Kicking a redbull addiction

skintandscared_2

brook2jack wrote: »

Teas flavoured with fruit extracts (lemon,pineapple grapefruit etc )are incredibly acidic, some more than orange juice, and high in sugar. Ten cups a day will rapidly cause acid erosion and tooth decay.They should be kept to meal times and occasional treats.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2995209.stm

Teas flavoured with herbs e.g. chamomile, peppermint,jasmine etc are fine as is unflavoured green tea.The problem with aloe vera is it often has lemon juice as well so very acid again.

Thanks for your concern. I do mainly drink the pure green tea, but am having the flavoured ones now and again. Not sure where the sugar element comes in? There's none in the teabags and I don't add any! I will take my chances with the occasional flavoured one I think. I don't believe it's harming my teeth any more than 4 cans of redbull and 3 cans of diet coke every day ...

brook2jack

PH (acidity) diet coke around 3. PH of lemon tea exactly the same. They are just as bad as each other.

Depending on brand many fruit herbal teas have sugar ... this is an american site but has some useful info http://www.21stcenturydental.com/smith/pH_drinks.htm

Some fruit teas remove more enamel than orange juice , namely the citrus drinks http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12735917

The flavoured ones are fine as a treat but more than that and they are no better for your teeth than the diet coke and some are worse.

Jox

Hi brook2jack, you're a dentist is that right, that's why your focus is on teeth which of course are very important, but when you're giving up an addiction sometimes you replace it with something else which overall is the lesser of the 2 evils and then over time you can cut down on that too.

Like if I was a heroin addict and would replace with methodone and then cigarettes and then chewing gum etc, none are that great for a person but over time the person will hopefully transition to a healthier life.

I know how it is to be in the grips of addiction, the pain of the drug, the self loathing, the anguish of wanting to give up and not being able to, feeling like a weak person...when you can give that item up the feeling of self-respect is amazing and in time the green tea can be reduced as well, it's just a crutch at the moment to get through this bad time of detox and withdrawal.

Cold turkey can be too painful.

brook2jack

Jox exactly right. But the problem occurs when people think they are making a healthy choice, when it has alot of problems in itself.

In the past people switched from "high tar" to "low tar" cigarettes or from fizzy pop to diet fizzy pop thinking it was a healthier choice. Like swapping cigarettes for e cigs its fine if regarded as a stepping stone but as op has already had acid erosion problems with their teeth and their pattern of consumption (10 or more drinks a day, often sipping) is well into a level where unless they are careful with their choices they will get problems long term, they need to be aware that there are better choices than fruit flavoured green tea, namely herbal flavoured or plain green tea.

skintandscared_2

Day 3 and I'm still off the redbull! The weekend will be a tester but if I get through that then I really think I will have cracked it :j Can't believe it's also been about 11 days now without diet coke.

Brook2jack I have taken your advice and am sticking to plain green tea, jasmine green tea or water. The only time I have the fruit flavoured green teas are first thing in the morning or in the evening, just before I clean my teeth.

I am now officially a green tea addict :rotfl:

Jox

I'm happy for you, well done, I wish I could kick the coffee again, I slipped back and am on 4 a day, will make an effort to give it up again!

skintandscared_2

Very bad night last night - literally had a blinding headache nearly all night. It could be totally unconnected to the diet coke/redbull withdrawal though (I'm 5 days clean now :j ) I'm sure it's not dehydration - I'm drinking lots of water and plain green tea.

Headache gone now but I feel exhausted. Think it will an easy day for me today!

Oh and I also found a site with recipes for skincare products using the leaves from used green teabags. Very good for the skin!

Jox

Hi skintandscared, sorry about your headache, it could be related to the withdrawal, better to ride it out, drink water and take it easy and get enough sleep.

I remember about a week after giving up coffee I felt really tired and fluey and achy and needed to spend the day in bed, maybe it was psychosomatic, but I think it was the coffee monsters ganging up on me trying to bully me into having a cup!

brook2jack

skintandscared wrote: »

Day 3 and I'm still off the redbull! The weekend will be a tester but if I get through that then I really think I will have cracked it :j Can't believe it's also been about 11 days now without diet coke.

Brook2jack I have taken your advice and am sticking to plain green tea, jasmine green tea or water. The only time I have the fruit flavoured green teas are first thing in the morning or in the evening, just before I clean my teeth.

I am now officially a green tea addict :rotfl:

Don't brush your teeth just after an acid drink as it brushes the acid into your teeth and erodes them quicker! leave it at least an hour to let the acid neutralise.

otherwise well done.

Jox

How you getting on skintandscared?

I gave up coffee (again) 3 days ago and had the baddest headache all day yesterday, from my forehead to the top of my head and down the back, it was throbbing and so painful!

It's gone today