# Water or Coffee: Which one wakes you up better?



## RamistThomist (Apr 13, 2006)

I drink coffee religiously. I also have been told that I make the best pot of coffee as well. That is probably true. I also do not tolerate reasons for not drinking coffee. However,

A feller told me today that water actually wakes you up better (your body being dehydrated and all). That seems too easy a solution in my eyes. What works best?


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## VictorBravo (Apr 13, 2006)

Hot water.

After it has been appropriately exposed to roasted coffee beans.


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## turmeric (Apr 13, 2006)

Water is something you need to live and be healthy, if you're not getting enough water you can become groggy. If you make sure you're getting enough water, then coffee, which is a stimulant, will probably wake you up. If you're dehydrated it will make that worse as it dehydrates the body.


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## crhoades (Apr 13, 2006)

no data to back this - purely subjective:

I drank a lot of coffee and/or diet mt. dew on a daily basis. Think back to my sleep issues on a previous thread. In other words I thought I needed the caffeine all the time. As part of a trying to not be a gnostic, I've decided to start paying more attention to my health. Because I was so addicted and dependent on caffeine, I decided to buffet my body a little. (I also buffet my body a lot at the local Chinese dive...) I have not had any caffeine whatsoever for over two weeks now. Of course the first 3 days consisted of massive headaches and being very sluggish. I've been drinking a ton of water during this time, and I have to say that I feel overall better now - even more alert. I figured if I actually quit smoking, then I could quit caffeine until I can moderate myself. I'm not religious about it but for now I'm abstaining. Definitely would like to hear more concrete evidence one way or the other. 

I now wake up in the morning and grab some water and a vitamin For what it's worth.


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## crhoades (Apr 13, 2006)

> _Originally posted by victorbravo_
> Hot water.
> 
> After it has been appropriately exposed to roasted coffee beans.


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## heartoflesh (Apr 13, 2006)

I've been told that an apple wakes you up better than coffee, not water though.


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## Scott Bushey (Apr 13, 2006)

At my age, the water wakes me up first; I go to the bathroom, relieve myself and then partake of the bean!


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## gwine (Apr 13, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Rick Larson_
> I've been told that an apple wakes you up better than coffee, not water though.



Or orange juice or a banana.

I am one of those that caffeine does not work as a stimulant, although over 3 expressos in less than a hour makes my brain fuzzy. The mornings that I exercise I drink at least a quart of water.

Hot water all over (a shower) works for me as a wake-up call.


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## RamistThomist (Apr 13, 2006)

> _Originally posted by crhoades_
> no data to back this - purely subjective:
> 
> I drank a lot of coffee and/or diet mt. dew on a daily basis. Think back to my sleep issues on a previous thread. In other words I thought I needed the caffeine all the time. As part of a trying to not be a gnostic, I've decided to start paying more attention to my health. Because I was so addicted and dependent on caffeine, I decided to buffet my body a little. (I also buffet my body a lot at the local Chinese dive...) I have not had any caffeine whatsoever for over two weeks now. Of course the first 3 days consisted of massive headaches and being very sluggish. I've been drinking a ton of water during this time, and I have to say that I feel overall better now - even more alert. I figured if I actually quit smoking, then I could quit caffeine until I can moderate myself. I'm not religious about it but for now I'm abstaining. Definitely would like to hear more concrete evidence one way or the other.
> ...



*My Rebuttal*
1. You openly admitted to the subjectivity of your argument.
2. Your argument was against coffee.
3. Therefore, it is false!

I told you I was intolerant on those who are against coffee!


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## crhoades (Apr 13, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Draught Horse_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by crhoades_
> ...



So I committed the _ad coffeum_ fallacy...

Wasn't arguing against it per se...just taking a break. I'll break the fast when you come up and make me a pot of your coffee.


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## blhowes (Apr 13, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Draught Horse_
> I drink coffee religiously. I also have been told that I make the best pot of coffee as well. That is probably true. I also do not tolerate reasons for not drinking coffee.


I'm wracking my brain trying to figure it out, but what possible reasons could a person give for not drinking coffee???

What's your secret for making the best pot of coffee? Is it something you can divulge, or is it one of those secrets handed down from father to son?


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## blhowes (Apr 13, 2006)

Its an interesting thing about coffee. We went to the Olive Garden recently and had some really tastey food. But you know what I really enjoyed most - that cup of coffee at the end of the meal. It was excellent.


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## beej6 (Apr 13, 2006)

The one piece of advice my father gave me before starting medical school was don't drink coffee. Sure enough, from first year on, you could see the % of people drinking the bean from 20% to 90%. I was never a morning person neither... by the end of training, I was though ;-)


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## Casey (Apr 13, 2006)

> _Originally posted by beej6_
> The one piece of advice my father gave me before starting medical school was don't drink coffee. Sure enough, from first year on, you could see the % of people drinking the bean from 20% to 90%. I was never a morning person neither... by the end of training, I was though ;-)


Why did he tell you not to drink coffee? Should I stop? 

I didn't drink coffee until I got to seminary. The fruit of the bean is always flowing hot at school, so it's very easy to grab it on a regular basis. Actually, we pay a one-time fee each semester and get as much as we want. We go through over a canister of creamer each week; I won't even guess how many cans of coffee beans we go through! All this, and we have only about 30 students . . .


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## SolaScriptura (Apr 13, 2006)

Here's one reason to not drink caffeine too much... it's bad for the prostate. (Well, I don't know if it will harm a healthy prostate, but my dad started having prostate issues and they told him to immediately give up the caffeine...)

As a result, I've cut back to only partaking of one 20oz mug per day. 

[Edited on 4-14-2006 by SolaScriptura]


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## heartoflesh (Apr 13, 2006)

> _Originally posted by SolaScriptura_
> Here's one reason to not drink caffeine too much... it's bad for the prostate.



This is true. Frank Zappa didn't use drugs, but he drank coffee like a mad man, from sunup till sundown, and look what happened to him.


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## gwine (Apr 13, 2006)

And caffeine has been implicated in the leaching of calcium from the bones, although stick around and the latest medical psychobabble may change.

But my wife and I used to drink 4-5 pots a day between the two of us, so I am a rather biased observer.


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## Herald (Apr 13, 2006)

From my college days I can defintely confirm that water, poured on my sleeping body from a five gallon bucket woke me up better than any cup of coffee I have ever had.


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## Casey (Apr 13, 2006)

> _Originally posted by gwine_
> But my wife and I used to drink 4-5 pots a day between the two of us, so I am a rather biased observer.









I try to stick to 3 cups max, but usually drink 1 or 2 on days that I have classes.


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## Casey (Apr 13, 2006)

> _Originally posted by BaptistInCrisis_
> From my college days I can defintely confirm that water, poured on my sleeping body from a five gallon bucket woke me up better than any cup of coffee I have ever had.




I have told my wife to splash water on me if I didn't wake up early enough . . she just hasn't had the guts to do it yet!


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## RamistThomist (Apr 13, 2006)

My secret to success:
It all depends on the ingredients. If I have bad water and Folgers coffee, then I am reduced to the level of the average coffee brewer. Also, brewing coffee in an urn = terrible coffee 99% of the time. That is why Church/Sunday school coffee is usually so bad. The urn often stays on for six hours and absorbs the burn flavor. The burn flavor never leaves, so the next pot, while fresh, tastes awful. I refuse to drink urn coffee out of principle. 

Olive Garden: Those places usually have awesome coffee. I haven't cracked their secret yet. Then again, a decent cup after a good meal tastes nice, even if the coffee is mediocre. Its a psychology thing.

I used to drink ALOT of coffe, but backed off for the sake of my family. I still drink a lot for seminary/studying reasons.


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## Herald (Apr 13, 2006)

> I still drink a lot for seminary/studying reasons.



Ah, so you have turned coffee drinking into a necessity. I like the progressive justification of the bean.


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## CalsFarmer (Apr 14, 2006)

Upon arising you should drink a glass of water. It starts your metabolism. Then make your coffee and ENJOY........

You should as a matter of maintaining good health properly hydrate your body with either bottled or distiilled water. Never drink tap water. 

Coffee is not considered hydration...it is however one of lifes necessities. In my humble opinion


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## VictorBravo (Apr 14, 2006)

As a big time coffee drinker, I was always skeptical about the coffee-dehydration idea. So one summer I was a guinea pig in my own experiment. I drank only coffee, no water or anything else, for three days straight. I otherwise ate normally.

The day time temperatures got up into the 90s and I did the normal physical work set before me, mostly setting fence posts and moving irrigation pipes.

Whenever I got hot and thirsty, I drank cold coffee. In the morning I had it hot. 

At the end of the three days my weight was unchanged, and I didn't feel really any different, except that I had a bit of trouble getting to sleep.

So I concluded that coffee did not really dehydrate you and you could actually live off it for awhile.

But now my research has been vindicated by the guys in the lab coats:

http://www.ific.org/foodinsight/2002/ja/caffdehydnbfi402.cfm

These days I only drink about four 20 oz cups a day.

Vic


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## ServantofGod (Apr 14, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Draught Horse_
> I drink coffee religiously. I also have been told that I make the best pot of coffee as well. That is probably true. I also do not tolerate reasons for not drinking coffee. However,
> 
> A feller told me today that water actually wakes you up better (your body being dehydrated and all). That seems too easy a solution in my eyes. What works best?



O.k. I hate coffee with a passion. It does not wake me up, and it tastes awful.

*runs quickly away screaming bloody murder. turns around and yells, "Water ain't much better!"*


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## Semper Fidelis (Apr 14, 2006)

Coffee by far. I drink water all day long to stay hydrated but Coffee will actually sometimes revive me from the "death hour" around 1300-1500.

I used to hate coffee but now I love it. I particularly enjoy Dunkin Donuts coffee with sugar and half and half. We have a Dunkin Donuts on Base and I'll sometimes drive 12 miles round-trip on some days just to get a cup because I enjoy it. There are a few Starbucks out in town also. Of course the price for a cup of coffee is 300 yen ($3) which is a bit high (that's not the espresso drinks but just a straight up cup of coffee).


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## ~~Susita~~ (Apr 14, 2006)

1) Drink a glass of water

2) Brush your teeth

3) Drink a glass of grapefruit juice.


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## Semper Fidelis (Apr 14, 2006)

> _Originally posted by ~~Susita~~_
> 1) Drink a glass of water
> 
> 2) Brush your teeth
> ...


Nice. While you're at it. Splash some grapefruit juice in your eyes!


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## thegracefullady (Apr 16, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Draught Horse_
> What works best?



Tea  

Iced Tea, preferably, but I like tea better than coffee, In my humble opinion.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Apr 16, 2006)




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## Herald (Apr 16, 2006)

You want a real rush? Eat four or five Altoids at one time and then drink a glass of ice cold water. Whew! It will curl your nose hairs.


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## ServantofGod (Apr 16, 2006)

> _Originally posted by BaptistInCrisis_
> You want a real rush? Eat four or five Altoids at one time and then drink a glass of ice cold water. Whew! It will curl your nose hairs.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Apr 16, 2006)

> _Originally posted by BaptistInCrisis_
> You want a real rush? Eat four or five Altoids at one time and then drink a glass of ice cold water. Whew! It will curl your nose hairs.


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## ServantofGod (Apr 16, 2006)

> _Originally posted by joshua_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by blhowes_
> ...




Amen brother! Preach it!


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## RamistThomist (Apr 16, 2006)

> _Originally posted by joshua_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by blhowes_
> ...



Please ban him.


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## Herald (Apr 16, 2006)

> _Originally posted by ServantofGod_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by BaptistInCrisis_
> > You want a real rush? Eat four or five Altoids at one time and then drink a glass of ice cold water. Whew! It will curl your nose hairs.



Ian - it will! If you're really brave, eat cinnamon Altoids and chase them down with ice cold ginge ale, Sprite or Sierra Mist. Whooo Baby! Unreal sensation.


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## Herald (Apr 16, 2006)

My wife just got one of those free coffee pots that come with Gevalia coffee. The Gevalia stuff is pretty good. Of course I grew up with my mothers side of the family. They are all off the boat from Italy. Italian espresso was fed to me when I was in my high chair. Well....I am taking some poetic license. But it was at a young age that I had coffee that can be used as epoxy. It made mountain grown Folgers seem like dirty water. Or to quote my uncle from my Father's side of the family (of Scottish blood):

"Irish whiskey is good for one thing. You can use it to dilute Scottish whiskey."

Same things applies with Folgers.


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## Pergamum (Apr 16, 2006)

Coffee is of the DEVIL!!! 

---It is roasted, just like the damned!
---It is black, just like the souls of wicked men,
---It is hot, just like Hades,
---It is hand-picked by Juan Valdez of Columbia..and we all know that Columbia is an evil place. Coke or Coffee..who cares, both are drugs!
---It is a stimulant...i.e. a drug! Why not just have a littel crack in the am - that would wake you up too!
---It stains the cup, stains the teeth and defiles the breath! 
---Old folks drink coffee to help "get them going" in their bowels (i.e. makes them poop). This is a further evidence that the body is attempting to reject this vile substance (it also makes one pee a lot too...further evidence).
---It makes you sweat...just like a guilty conscience. If it were innocent, it would calm you instead of making you feel anxious.
---People often smoke and drink coffee at the same time. Sins tend to congregate. Vices of a feather flock together.



REPENT OF YOUR WICKED WAYS!!!! 


Only drink the pure water...and the pure Water of Life. Jesus compared Himself to pure waters...never to a vile putrid black drink!




Every head bowed...every eye closed.......


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## thegracefullady (Apr 16, 2006)

> _Originally posted by joshua_
> Nothing beats, and I mean NOTHING beats a nice tall glass of iced sweet tea.



 
Tea is the best 

[Edited on 4-17-2006 by thegracefullady]


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## Herald (Apr 16, 2006)

> _Originally posted by joshua_
> Nothing beats, and I mean NOTHING beats a nice tall glass of iced sweet tea. By the way, in an article of mine concerning man's total depravity, Sweet Tea was introcutory illustration.



I like my tea naked...no sugar. I will add a wedge of lemon or lime if I am in the mood. That is the Yankee way of enjoying iced tea. And nothing sets my unsweeted tea off better than a few dozen steamed blue crabs with Old Bay seasoning!

[Edited on 4-17-2006 by BaptistInCrisis]


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## ServantofGod (Apr 16, 2006)

Trevor: That is so,so,so...*refrains from comment*


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## Pilgrim (Apr 16, 2006)

> _Originally posted by trevorjohnson_
> Coffee is of the DEVIL!!!
> 
> ---It is roasted, just like the damned!
> ...


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## Pilgrim (Apr 16, 2006)

Beer 








Just kidding!


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## Pilgrim (Apr 16, 2006)

Probably water for me. Never been much of a coffee drinker except occasionally after a good meal or dessert.


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## ServantofGod (Apr 16, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Pilgrim_
> Beer



 

[Edited on 4-17-2006 by ServantofGod]


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## RamistThomist (Apr 17, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Pilgrim_
> Beer
> 
> 
> ...



Nice try, but it doesn't wake you up. Ironically, it doesn't help you sleep _well_ either. It supposedly keeps you from entering ReM (whatever that means). I do know a few friends who will stay up all night writing a paper, turn the paper in around 8, drink a beer afterwards and fall asleep. I have never done that, though.


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## Pilgrim (Apr 17, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Draught Horse_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by Pilgrim_
> ...



Done some research on this one, have we? 

ReM=Rapid Eye movement, which I think is the most restful stage of sleep.


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