At the Resort, we don’t serve caffeinated beverages. This fact is not popular among the guests, but there is a reason. We choose not to serve caffeine in order to give you an experience without it. Although I hate this word, you could think of the meals at the Resort being a bit of a “detox”. You don’t have artificial sweeteners, alcohol, refined carbohydrates, fast food or caffeine during your stay. Sometimes people need to go cold turkey to notice the difference in how they feel without these substances or processed foods.
I did a past blogpost on my recommendations for caffeine once you return home. You can find that here. In general, I would recommend staying within 12-18 oz of a caffeinated beverage per day. This should keep caffeine to no more than 300-400 mg per day (1 – 6 oz cup of coffee has 120 mg of caffeine) and hopefully keep side effects at bay. But please remember that you just went a week or more without caffeine so perhaps try to keep on the lower end of that recommended range.
When caffeine intake is too high, severe problems can result. In fact, there has been a large jump in the last few months in treating caffeine overdose. Typically people come in seeking reasons for a rise in blood pressure and heart palpitations or complaints of dizziness, dehydration, nausea, bloating, constipation or general digestive discomfort. While coffee and tea may be safe vehicles for caffeine intake in moderate amounts, energy drinks and pills are not.
Coffee and tea could be fine options within 12-18 oz, but there is never a good replacement for water! Be sure to include plenty of that every day as well.
Emily Fonnesbeck RD,CD
