The Goddess Speaks
The Goddess Speaks
I can imagine myself sitting in a group commiseration session, professing my crazy obsession: "Hi. My name is Nancy and I'm a caffeine addict." Popping soda
for caffeine fixI can be obsessive, so people who know me well often feel I'm exaggerating. To me this proves a lack of awareness.
Many parents continue to provide caffeine to their children without considering its negative side effects. My 6-year-old nephew once said to me, "My dad told me to drink soda if I'm tired in the daytime 'cause it will keep me awake."
I was taken aback by his statement. My thought was, "Why don't you just make sure the kid gets some nourishment and a good night's sleep?"
And nothing is worse than seeing a toddler who can barely waddle around, chugging on a big bottle of Coke.
When sitting down for a meal, my 5-year-old son always asked me for a taste of my soda. I would let him have a taste occasionally but explained to him that it was not healthy for children. I was not about to give him the same poison that had me addicted. I drank soda for breakfast, and if I didn't have one by midmorning, sometimes I'd get a headache that would last the rest of the day. The moment that there was no caffeine in my body, the withdrawal symptoms started.
This should already have been an indicator that something was wrong. Yet I continued the consumption to avoid the headaches, grogginess and general blahs. It was hard to explain to my son that caffeine is unhealthy when everyone around him was consuming it.
Worse, people do not understand my reasons for choosing not to feed my son caffeine. I'm outraged when friends and relatives sneak him soda. They don't seem to realize that he can't really understand the concept of addiction at the age of 4. He doesn't understand the headaches and withdrawal symptoms that leave him irritable or unable to sleep later.
Most people don't view caffeine as dangerous. I read a while back on MSN.com that caffeine was originally added to soft drinks for flavor. But when taste tests were conducted, people could rarely distinguish a difference between regular and caffeine-free cola. The claim was that soda companies were using caffeine as an addictive substance, just as cigarette companies used nicotine.
The report also stated that "soda-drinking displaced consumption of more nutritional foods and could lead to more tooth decay, obesity and bone fractures." Just what we need, more health problems and doctors and dentist's bills.
In order to be a good role model for my son, I decided to stop drinking soda. Now when he asks why he can't have any, I can explain that it is bad -- that's why I stopped drinking it.
After a weekend of misery, my caffeine addiction symptoms subsided. The headaches, nausea and irritability are finally gone, and I notice that I'm actually less tired now.
Not having to consume an abundance of caffeine all day just to survive is a relief. Once in a while, I backslide and need to sneak a Coke. But I remind myself that it can't be a regular occurrence and make sure I climb back on the wagon.
Nancy Arcayna is an editorial assistant
in the Today department.
The Goddess Speaks runs every Tuesday
and is a column by and about women, our strengths, weaknesses,
quirks and quandaries. If you have something to say, write it and
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