The Caffeine Ritual

The morning caffeine ritual (in the form of tea or coffee) is never something that I have been a part of, but countless others have been and still are.  It is a normal part of daily life around the world that billions of consumers enjoy.  It's calming.  It helps to order the day. 

The British have turned their afternoon tea ritual into quite the pageant of pomp and luxury.  In certain locations in London, afternoon tea is served amid marble pillars and huge floral displays, in delicate cups made with the finest bone china.  Finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, and fruit tarts are served along with traditional teas such as Earl Grey and English Breakfast.

In Japan, the tea ritual has grown to transcend the tea itself.  The elegant tea ceremony matters as much, if not more than, the tea itself as kimonos glide across the floor, the wearers pouring tea into hand-molded earth-tone cups.

In southern India, junior monks deliver kettles of butter tea (black tea with milk, butter, and salt added) to more senior monks as a way of fueling early morning hours of prayer and spiritual debate.

Americans and Canadians sit in casual places like Starbucks sipping their javas while reading their newspapers as others grab coffees to take on the run to offices, meetings, or gyms. A flood of new, upscale coffee shops (which also sell tea) has turned the cheap cup of coffee, refills free, into a three to four dollar beverage brewed and blended to one's personal taste by a personal barista.  Howard Schultz, the man who invented Starbucks, turned a single espresso bar in a corner of a coffee company into a Fortune 500 company over the period of two decades.  (Earlier, Schultz had visited Milan where he fell in love with the ambience of the great Italian institution, the espresso bar.  Not only did he observe that the Italian coffee experience was about fine coffee, he also gleaned that it was about conversation and community, and he wanted to bring that whole concept to Seattle, Washington.)

The average person living in Finland, where coffee consumption per capita is the highest in the world, ingests an estimated 145 grams of caffeine a year. (1)

Much of the research investigating the health effects of caffeine indicates benefits for human health at moderate levels of consumption (about 300 mg caffeine per day which is about 2 medium-sized cups of brewed coffee).  Caffeine can help to "relieve pain, thwart migraine headaches, reduce asthma symptoms, and elevate mood.  As a mental stimulant, it increases alertness, cognition, and reaction speed; because it combats fatigue, it improves performance on vigilance tasks like driving, flying, solving simple math problems, and data entry." (2)

Caffeine is rarely abused (although at least one student committed suicide by ingesting 150 caffeine pills and more and more incidents of mixing caffeine-laden energy drinks like Red Bull with alcohol leading to negative health consquences are coming to light).  For most people, once they reach the jittery stage, they stop ingesting the caffeine which caused the jitters in the first place.  The point at which people reach the jittery stage varies greatly among individuals.  "Some people seem to be genetically more susceptible to caffeine's effects and may have increased anxiety after consuming even small amounts.  In a minority of people, doses of 300 milligrams or more may prompt an increase in tension, anxiety, even panic attacks, which may account for why studies show that nervous people generally have lower caffeine consumption." (3)

Some coffee users find that even a day without caffeine causes headaches, irritability, a lack of energy, and sleepiness.  Withdrawal symptoms, however, usually dissipate within a few days.  The desire to avoid withdrawal may explain why billions around the world continue to consume the beverage.  In fact, any improvement in mood or performance after consuming caffeine could simply be relief from withdrawal symptoms.  According to Derk-Jan Dijk, a physiologist at the University of Surrey's sleep research centre, "it may be that we are all on one of those endless cycles (in which) you take caffeine, and you are more alert.  Then, the next morning, the effect has worn off and you need more of the drug to restore the alertness.  But maybe we could step off the cycle.  For those of us who work during the day, we might do just as well without caffeine." (4)

D.

(1)  National  Geographic, January 2005, "Caffeine", T. R. Reid, p.20.
(2)  National Geographic, January 2005, pp. 26 - 27.
(3)  Ibid., p. 27.
(4)  Ibid.,  p. 29.

Notes on Mindfulness

People tend to spend much of their time trying to quell negative thoughts or emotions. This can take a lot of energy - energy which would be better utlized elsewhere in life - energy to do something positive.  Practising mindfulness does not involve the avoidance of negative emotions and emotional distress in general.  Rather, thoughts and feelings of negativity are experienced and then accepted by cultivating the ability to look at the thoughts/emotions in a detached fashion, in a non-judgmental way.  They are then experienced as less unpleasant and less threatening.  This in turn leads to a better ability to withstand distress without needing to resort to psychological defenses or maladaptive coping strategies in order to decrease the intensity of the emotions.

Thoughts and feelings are not assumed to be valid or permanent - they are seen as subjective and transient.  This type of decentered detachment has been shown to be assoiciated with a lowered risk of depressive relapse.

D.

Adapted from "Mindfulness Matters", www.mindfulness-matters.org/what -is-mindfulness/

Happiness is Free

According to psychologist, Dr. Robert Holden, director of "The Happiness Project" (England) we all have what can be termed, 'a happiness contract'.  What this means is that we've all completed - in the back of our minds - a happiness contract in which we've predetermined how much happiness is possible AND how much is too good to be true.  This type of contract contains a central clause which states that happiness must be deserved. Happiness needn't be deserved, earned, given, or bestowed upon you.  It is free and is a natural component of your true self.


It is quite difficult to know what makes you happy if you don't know yourself well.  According to Dr. Holden, once you begin to know who you truly are, you can begin to cultivate true happiness.  Focusing internally on your authenticity, rather than externally on achievements or other people, is key.

D.

Adapted from "Find True Happiness", Stephanie Mitchell, Oprah.com, August 18, 2009.

Depressogenic Assumptions

According to Aaron T. Beck, one of the developing 'fathers' of Cognitive Therapy, certain assumptions/beliefs can predispose a person to depression and sadness.  Some of these are: 

- in order to be happy, I have to be successful in whatever I undertake;
- to be happy, I must be accepted by all people at all times;
- if I make a mistake, it means that I am inept;
- I can't live without you (usually a spouse or romantic partner);
- if someone disagrees with me, it means he/she doesn't like me;
- my value as a person depends on what others think of me.

Wow, that's a huge load to carry around in life.  If you have been depressed for a long time, it may mean that you hold to these assumptions and the negative conclusions that arise from them with great tenacity.  Your belief in them may come to you quite automatically, quite readily. You may not examine or doubt these views.  These views may have become a significant part of your identity - as much a part of your identity as whether you are male or female.  The certainty with which you hold these 'core' beliefs usually corresponds with the intensity of the depression.

It is important to note that these assumptions are LEARNED assumptions and at one time or another may have been articulated to you by others or were your interpretation of experiences that you had in the past, often during your childhood and teen years.  They may be due to messaging from significant people in your life: attitudes or opinions of teachers, siblings, peers, parents, or others. Family 'rules' are usually factors in the construction of these assumptions: "be nice to people, or people won't like you and it means you are not a nice, lovable person if they like you but you don't like them back." "You are a bad person and so are unworthy or undeserving of love." (This messaging is how some children end up suffering sexual abuse committed by friends or relatives of their primary family.  This is also how some children grow into explosive, angry teens or adults: they have been taught to always be nice to others, rather than taught healthy assertiveness in order to protect themselves both physically and psychologically during childhood and beyond.)

During cognitive therapy, a client and therapist work together to uncover these types of strongly and deeply held core assumptions.  The client must, however, take the lead during this exploration.  It is erroneous and detrimental to the client for the therapist to suggest what a client's core assumptions/beliefs are.  The therapist can guide the client in the exploration and uncovering of these beliefs, and help to examine and dissect these beliefs, replacing them with healthier, more positive self-affirming ones.

D.

From Cognitive Therapy of Depression, A. T. Beck, A. J. Rush, B. F. Shaw, & G. Emery, Guildford Press, New York, 1979, pp. 244 - 247.

Choices For Contentment

Question of the day:  what is needed in order to create an enduring kind of contentment that no one can take away from you?   How do you create a contentment (or, if you prefer, a happiness or inner peace) that is so established in your core self that external events cannot take it away?

According to wisdom guru, Deepak Chopra, certain choices made along the road of life can determine whether your contentment ebbs and flows with the times, or whether it becomes an inner rock which buoys you as external events attempt to disquiet or disturb you.

According to Chopra, consider undertaking the following:

-          meditate , which can open up deeper levels of the mind

-          take actions that benefit others

-          nurture social relationships that support intimacy and bonding

-          find inspiration through reading the world’s scriptures and poetry

-          find enjoyment in natural beauty

-          have a vision of personal fulfillment that you follow each day

-          aim for inner fulfillment rather than external fulfillment

-          find ways to reduce stress

-          take time for peaceful reflection

-          learn to love your own company, cultivate the self as a state of being

-          eschew anger and violence in all its forms, gross and subtle

-          resolve conflicts, both inner and outer, rather than letting them build up

-          pay one’s debt to the past, which means healing old hurts and grievances

-          step away from group think and second-hand opinions

-          give up a belief in enemies and us-versus-them thinking

-          cultivate kindness and compassion

-          be generous of spirit and learn to give

-          see yourself as part of a larger humanity, and humanity itself as an expression of the divine, despite the flaws.

To this I would add a mantra:  conduct yourself with grace, kindness and dignity.  Some see kindness as a weakness;  don’t buy into that.

It’s a long list which does, indeed, require a shift in perspective.  Everything you once thought and believed you will now have to see through a new lense and in a new light:  something to strive for, to work towards, and something which I believe is attainable.

As you will likely have noticed, some of the points noted above do overlap.  For instance, being generous of spirit and learning to give can be equated with taking actions that benefit others.  A way to reduce stress could be through peaceful reflection and that could occur while finding enjoyment in natural beauty while cultivating inner fulfillment.  I do not mean to be flippant, just to argue that the points are not so separate as to induce exhaustion or a feeling of being overwhelmed while trying to achieve them:  that would, indeed, defeat the purpose.  And, the overall purpose is to walk the path of vidya, which can be richly defined as “the way to reach the truth” which actually means “knowledge” in Sanskrit.  Take what you will from the previous sentence - accept it, or throw it away, it doesn’t really matter - because the true goal is inner peace – contentment – happiness which can only benefit you and others.

D.

(This article was adapted from “Why Choice Is the Way to Happiness” by Deepak Chopra, oprah.com, April 14, 2010.)

Sincere Apology

Seems that a sincere apology is crucial to our mental and physical health.  Research has shown that receiving a genuine apology has a positive physical effect on the body of the receiver:  the heart rate slows, blood pressure decreases, and breathing becomes more regular. Apology also has a positive emotional effect on the receiver:  he can move beyond anger as he avoids staying focused on something that happened in the past;  it paves the way for him to forgive;  he no longer perceives the wrongdoer as a personal threat;  and he will feel understood and acknowledged.

When someone provides an apology to us, instead of seeing that person through a screen of anger and bitterness, we see him/her as a fallible, vulnerable human being - a human just like us.  This moves us towards empathy and compassion - both of which are positive results -  provided the apology is sincere and not simply a manipulation.  As well, it loses effect if it simply paves the way for repetition of the same misdeeds
or mistakes in the future.

Sincere apologies also benefit the so-called 'wrongdoer'. Making a sincere apology can rid us of esteem-robbing self-reproach and guilt.  Otherwise, the guilt and remorse we may feel when we've wronged or hurt another person may eat away at us until we makes ourselves ill, both physically and emotionally.

When we develop the courage to admit that we did something wrong, we can develop a deep sense of self-respect.  This helps us to remain emotionally connected to those we have hurt.  If we know we have wronged someone, we may distance ourselves, both emotionally and physically, causing intimacy to suffer.  Sincere apology can also act as a deterrent against committing future acts which hurt the other person.

D.

Psychology Today, July/August 2002, "Making Amends", Beverly Engel, pp. 40 - 42.

Amyloid Plaques of Alzheimer's Disease

A recent study which utilized brain imaging scans suggests the following:  that people who have remained mentally active throughout their lives develop fewer beta amyloid plaques.  This new study is not about the brain's response to amyloid (which the older studies dealt with), but rather, it is about the actual accumulation of amyloid.  Beta amyloid is the protein that many scientists believe causes  Alzheimer's disease.  It is this protein that is found in the plaques of the brains of people who suffer from Alzheimer's.

According to Dr. William Jagust of the University of California at Berkely, this is a brand new finding.  This recent study was spearheaded by Dr. Jagust whose report appears in the most recent edition of the Archives of Neurology.

The study, however, has two important weaknesses, though one of its strengths lies in the fact that brain imaging was utilized.  The weaknesses are: it was a small group that was studied and the study relied on the memory of the participants' mental activity from age 6 and after.

With respect to the brain imaging that was used in the study, the compound used to visualize areas of the brain is known as PiB (Pittsburgh Compound B) which works with PET (positron emission tomography) scans to show the beta amyloid deposits.  PiB sticks to the deposits so they can be visualized by investigators.

The study itself looked at the brains of 65 healthy, cognitively intact people aged 60 and above.  These participants were asked myriad questions with respect to how mentally active they had been during different periods of their lives, beginning at age 6.

The questions covered topics like emails, game playing, newspaper reading, library outings, and letter writing.   Their memories and thinking skills were assessed and PET scans were conducted in order to locate any amyloid deposits in the brain.  The researchers then compared the brain scans with those of 10 patients with Alzheimer's and 11 healthy people in their 20's.

The investigation revealed that people who had been the most mentally active throughout their lives had the least amount of beta amyloid deposit than the others who had been less mentally active.

Furthermore, according to Susan Landau, another researcher from Berkeley who worked on the study, the data suggested that a whole lifetime of mental activity has a bigger effect than does mental activity just in older age.  Amyloid probably starts accumulating many years before symptoms appear, so by the time memory problems start, there is little that can be done. 

D.

This article was based on the following:  "Brain Exercises Prevent Alzheimer's Proteins", January 24, 2012, Newsmax Health, a publication of Reuters, found at www.newsmaxhealth.com