caffeine??

[moonlight mom]

So I am almost 100% TF (I would say I am about 80% right now). The cool thing is that I started learning about TF in June and every week I make another change. Doing it this way has made it less overwhelming for me. Anyway, I still drink about 2-3 cups of black tea a day. I think I remember reading in NT that tea is a no no, but I can't remember (the book is back at the library).
How many of you still do caffeine everyday? I have got to be honest - I am not really wanting to give it up!!
Lindsay

[EENS]

Like you, I'm about 80% TF. I still drink my black coffee daily. Probably no more than 1 cup currently, but I've been known to drink about 3 cups a day. I absolutely can not give it up.

[Woodland]

i drink one mug of jasmine green tea. anyone know if this is ok with TF?

[gabella06]

My lattes will be the last thing to go. I just love my little nespresso machine... love... I will have to live without being perfect TF for a while longer. However, I make my lattes with raw milk, so that is part of the way there, right?

[phroggies]

1-3 cups of black tea a day. I used to think, to be honest, that the NT perspective on chocolate, tea and coffee (i.e., that they're no-nos) was misguided. After all, they're all traditional and at least somewhat fermented.

That said, I'm finding lately that my tea intake seems to correlate with allergies and sleep issues, so I've been feeling the need to restrict it--a need which has yet to translate into actual practice.

I'm afraid green tea is included under the NT prohibition.

One thing to consider is that if you let the tea brew for a minute or so, dump out the water, and rebrew the leaves or bag, you'll have a much reduced caffeine content with relatively little taste sacrifice, especially compared to decaffeinated tea, which I just can't drink. But I like my tea really, really strong, so this method doesn't really cut it for me.

[spughy]

My big concern with tea is the flouride content. Tea (the plant) has some freakish thing going whereby it concentrates any flouride uptake (from both natural and artificial sources) in the tips - which are the parts harvested for tea (the drink). My DH was having some serious health issues and I made him stop drinking black tea. I replaced it with roiboos (which contains no caffeine either) and his issues seem to be improving. I don't think it helped everything but he has a lot more energy now, it seems.

OTOH, I am not going to give up my coffee any time soon! I only drink one cup a day, and not even every day, so I think I am fine keeping that little indulgence.

[moonlight mom]

Originally Posted by spughy

My big concern with tea is the flouride content. Tea (the plant) has some freakish thing going whereby it concentrates any flouride uptake (from both natural and artificial sources) in the tips - which are the parts harvested for tea (the drink). My DH was having some serious health issues and I made him stop drinking black tea. I replaced it with roiboos (which contains no caffeine either) and his issues seem to be improving. I don't think it helped everything but he has a lot more energy now, it seems.

OTOH, I am not going to give up my coffee any time soon! I only drink one cup a day, and not even every day, so I think I am fine keeping that little indulgence.

Very interesting - I always thought the flouride in tea was good because it was a natural flouride. What kind of problems did your dh have that helped when he gave up tea? He really has more energy without it? Maybe I should try giving it up. Caffeine is really my only bad habit. I really have a hard time quitting it completely - even when I was pregnant I had a cup of tea in the morning.
I can't do decaf either - it tastes like soap.

[artemis33]

I still indulge in a daily cup (or three ) of organic shade grown fair trade coffee. Black and strong

Strangely, when I was pregnant with DD I was so worried about how I would give up my coffee, but as soon as my m/s kicked in and up until about half way through I was completely repulsed by it - even the smell which I normally love! - so it was pretty easy to give it up I did start having an occasional cup late in the pregnancy, but mostly I just had herb tea or steamed milk if I wanted a hot beverage.

[SAmama]

Originally Posted by spughy

My big concern with tea is the flouride content. Tea (the plant) has some freakish thing going whereby it concentrates any flouride uptake (from both natural and artificial sources) in the tips - which are the parts harvested for tea (the drink). My DH was having some serious health issues and I made him stop drinking black tea. I replaced it with roiboos (which contains no caffeine either) and his issues seem to be improving. I don't think it helped everything but he has a lot more energy now, it seems.

OTOH, I am not going to give up my coffee any time soon! I only drink one cup a day, and not even every day, so I think I am fine keeping that little indulgence.

Hmm, love rooibos. Growing up we would just have a huge pot on the stove and it would get nice and dark, not bitter like other teas. We also make a "red espresso" with it. And good lattes. And chai. And it is great as ice tea. If it is made strong enough (literally boiled, it actually increases the anti-oxidant levels) then it can easily replace strong black tea. You can also flavour it yourself with a touch of vanilla or lemon. I know in the US most are already flavoured, but the original is great.
And as far as TF goes I think this is about as TF as you can get for teas.

[spughy]

Originally Posted by Lindsay13

Very interesting - I always thought the flouride in tea was good because it was a natural flouride. What kind of problems did your dh have that helped when he gave up tea? He really has more energy without it? Maybe I should try giving it up. Caffeine is really my only bad habit. I really have a hard time quitting it completely - even when I was pregnant I had a cup of tea in the morning.
I can't do decaf either - it tastes like soap.

One cup of tea is FINE. My DH was drinking probably over 10 cups a day - well on his way to developing skeletal fluorosis. (There's a quick Dr Mercola over-wrought bit on that here.) Natural or not, fluoride is something to take in moderation. We use fluoridated toothpaste, since fluoride is most effective topically, so I try to make sure we don't get any internally.

In any case, if you were relying on tea for natural fluoride I would think the acid in tea would probably outweight the benefits as far as your teeth are concerned.

I think the main benefits for my DH were in fluid retention. I don't think roiboos has the same dehydrating effect as tea. I cannot for the life of me get him to drink enough water, but at least with roiboos he is hydrating himself rather than sucking moisture out. And along with better hydration you have better energy and less fatigue.

[425lisamarie]

I live in the coffee capital of the world and I drink A LOT of it. I just could never give it up

[indigolilybear]

another TF'er who will not be giving up her caffeine anytime in the forseeable future.

I drink a cup or two of black tea or coffee every morning....

[MCsMom]

I couldn't even give it up 100% while pg even though I did cut down quite a bit.