets have populated the area.

As much as I bitch about the evil empire, I confess that I have been keeping myself awake for the last 6 weeks of mind-numbing data entry, on tall non-fat maple macchiatos (sorry, Starbucks don't have a description for me to link to). I would go to an independantly owned coffee shop or at least a Canadian owned coffee chain instead, but Starbucks have taken over (four outlets at UBC now). There are a couple of non-Starbucks coffee outlets on campus still, but they all sell Starbucks coffee anyway. What's an addict to do?

Sorry Everybody

Maybe I'm the last to know about this, but I was just strolling through UBC bookstore with my Diet Coke, and came across a book called "Sorry Everybody". I knew instinctively the premise of the book. Yup, Americans apologising to the world for the outcome of the 2004 Presidential election. Check out the website to see the Sorry Everybody Gallery

Oh by the way, I am openly admitting to being addicted to Diet Coke again. I am weak.

Starbucks shop opens at Great Wall

You know, I occasionally enjoy a coffee frapp, but I don't believe I would want to drink it at the Great Wall of China. Do they have garbage bins for all of the Starbucks waste on the Great Wall? I wonder if astronauts can also see the world's 7788 Starbucks outlets from space? I was shocked to discover that as of today, there are 79 Starbucks stores within a 5 mile radius of my house in Vancouver!

From CNN

Tuesday, September 20, 2005 Posted: 0955 GMT (1755 HKT)

BEIJING, China (AP) -- Five years after Starbucks infiltrated China's historic Forbidden City, the company is making a caffeinated assault on another centuries' old landmark: the Great Wall.

The Seattle-based coffee chain said in a statement Tuesday it had opened a store at Badaling, a heavily touristed section of the wall about 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Beijing.

Starbucks, which first opened in China in 1999, has 140 outlets in China, compared with almost 6,000 stores in the United States.

The firm drew controversy in 2000 when it opened a store within the gates of the imperial-era Forbidden City, a massive complex of palaces and courtyards where China's emperors once lived.

Some Chinese complained it was unseemly to have such an instantly recognizable symbol of American consumerism inside a national monument.