After one month of no caffeine, I'm back to drinking coffee, and other delightfully caffeinated beverages.

I could not be more hysterically gleefulgrateful.

Now my house totally smells like a Gloria Jean's when I get back from running--not a Starbucks like you'd think, but an old school, Gloria Jean's-that-they-only-have-in-malls-that-you'd-go-to-with-your-friends-when-you're-in-high-school-for-whatever-reason.

Do they still have Gloria Jean's cafes? Do they still have malls?

Anyway.

Believe it or not, I'm still working on the last half bag of the above Starbucks 2015 holiday blend, but I'll catch up quickly. Oh, and sometimes when I want it really sweet, I'm using this new Stevia blend called Zing! I like it! And none of the used coffee grounds will be going to waste. They're destined to go straight into the garden. That is, they'll be worked into the soil around the tomato plants. Right now, I have quite a few potted tomato plants raised organically from seed. I've decided that I'm not going to transplant them into the ground this year; I'm experimenting with keeping them in the pots just to see how they do versus transplanting.

Actually, strike that last statement from the record, please, because today I transplanted twothree rows of additional tomato seedlings. So this season, I will be growing tomatoes using both methods. We'll see which works out best. Either way, all the plants will be hooked onreaping the caffeine benefit.

I need to move out of the city limits and go be a farmer already. One day.

It's clear to me that the reintroduction of caffeine has had a positive effect on my gardening productivity, my running, my writing, and my overall mental state.

Photo from when my camera was working. Waaah!

To expand on the latter part of that statement, caffeine's role in improving cognitive and emotional functioning is crucial as it is the driving force behind my activities.

For a lot of people, too much caffeine can have a negative emotional effect: it can contribute to anxiety, jitteriness, irritability, impulsivity, and insomnia. A moderate amount of caffeine does the opposite for me.

Generally speaking, the way it works is that dopamine levels in the brain have to be within a very narrow margin in order for a person to be able to focus on their work. But in bipolar disorder¹, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or other conditions that share symptoms like distractibility, impulsivity, and flight of ideas, the dopamine level is too low. Stimulant chemicals such as caffeine or amphetamines tend to increase dopamine levels, nudging them to that narrow margin that's "in the zone", so to speak.

For most people, adding stimulants will push dopamine levels too high, causing agitation and anxiety. But for people with ADHD or BPD, adding stimulants can get the levels where they ought to be. Therefore, having coffee throughout the day can make a significant difference in mental clarity and focus.²

Caffeine’s a stimulant drug, so it mimics some of the effects of stronger stimulants used to treat ADHD, such as amphetamine medications. ADHD sufferers find it has the opposite effect than it does in other people: instead of making them more active and stimulated, it actually has more of a “calm-down” effect, and encouragessleep. Many adults with ADHD turn to coffee to "self-medicate". Caffeine’s stimulating effect helps them focus and stay on task. The effectiveness of coffee in calming ADHD children is controversial, but would likely work the same way.³

In a 2005 study of rats with hyperactivity, impulsivity, poor attention, and deficits in learning and memory a significant improvement was reported in test results when caffeine was administered to the rats beforehand. And in a 10-year study, spanning from 1996 to 2006, researchers found that depression risk in human females decreases with increasing caffeinated coffee consumption. The study included 50,739 women and the clinical depression was "defined as self-reported physician-diagnosed depression and antidepressant use."

It makes sense if you think about it, caffeine and coffee have been used as nature's antidepressants for a very long time.

Lucas et al. “Coffee, caffeine, and risk of depression among women” Archives of Internal Medicine, 2011.

I don't really know if any of these studies have much scientific merit. Yes, caffeine is a stimulant, and it does act as such, but I don't think it can be used as a substitute or primary medication for either of the above conditions mentioned. I think that it may control some symptoms, help curb some flare-ups, and work as part of a holistic treatment approach-- but I don't think it's a miracle tonic.

One thing I will confirm, though--caffeine does help me stay focused, on task, driven, happier, and more "in the zone". I am too distractable without caffeine, so whether it's from coffee or some other source, I need it to concentrate.

For as long as I care about being productive, I'm gonna skip the decaf.

How do you feel about coffee? Or cocoa?

Or Downton Abbey English Rose Tea?

Do you consume caffeine? If you do, do you make sure to offset the amount you drink with plenty of water to rehydrate?

¹ Either Bipolar Disorder Type I during a Depressive Period or Episode or Bipolar Disorder Type II.

² Please note that this post and the information therein is based on personal experience and anecdotal in nature. It is not intended to substitute for medical or mental health advice.

³ I am not a licensed therapist, psychologist, registered dietitian, nutritionist or medical doctor. The views I express are mine alone, based on my own experiences, and should not be taken as medical or mental health advice. Please speak with a medical or mental health professional before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or daily routine.