August 2021 – Tyler V Layne

Caffeine: How to benefit the most from your daily consumption

August 17, 2021 No Comments

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Note: I am not a doctor. While I am a holistic health professional & this piece is well-researched, it should never be taken as medical advice or should be considered more informed than your physician’s medical opinion. Caffeine affects people with certain health concerns in different ways, & you should always consult with your physician before making a drastic change to your lifestyle.

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What is it about that first sip of coffee that jumpstarts our day? Why do athletes use supplements with added caffeine, & why do health experts purport the benefits of drinking green tea?

Caffeine is the most commonly used stimulant drug in the world (1). And while it has benefits & risks, moderate consumption of caffeine can increase your alertness, improve athletic performance, & help fight off free radicals & oxidative stress.

Benefits of Caffeine

Caffeine can improve your energy levels, making it a great source of energy first thing in the morning or to break through a mid-afternoon slump. When you consume drinks with caffeine, the stimulant is absorbed into your bloodstream, where it then travels to your brain to block the inhibitory neurotransmitter adenosine (2). This leads to an increase in other neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine & dopamine, which enhances the firing of your neurons, which means more energy, less fatigue, & better cognitive performance (3, 4).

Caffeine can also be used by athletes to improve physical performance. Many electrolyte drinks contain caffeine to help endurance athletes keep up their energy levels during long training days or competitive events. In addition to increasing your body’s adrenaline levels, which helps your body prepare for intense physical exercise, it also breaks down the fat cells in your body, which makes fatty acids more available as fuel (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10). Fatty acids are used by the body in low- to moderate-intensity workouts that are performed for long periods of time (11).

Because caffeine breaks down fat cells, & because it stimulates your metabolism, it is also thought to help with weight loss (12, 13). Many studies show that caffeine can boost your metabolic rate. However, the amount that it boosts your metabolism is limited & tends to diminish even more over time (14).

Risks of Caffeine

It’s debated whether caffeine alone causes risks, or if it’s the way it is normally consumed. Caffeine, no matter how it is consumed, does cause a minimal rise in blood pressure, & it is debated whether or not this can cause health risks over time (15). Drinking large amounts of caffeine (more than the FDA-recommended 400mg a day) can also affect your sleep, which will eventually have a negative effect on your daily fatigue & cognitive function & may cause a reliance (or even an addiction) to caffeine.

A high-caffeine intake has also been connected with frequent urination (16). Caffeine can be a diuretic, so it’s important to consume lots of water to remain hydrated.

High amounts of caffeine can also cause an increase in heart rate (atrial fibrillation) – this most often occurs from drinking highly caffeinated energy drinks (17). This rarely happens to people who consume moderate amounts of caffeine, & even some people who have diagnosed heart problems can tolerate high amounts of caffeine without adverse effects (16).

Digestive problems can also be a problem when consuming large amounts of caffeine. Caffeine can stimulate bowel movements by increasing the amount of contractions that move food through your digestive tract (18). Caffeine may also worsen acid reflux for people who already have that health problem (19, 20, 21). Both of these concerns seem to be more of a problem when drinking coffee rather than green tea.

Extremely high intakes of caffeine can also increase symptoms of anxiety. In fact, caffeine-induced anxiety is one of only four caffeine-related syndromes in the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) (16). Consuming lower amounts of caffeine should help with this symptom.

Many of the other, more common dangers that come from consuming caffeine are attributed to the soft drinks or sugar-laden energy drinks it comes in. Soda is high in sugar, which can lead to weight gain, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, liver disease, & gout (22). The extra sugar in energy drinks causes similar health struggles, & the high amounts of caffeine can also cause irregular heart rhythms & a caffeine addiction (23).

Healthy Sources of Caffeine

Where you get your caffeine from matters. Just like there are healthy & unhealthy sources of carbs (think fruit versus a cupcake), there are healthy & unhealthy sources of caffeine.

Any sugar-laden energy drink is one you should most likely stay away from. Even high-performance athletes would benefit from an electrolyte drink with moderate amounts of sugar & caffeine than a highly caffeinated drink that’s made mostly with sugar. For the average individual, these drinks should almost never find themselves on your work desk. The health risks far outweigh the benefits.

Luckily, there are other ways to consume caffeine that actually have more health benefits. Coffee is one of the highest sources of antioxidants in the western diet. In fact, some studies show that many people get more antioxidants from their daily coffee consumption than they do from fruits & vegetables combined (24, 25, 26). Antioxidants help to fight off free radicals, which helps to fight off diseases like cancer & heart disease (27).

Another healthy source of caffeine is green tea, which is full of bioactive compounds like polyphenols, which help reduce inflammation in the body & can help fight diseases like cancer. Green tea also is also rich in antioxidants & has other vitamins & minerals that can help keep your body & brain healthy (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36).

When you consume drinks with caffeine, try to limit adding sugar as much as possible. If you need your drink to taste a little sweeter, try adding natural sugars first, like honey & pure maple syrup, & if you can, slowly decrease the amount you add over time.

Caffeine can be a great source of energy & healthy antioxidants, & drinking it can be a good way to relax for a few minutes, or a fun way to meet up with friends. When making healthy choices in your life, it’s important to remember there is always a balance. And consuming moderate amounts of caffeine not only feels good; it can be a healthy choice for your mind & body, too.

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Sources:

1. APA PsycNet, Understanding Caffeine: A Biobehavioral Analysis by Jack E. James – https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1997-08837-000

2. Science Direct, Blood-Brain Barrier Transport of Caffeine: Dose-Related Restriction of Adenine Transport by A. L. McCall, W.R. Millington, & R. J. Wurtman – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0024320582907159

3. Wiley Online Library: Adenosine, Adenosine Receptors & the Actions of Caffeine by Bertil B. Fredholm – https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1600-0773.1995.tb00111.x

4. National Library of Medicine: Caffeine & the Central Nervous System: Mechanisms of Action, Biochemical, Metabolic & Psychostimulant Effects – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1356551/

5. National Library of Medicine: Anti-Obesity Action of Oolong Tea by L. K. Han, T. Takaku, J. Li, Y. Kimura, & H. Okuda – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10094584/

6. Springer Link: Effect of Caffeine on the Metabolic Responses of Lipolysis & Activated Sweat Gland Density in Human During Physical Activity by Tae-Wook Kim, Young-Oh Shin, Jeong-Beom Lee, Young-Ki Min, & Hun-Mo Yang – https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007 /s10068-010-0151-6

7. National Library of Medicine: Effects of Caffeine on the Metabolic & Catecholamine Responses to Exercise in 5 & 28 Degrees C by D. E. Anderson & M. S. Hickey – https://pubmed .ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8201901/

8. National Library of Medicine: Caffeine Can Increase Insulin Sensitivity in Humans by Gerben B. Keijzers, Bastiaan E. De Galan, Cees J. Tack, & Paul Smits – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11815511/

9. National Library of Medicine: Effects of Caffeine on Plasma Free Fatty Acids, Urinary Catecholamines, & Drug Binding by R. V. Patwardhan, P. V. Desmond, R. F. Johnson, G. D. Dunn, D. H. Robertson, A. M. Hoyumpa Jr., & S. Schenker – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7408399/

10. ScienceDirect: Response of Free Fatty Acids to Coffee & Caffeine by Samuel Bellet, Alfred Kershbaum, & E. Michael Finck – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0026049568900541

11. Nutrition: Science & Everyday Application by Alice Callahan, PhD; Heather Leonard, MED, RDN; & Tamberly Powell, MS, RDN – https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/nutritionscience/chapter/10b-fuel-sources-exercise/

12. National Library of Medicine: Normal Caffeine Consumption: Influence on Thermogenesis & Daily Energy Expenditure in Lean & Postobese Human Volunteers by A. G. Dulloo, C. A. Geissler, T. Horton, A. Collins, & D. S. Miller – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2912010/

13. National Library of Medicine: Comparison of Changes in Energy Expenditure & Body Temperatures After Caffeine Consumption by P. Koot & P. Deurenberg – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7486839/

14. Healthline: 13 Health Benefits of Coffee, Based on Science by Kris Gunnars, BSc – https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-13-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-coffee#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3

15. WebMD: Pros & Cons of the Caffeine Craze by Kathleen Doheny – https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/pros-and-cons-caffeine-craze

16. Healthline: 9 Side Effects of Too Much Caffeine by Franziska Spritzler – https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/caffeine-side-effects

17. National Library of Medicine: Energy Drinks & Atrial Fibrillation in Young Adults by Anna Vittoria Mattioli, Sonia Pennella, Alberto Farinetti & Antonio Manenti – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28527645/

18. National Library of Medicine: Is Coffee a Colonic Stimulant? by S. S. Rao, K. Welcher, B. Zimmerman, & P. Stumbo – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9581985/

19. National Library of Medicine: Gastrophageal Reflux Disease: A Population Based Study by Sylvester Nwokediuko – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27933125/

20. National Library of Medicine: Gastric Acid Secretion & Lower-Esophageal-Sphincter Pressure in Response to Coffee & Caffeine by S. Cohen & G. H. Booth Jr. – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1177987/

21. National Library of Medicine: Effect of Caffeine on Lower Esophageal Sphincter Pressure in Thai Healthy Volunteers by S. Lohsiriwat, N. Puengna & S. Leelakusolvong – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16722996/

22. Medical News Today: Is Soda Bad for Your Health, & What Are the Options? by Danielle Dresden – https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/is-soda-bad-for-you

23. Intermountain Healthcare: How Will Energy Drinks Impact My Health? by Jay Hansen, MD – https://intermountainhealthcare.org/blogs/topics/live-well/2020/09/how-will-energy-drinks-impact-my-health/

24. National Library of Medicine: Intakes of Antioxidants in Coffee, Wine, & Vegetables Are Correlated with Plasma Carotenoids in Humans by Arne Svilaas, Amrit Kaur Sakhi, Lene Frost Andersen, Tone Svilaas, Ellen C. Ström, David R. Jacobs Jr., Leiv Ose, & Rune Blomhoff – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14988447/

25. National Library of Medicine: Contribution of Beverages to the Intake of Lipophilic & Hydrophilic Antioxidants in the Spanish Diet by R. Pulido, M. Hernández-García & F. Saura-Calixto – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14506489/

26. ScienceDirect: Coffee & Cardiovascular Disease: In Vitro, Cellular, Animal, & Human Studies by Jennifer Stella Bonita, Michael Mandarano, Donna Shuta, & Joe Vinson – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1043661807000291

27. Mayo Clinic: Antioxidants – https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/multimedia/antioxidants/sls-20076428?s=1

28. Healthline: 10 Evidence-Based Benefits of Green Tea by Kris Gunnars, BSc – https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-green-tea

29. NCBI: Beneficial Effects of Green Tea: A Literature Review by Sabu M. Chacko, Priya T. Thambi, Ramadasan Kuttan, & Ikuo Nishigaki – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2855614/

30. National Library of Medicine: Molecular Understanding of Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) in Cardiovascular & Metabolic Diseases by Qian Yi Eng, Punniyakoti Veeraveedu Thanikachalam & Srinivasan Ramamurthy – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28864169/

31. NHRI: L-Theanine, A Natural Constituent in Tea, & Its Effect on Mental State by Anna C. Nobre, PhD; Anling Rao, PhD; & Gail N. Owen, PhD – https://apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/APJCN/17%20Suppl%201/167.pdf

32. Oxford Academic: L-Theanine & Caffeine in Combination Affect Human Cognition as Evidenced by Oscillatory Alpha-Band Activity & Attention Task Performance by Simon P. Kelly, Manuel Gomez-Ramirez, Jennifer L. Montesi, & John J. Foxe – https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/138/8/1572S/4750819

33. NCBI: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study Evaluating the Effects of Caffeine & L-Theanine Both Alone & in Combination on Cerebral Blood Flow, Cognition & Mood by F. L. Dodd, D. O. Kennedy, L. M. Riby, & C. F. Haskell-Ramsay – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4480845/

34. NCBI: Neurological Mechanisms of Green Tea Polyphenols in Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s Diseases by Orly Weinreb, Silvia Mandel, Tamar Amit, & Moussa B. H. Youdim – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15350981/

35. NCBI: Simultaneous Manipulation of Multiple Brain Targets by Green Tea Catechins: A Potential Neuroprotective Strategy for Alzheimer & Parkinson Diseases by Silvia A. Mandel, Tamar Amit, Orly Weinreb, Lydia Reznichenko, & Moussa B. H. Youdim – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6493995/

36. National Library of Medicine: Tea Polyphenols in Parkinson’s Disease by Mario Caruana & Neville Vassallo – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26092629/

Health, Lifestyle

Simone Biles’ Legacy: Bronze is more valuable than gold

August 6, 2021 No Comments

It’s the story everyone is talking about.

You probably have already heard about it – even if you haven’t been watching the Olympics, I’m sure it’s been popping up on your newsfeed & social media. Simone Biles, after experiencing what gymnasts called “the twisties” (or a loss of awareness of where you are in the air), pulled herself out of the Olympics competition last week. She returned at the beginning of this week to compete & win bronze on beam. Biles is an Olympic champion, winner of multiple gold medals, but she was quoted saying that this bronze medal “means more than all the golds because I’ve pushed through so much the last five years & the last week I’ve been here.”

Given certain circumstances, bronze means more than gold.

I want that statement to sink in for a moment. We may not all be Olympic athletes (I’m venturing a guess that no one reading this is currently competing in Tokyo), but we all have our own competitions, our own daily challenges, our moments when we are put to the test. And the message most often, when we come to these moments less prepared, not in the right headspace, or feeling unwell, is to push through. Keep going. Don’t let anything stop you.

Simone Biles, one of the greatest gymnasts & athletes of all time, just showed everyone that it’s okay to listen to your body & pull yourself out, even in what seems to be the most important moment of your life, the climax of your story.

Simone Biles spent last week cheering on her teammates from the sidelines, congratulating them on their gold medals when she should have been winning medals of her own. She voluntarily went from being the center of attention to the cheerleader on the sidelines. And we all love her even more for it.

And when she finally did return, & won bronze, we all cheered even harder than before. Because, in that moment, we watched someone who was not only a terrific athlete, but someone who was human, just like us, defy the odds, advocate for mental health, & still take home an Olympic medal when we would have been just as proud of her if she hadn’t come home with anything.

Given certain circumstances, bronze means more than gold.

Where in your life are you pushing too hard, & what are you sacrificing for it? Is there an area where you have the spotlight, but perhaps it would be better for you, or those around you, if you gave it to someone else? Is there an area of your life where giving up achieving the “best” could actually afford you the chance to have something better, to enjoy life more, to take care of yourself & others?

It’s not an easy decision to make. It’s hard to pull back when we know we could be capable of more. But just because we can do it does not mean we should. Just because we can do the workload of that promotion doesn’t mean it’s worth sacrificing family time. Just because we can work overtime doesn’t mean it’s worth the lack of sleep & toll on our physical well-being. Just because we can deal with & make a toxic relationship work doesn’t mean it is worth the damage to our mental health.

Just because we can achieve gold, it doesn’t make the bronze any less valuable.

Health, Lifestyle, My Life

The Parasite Living Inside Me: My Lyme Disease Story

August 5, 2021 No Comments

Me waiting in the doctor’s office during the COVID-19 pandemic

There is a parasite living inside of me.

It’s been there since I was 10 years old. I have very few memories before this parasite was a part of my life. And yet, for much of the last 10 years, I didn’t even realize it was still there, burrowing into the tissues of my body, making itself a home in a place it didn’t belong.

I have Post-Lyme Disease Syndrome (PLDS), a disease that, until the last few years, was thought to not be real. Because of this, the last decade of my life has been consumed by trying to figure out & treat whatever was causing so much insufferable pain & fatigue.

I had high moments, of course. There would be times when a treatment would work, & I would have a few great months. But then a flare would rear its ugly head without me realizing what was happening. It was frustrating, knowing that I was seemingly doing everything right to be healthy. The problem was, I was treating the wrong illnesses. Without the correct name for what I had, I was exhausted trying to treat 12 different misdiagnoses that had been given to explain my symptoms.

Lyme Disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. It is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected tick. It is one of the most common vector-borne diseases, & yet, it is under-researched & under-studied, meaning many people go years without realizing they have it. This is troubling, because the more time people have Lyme disease, the harder it is to fight.

This was the case for me. We now believe Lyme disease could have been living inside of me for years without me knowing. This is because Lyme Disease likes to mimic other illnesses, making it difficult to catch. In addition to this, the testing for Lyme Disease is flawed in many ways. Lyme Disease is discovered through antibody testing, which makes it all too common for a patient to have Lyme Disease & still test negative for it because their immune system had not created enough antibodies on its own to fight the infection.

Back when I had Lyme Disease, we knew much less than we do now. Knowing what I know now, I should have received much more antibiotic therapy than I did, but at the time, it was believed the customary two weeks of antibiotics was sufficient. When my pain, fatigue, headaches, & insomnia returned just a short six months later, the doctors insisted i was fine & just wanted attention. It took another year to finally convince them I was truly in pain. It was then that I received my first misdiagnosis of fibromyalgia.

A few years passed, during which I paid little attention to my worsening condition. I became less active, succumbing to my pain, but that gave me an opportunity to thrive in my more artistic passions.

It wasn’t until high school that I noticed the brain fog, although, at the time, I didn’t have a name for it. I simply noticed that my mind was not what it used to be. As an avid reader & writer, it was odd to me that my reading comprehension was not up to par with my classmates. My memory continued to work properly, which meant, in the American education system of memorizing & regurgitating facts, my grades were still exemplary. But anytime I was asked to think abstractly, my famously creative brain failed to think through even simple problems or equations.

In my junior year of high school, my symptoms hit an all-time low. I had developed a number of food allergies, as is common with Lyme patients, & my gut health was suffering tremendously. I was diagnosed with IBS & leaky gut, but none of the treatments ever seemed to work (in fact, they only seemed to make my symptoms worse), so after a while, I refused any prescription pills. In addition to this, my anxiety seemed to heighten, & anything that deviated from my regular schedule sent me into a tight-chested panic attack. I thought it was simply stress-induced, brought on by having to deal with difficult illnesses. Compared to my physical symptoms, I felt it was less important & paid little attention to it.

Me on the first day of my senior year of high school.

In college, my symptoms finally found some relief. I cleaned up my diet even more than I had before, & I found a holistic doctor who treated my symptoms in the first way that ever worked. Exercise helped tremendously. I got off every prescription medication I had been taking, & for the first time in years, I felt relaxed & free. My senior year in college was bliss. I felt healthy, carefree & strong. I signed up & trained to run across the country. I met the love of my life. I ate whatever I wanted, went out with friends, & enjoyed every moment of beginning my adult life.

The thing about Lyme disease is you never know when a flare is coming. The unhealthy eating, long training runs, & lack of sleep finally caught up with me, & the flare came at the worst possible time – while running to help those in need. While my teammates were supportive, without the diagnosis or words to describe what was happening to them, I struggled with feelings of loneliness & misunderstanding.

My 4K for Cancer team on the final day of our run. Over 49 days, we relayed across the country, from San Francisco to Baltimore.

When I returned, I felt beaten & hopeless. I cleaned up my diet again, started taking my supplements, but it just didn’t seem to work. My brain was worse than before – I was stuttering over my words & mispeaking. Once able to capture a room full of people with 20-minute long speeches, all done without notes of any kind, I was now struggling to find words on the tip of my tongue in frequent conversations.

Answers finally came just a few months ago. After years of searching, months of talking to doctors & going to appointments yet again, I received the diagnosis I had been waiting for. I had treatment that finally helped. The right diet, the right supplements, & the recommendation to make self-care & sleep a priority rather than a luxury actually made a difference.

As of now, it doesn’t seem I will ever be symptom-free. At this point, PSLD, at least in my case, can be characterized as an auto-immune disease. When Lyme flares, I can try my best to fight the bug, but Lyme is a spirochete, meaning it has a spiral shape that makes it easy to hide in tissues of the body. When Lyme is hiding, my immune system is depleted, so the best I can actually do is not continue to break down my body by trying to kill the Lyme, but to boost my immune system as much possible. This, in turn, will reduce inflammation, improve my digestion, &, in the end, help me to feel healthy, as if there is nothing wrong. And if Lyme ever does flare, I know what to do to fight it back.

It’s been a long journey getting here, one that I normally don’t like to think about or share. But since learning my diagnosis, I have met so many other people who have struggled with it, & I have realized I am not alone. Which means there must be so many other people out there feeling the same way that I did, & sometimes still do. And I want to let you know that you are not alone, & that this illness does not define you. It is part of your story, but it doesn’t even have to be the worst part.

Like the plot twists & challenges in any story, it’s not what happens in the plot line but how we respond to it that makes us who we are. And we are warriors. Lyme has made me stronger, more resilient, & more patient than I ever would have been. But most importantly, I am more empathetic, more kind, & more compassionate. And that is why I am sharing my story. I want my blog to be a safe space, where people, no matter what it is that has shaped their story, can find a safe & supportive community.

Lyme changed my life, but it doesn’t have to define it. What I do with my life will define it, & all I want to do with my life is to bring a little more love & kindness into this world. I believe that love, truly, is what heals most. I could not be where I am in my journey now without the love I have in my life, from my family, my friends, & from Joseph. Love truly does heal all wounds. The love we extend to others has greater value than we will ever know.

The one thing I felt Lyme took from me was my self-worth. For so many years, I felt shame about my illness. I was embarrassed to share my story. I thought no one would want to hear it, & I didn’t want it to be what I was known for. But now, as I have said, I have learned love is what is most important. So, as much as this blog post is for you, it’s for me, too.

This is a letter to myself. It’s finally remembering my story in every painstaking detail, & it’s telling myself that it’s okay. It’s okay to be me. Its okay what happened to me. I still have value, & I am still worthy of love.

My blog is a safe place, for me & for you. If you need a reminder of your self-worth, of your value, pay this blog a visit.

No matter what your story, you are worthy of love. And I want to share with you what I am just now beginning to learn – the best love you will ever have is the love that you give to yourself.

There is a parasite living inside of me, but I am in charge of my body. And today I am choosing to show my body respect & gratitude for all it has done, & love for the strong & resilient body it is today.