The Caffeine Nap

Late one night in the lobby of my dorm I picked up Field and Stream magazine (clearly avoiding homework) and found an interesting article on an energy tip. I was searching down the Table of Contents and saw the title The Caffeine Nap. This immediately caught my interest because I happen to love both coffee and napping and wondered how the two could be related.

As I read the article I learned that sleep researchers at the Loughborough University in Britain did several tests on fatigued drivers to compare the effects of different methods that a driver can use to stay awake. They put the volunteers in driving simulators while they were sleepy and let them drive. Some of the tests included rolling down windows for cold exposure, blasting the radio and slapping oneself in the face to try to stay awake. But, what researchers found worked the best was a Caffeine Nap.

The Caffeine Nap is easy. You simply drink a cup of coffee and immediately take a 15 minute nap. Researchers found coffee helps clear your system of adenosine, a chemical which makes you sleepy. So in testing, the combination of a cup of coffee with an immediate nap chaser provided the most alertness for the longest period of time. The recommendation was to nap only 15 minutes, no more or no less and you must sleep immediately after the coffee.

I thought this tip may be useful since it is inexpensive and accessible to practically anyone. I have not tried this out for myself yet, but I intend to the next time I need a quick pick-me-up.

OTC's Good or Bad?

While sticking to the subject of how powerful our minds can be, it got me thinking of how this concept could be realted to another common aspect of everyday life. Medicines, especially over-the-counter, are bought and consumed without thinking twice about them. I will not get into perscription drugs because they have been proven to help chronic illnesses and diseases. However, over-the-counter (OTC) medicines may be somewhat of a hoax. Are they really curing you of your cold or just disguising the symptoms and making you believe that you are getting better while all the while stealing money from your pocketbook?

Drugstore shelves are stocked with numerous medicines promising relief of practically every symptom in the book. Here is some information I found regarding over-the counter cough syrup:
- Over-the-counter cough syrups generally contain drugs in too low of a dose to be effective, or contain combinations of drugs that have never been proven to treat coughs, said Dr. Richard Irwin, chairman of a cough guidelines committee for the American Collage of Chest Physicians.
-Many OTC cough medicines advertise that they do not cause sleepiness, but Irwin claims that this is because they do not contain the antihistamine drugs that actually do help relieve a cough due to colds, therefore making them physically ineffective.
-This antihistamine is diphenhydramine, a major ingredient in Benadryl. While this drug is available it is not marked as a cough medicine. So unless you are familiar with different drugs and their purposes, you will not be aware of this!
-Some over-the-counter cough syrups contain two drugs that have been proven to relive coughs, codeine and dextromethorphan, but the doses are too small in these medicines to be effective, says Irwin.
-"...the best studies that we have to date would suggest there's not a lot of justification for using these medicines because they haven't been shown to work," said Irwin.

So..what should you do?
In my opinion, OTC drugs may aid in relieving some of your symptoms but are they doing so because of the ingredients in them or because your mind is expecting you to feel better by taking them? This is yet another example of a case of mind over matter. So instead, try some home remedies such as hot water mixed with lemon and honey the next time you find yourself under the weather and see if you get the same results. “Fluids actually work better than some OTC medicines since the doses are so low,” said Dr. George Mallory, associate professor of pediatric pulmonology at Baylor College of Medicine. “In addition, OTC medications can be expensive...”

Here are a few home remidies I thought may be useful:
Acne: Cook oatmeal and apply on face for fifteen minutes, then wash or soak a cotton ball in either lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and apply on face.
Dry and Stuffy Nose: Make salt water nasal drops by adding 1/4 teaspoon of table salt to about 4 mL of lukewarm water. Make a fresh solution every few days keeping it in the refrigerator. Use a clean dropper to instill 1 to 2 drops in each nostril about 3 to 4 times daily to help with the common cold . Do not use medicated nasal drops without physician's consent because excessive use will cause rebound block.
Insomnia: Honey is also said to promote sleep and is a good natural cure for insomnia. Add two teaspoons in a large cup of hot water and that should do the trick. If you have it in your cabinet, a cup of Chamomile tea with honey is said to work even better!
Nausea: Ginger is said to be the best home remedy for nausea. Eating a few bites of ginger root or boiling it to make tea help the nausea subside. Mint is also a helpful aid in getting rid of nausea. Try eating a piece of strongly flavored mint gum.

My Opinion on the Study of Effects of Caffeine and Alcohol

I found the study on combining alcohol and caffeine relating to whether or not a person believes in the effects of mixing them to be quite interesting. I thought the study covered a different perspective than solely focusing on the body's physical reactions. I liked the way the procedure was set up to cover people who either were or were not told to believe that caffeine would greater increase their impairment and by also adding in a placebo caffeine factor. The procedure covered all possibilities to ensure the best results.

My opinion on the topic of how influential our minds and our beliefs can be is parallel to the study's hypothesis. I believe that once the mind has a certain belief it can make the body act in indescribable ways in which we are unaware. For the participants who were told that alcohol mixed with caffeine has greater impairing effects, the results proved that these participants were more impaired, even if they were given the placebo caffeine. This is an example of how powerful the mind can be.

Act First: Think Later

In my previous blog, the study conveyed that the outcome of an event may be directly related to how a person believes that event will turn out. It made me wonder if it could be incorporated to several aspects of my own life that I had never otherwise considered. For instance, I assumed that I would not like any of the food in the dining hall before going there. Once I got there, I found the food to be quite unappetizing. Another example may be if I hear a rumor about a particular guy. I automatically assume these rumors to be true and figure that I will not like him, even though I have not met him yet! The first time I meet him, I will most likely already have a negative attitude towards him. Both of these examples are of me believing that a particular outcome will happen, which results in them becoming true.

If I did not have any "prediction beliefs" would the results of the outcome differ? Would I find something appetizing to eat at the dining hall or perhaps find myself a new friend? I find that the cycle goes round and round because it is difficult to not have preconceived notions about practically everything in life from thinking you will look nice in an outfit to believing that all blondes are dumb. Also, I believe that the tendency to have set preconceived beliefs on situations increases as we get older. If you think about it, children do not like or dislike something until they have tried it. They will usually not dispute eating peas until they have tried them and then later decide that the taste is either no good or good. An older child who has never tried peas may decide they will not like peas because they know it is a vegetable or by the way it smells or looks. This is just a simple example, but you can see where I am going with this but on a much broader spectrum. Children take liking to any person who is nice to them and treat them with respect. Isn't that how it should be?

Perhaps we should try to retreat to our child-like way of thinking. This may seem far-fetched, I know, but having preconceived notions on particular subjects may cause us to miss out on a whole slew of opportunities that are right under our noses. We may pass up a great job opportunity or look over the chance to have an awesome friendship. Being open-minded also goes along the lines of optimism. If you believe in the positive side of a certain situation, then a positive result will most likely be the result.

Summary of Study on Effects of Caffeine and Alcohol

According to the article, "Does Caffeine Counteract Alcohol-Induced Impairment?
The Ironic Effects of Expectancy*", a study was conducted by the Department of Psychology at the University of Kentucky to test the psychomotor performance when combining alcohol and caffeine. This means that they were trying to determine whether or not caffeine increased the effects of alcohol on motor skills or if a person believes it will have an impact it will simply because their mind believes it.

The participants were led to expect either that caffeine would increase alcohol-induced impairment or that it would have no effect. The hypothesis stated that if the participant believed the caffeine would increase the alcohol impairment, then they would show greater alcohol impairment than the participants who expected that the caffeine would not have an effect. This task was accomplished by some groups receiving a dose of caffeine and alcohol and other groups were given alcohol and a placebo caffeine. Along with the statement mentioned above, some groups were led to believe that the caffeine would further increase the impairing effect of alcohol and others were led to expect no effect.

After all participants were given their particular substances, they were monitored over a three hour period.

The results of the study were parallel to the hypothesis. The groups led to expect that the caffeine would have a more impairing effect on the alcohol showed greater impairment than those that had no indication of the effects of caffeine on alcohol.

This study suggests that a person who combines caffeine with alcohol and expects to have increased impairment or the ability to party longer, will get those effects.

Fillmore, Mark T., Emily L. Roach, and Julietta T. Rice. "Does Caffeine Counteract Alcohol-Induced Impairment?" Journal of Studies on Alcohol 63 (2002): 745-754. 23 Mar. 2008.

A Healthy Solution to Your Typical Energy Drink

If you simply cannot ween yourself off of energy drinks, despite their negative effects, I have an alternative for you. A new product by Nestle and Coca-Cola called Enviga. According to Enviga.com, Enviga is a light, sparkling green tea beverage with a combination of ingredients to not only perk you up, but help you burn a few extra calories. Also because it is green tea, it is packed with natural antioxidants, unlike ordinary energy drinks. Along with antioxidants, the makers of Enviga add 20% of the daily recommendation of Calcium to each can. Not a fan of the regular green tea flavor? Enviga comes in two other flavors, Berry and Peach. Personally, I prefer the Peach.

Still not convinced? Let's look at some of the benefits of drinking Enviga versus a typical energy drink.

-Enviga contains only 5 calories compared to 110 or more of energy drinks. The motto of Enviga "Be positive. Drink negative." refers to the low calorie content. The slogan infers that you burn more calories than you consume, resulting in "drinking negative".

-Enviga contains no sugar. A drink containing no sugar is a plus from many aspects. The major one being its just plain better for your health!

-Enviga contains natural antioxidants. The antioxidant EGCG is found in green tea and has been found to be beneficial to a person's health. Antioxidants aide in cardiovascular health and ridding the body of free radicals. Ninety milligrams of EGCG can be found in each can of Enviga. That's five times more than the other leading brands of green tea. (Lipton 4.4mg and Arizona 3.95mg) As a side note, RedBull has zero milligrams of EGCG.

-Enviga contains 20% of the daily recommendation of calcium. Americans tend to forget that calcium is essential to our overall health and can help prevent crippling diseases such as osteoporosis.

-Enviga contains caffeine. The amount of caffeine in Enviga is just the right amount to boost energy without making you feel unable to focus or jittery. Each serving is equivalent to a cup of coffee, or about 100 grams.

-Enviga burns calories. Don't get your hopes up, the drink will not burn a significant amount of calories or at least not enough to lose weight. However, each can is said to burn an additional 30 calories by slightly boosting your metabolism, hence "drinking negative". Incorporating Enviga into an already balanced lifestyle of eating right and exercising will give you that extra boost. Like I said, 30 calories isn't a lot, but if you drink 4 Enviga's per week, that's an additional 120 burned calories. If you drink 4 regular energy drinks in one week, you could be gaining anywhere from 440 calories to 1000 calories, depending on the energy drink of choice. Wow!

-I have found that Enviga does not have the "crashing" effect like most energy drinks. I typically only need to drink one to keep me alert for the rest of the day and into the night.

Now here's the big question everyone asks about a new product, "What's it taste like?!". I decided to give Enviga a try one night when I was studying for an exam, not really knowing exactly what it entailed. Since I didn't know what to expect, I went for the original Green Tea flavor. I popped open the can and took a sip. I remember thinking it was alright, but nothing awesome. The taste wasn't overly sweet like some artifically sweetend drinks tend to be. I kept drinking it anyway because I liked the fact that it was lightly carbonated. Also, the more I drank it the more the taste grew on me, an aquired taste I guess you could call it. Next, I tried the Berry and then finally the Peach. Peach ended up being my flavor of choice.
So, the next time you are in the aisle deciding on a pick-me-upper to keep you alert and awake, don't go for the typical energy drink, try something new, Enviga!

Energy Drinks: The Truth Inside the Can

Instead of coffee, many people are reaching elsewhere for means of getting that extra kick to keep them alert and focused. Energy drinks have taken over college campuses and the work place. What's the buzz all about and could drinking them cause negative heath effects?

Energy drinks are carbonated drinks that contain large amounts of caffeine and sugar with additional ingredients, such as B vitamins, amino acids, and herbal stimulants, such as guarana. Energy drinks are typically marketed to people between the ages of 18-30 as "energy gaining", which is why they have names that convey strength, power, and speed, such as: Red Bull, Rock Star, Full Throttle, Redline, and Monster. The names are only a marketing scheme to alter our own thoughts and feelings about our self. The marketing of energy drinks is genius though, with sales in 2005 in the U.S. alone being $3.5 billion and sky-rocketing to $6.6 billion in 2007.

The producers of energy drinks make many claims about the health effects of their products. They say that their products can increase physical endurance, improve reaction time, boost mental alertness and concentration, increase overall well being, stimulate metabolism, and improve stamina. The drinks are marketed as healthy, youthful, and hip. Many children, young adults, and adults are taken in by the excitement created around them, believing these claims to be true.

Sure, all of these effects of energy drinks are desirable but the fact that these effects are caused by high levels of caffeine and sugar is not so desirable, to say the least. The producers of energy drinks fail to mention the harmful effects that too much caffeine can cause the body and its addictive quality.

Some Signs of too Much Caffeine/ Caffeine Addiction:
-nervousness -headache -increased heart rate
-anxiety -upset stomach -irregular heartbeat
-irritability -GI irritation -elevated blood pressure
-agitation -heartburn -increased cholesterol
-tremors -diarrhea -nutritional deficiencies
-insomnia -fatigue -poor concentration
-depression -dizziness

You create an artificial adrenaline high by drinking caffeinated drinks, and then experience the withdrawal symptoms – which of course leads you to crave more caffeine. The cycle is continuous and difficult to break. If this sounds familiar try slowly weaning yourself from caffeinated beverages.

I am not saying to cut out all caffeine. A person can consume up to 300mg of caffeine a day, which is equivalent to 2-3 cups of coffee, and not be at risk for caffeine overload. However, the typical energy drink contains anywhere from 100mg/12 oz (Full Throttle) to 1200mg/ 12 oz (Powershot). Keep in mind that energy drinks range in sizes from 1 oz to 24 oz. The FDA requires commercial beverage manufacturers to list the presence of caffeine on their labels, but does not require them to list how much caffeine a product contains!

Along with the high levels of caffeine in energy drinks, a large amount of sugar comes into play. If you've ever wondered why energy drinks have a high calorie content, it's because of the sugar. Monster energy drink contains 200 calories per can, SoBe Adrenaline Rush 260 calories per can, and RedBull 110 calories. If you think about it, these are empty or wasted calories because they do not satisfy hunger. They may even cause you to become hungry! If sugar is not burned, it turns into stored energy aka fat. If a person consumes two or three energy drinks a day, that could be a total of 600 or more extra calories.

The bar and club scenes go hand in hand with energy drink consumption and alcohol. One of the most popular drinks being a RedBull-Vodka. The hype around mixing the two types of drinks is to be able to stay up later and party longer. However, the effects of mixing alcohol and energy drinks is harmful. Alcohol being a depressant, slows down the body's reactions while energy drinks are stimulants, speeding up the body's systems. These mixed signals are sent to your brain, confusing the Central Nervous System. Another myth revolving around mixing energy drinks and alcohol is that it will relieve a person of their hangover. Both alcohol and energy drinks are diuretics making the effects of dehydration worse, which will result in a nasty hangover the next day.