caffeine

[Darth Fedora]

All the Word of Wisdom talk on the other thread made me think of this.
So, a lot of people believe that the reason why coffee and tea are verboten is because they have caffeine, and so they avoid coffee, tea, and other caffeinated beverages like Coke. That's not very unusual.
One of my friends (who grew up in Utah, incidentally) believes that the only reason why coffee and tea are bad is because they contain caffeine. And so, using that logic, she only avoids regular coffee and tea, but will happily drink decaf. It was kind of shocking seeing her order a decaf coffee at Starbucks.
Is it just me or is that crazy? I've never met any other members who went by that rule. And this friend is not trying to be a rule-bender or anything; she actually interprets the Word of Wisdom to mean that as long as a drink doesn't have caffeine, it is allowed.
Has anyone else ever met another member who thought that?

[Unit of Energy]

We actually had this discussion in my ward recently. My belief is that herbal teas are all right, but coffee and regular teas are not ok in any form. But that's just me. I don't actually like hot drinks of any kind. I can't stand hot chocolate.

[NerdGirl]

Unit, I'm also not a fan of drinking hot things. I always burn my face off. I drink a lot of herbal tea (mainly fruit varieties) and I used to sometimes drink green and white tea, mostly to help with cramps and headaches, but I always make it into iced tea or wait until it gets to room temperature to drink it.

Darth Fedora - I've never personally met someone who interprets the word of wisdom that way, but I've heard rumors of people like that. I have, however, met someone who thinks that because the word of wisdom says no hot drinks, we also shouldn't drink things that are too cold.

[Dragon Lady]

I love hot drinks. The only way I can warm up when I'm really cold is to get warmness inside of me. Drinks do it fastest. So I love to drink hot drinks. The only problem is that sugar gives me headaches, so I have to limit my hot chocolate (woe!) and many ciders. That doesn't leave many hot drinks. Especially since I loathe the taste of herbal teas. When I'm really freezing and have no desire for a headache, I sometimes bemoan the fact that I am Mormon and thus am severely limited on my choices for hot drinks. And sometimes that WoW phrase of "hot drinks" makes me a tad bit nervous. Even though that has been defined by the bretheren as coffee and tea.

As for my definition of drinks not allowed in the WoW, I'm with Unit. Herbal is alright, but regular tea and any coffee is a no no.

[Dragon Lady]

I have, however, met someone who thinks that because the word of wisdom says no hot drinks, we also shouldn't drink things that are too cold.

Wow. Talk about interpolating scripture.

[Tao]

Steamed milk's the way to go, for ya DL. Granted, it is a soporific, so not exactly the best morning drink. A dash of cinnamon or other flavorings, a good book and a thick blanket and you're set.

[Craig Jessop]

I don't really like hot chocolate (or really anything hot for that matter), to the point that I was even willing to offend people on my mission by saying I didn't want any. That was okay with most, but one lady insisted I have something hot so she gave me warm milk.

I fell in love with it. It's SO good.

I also don't drink caffeine, but not because of the WoW, but because caffeine is bad for you in the same spirit that trans fat is bad for you. I have no problem drinking it if I have to, but if there's an option to avoid it I'd go for caffeine free any day.

[NerdGirl]

I'm in favor of occasional but not excessive caffeine, because it really helps me with headaches and cramps. But right now I'm not supposed to have it, and it's either because it interacts with one of my drugs or because it's not good for my stomach problems. I don't remember which, but my doctor told me to avoid it as much as possible right now. I still eat small bits of chocolate, though.

[Gimgimno]

I am a self-admitted Dr Pepper addict. I therefore consume caffeine with much regularity.

Also, the general rule we were taught is that if teas are from seeds or herbs, they were fine--wheat tea, herbal teas--but if they were from the leaves or other parts of plants, they weren't--black, green, etc. But apparently that isn't the official Church stance, sooooo.

[ahem.]

I don't have an issue with caffeine. My grandpa worked for Coca-Cola, so it's kind of built into my family. It never occurred to me that it might be a bad thing.

But I don't like carbonated drinks, and I don't drink tea of coffee, so I really don't get exposed to much caffeine. Which means I am super sensitive to it and get a little crazy when I take Excedrine or Midol.

Also, the general rule we were taught is that if teas are from seeds or herbs, they were fine--wheat tea, herbal teas--but if they were from the leaves or other parts of plants, they weren't--black, green, etc.

The seeds or the herb? What part of the 'herb' can be used, if not the seeds, leaves or other parts of plants?

[Craig Jessop]

The Handbook of Instructions says explicitly that the interpretation of "hot drinks" means coffee and tea, and that no other interpretation has been given or should be attempted by members of the Church.

[Gimgimno]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbal_tea

Anything that's not the leaves is fair game, basically. Even wheat teas, by many definitions, are considered herbal teas.

That being said, the list they offer aren't all legal--cannibis tea seems a little sketchy--but most of those are "legal" by any definition. Of that list, I'm partial to chrysanthemum tea with sugar, just like any good Chinese (of half Chinese, as the case may be) person.

[TheAnswerIs42]

I am rather shocked by the decaf drinker. Wow. I mean, to each their own interpretation, but . . . to me "no tea and coffee" means no tea and coffee. I personally don't drink anything that goes by either name, because I get sick of "type of tea" debates very quickly and can't stand the smell of coffee to begin with. But I don't care about caffeine. I know it affects some people to drink Dr. Pepper or the like, but I can honestly drink a can of it and go to bed right afterward. It just doesn't do much to me. And I do love Dr. Pepper. So I drink it. But I don't like the taste of cola or mountain dew, so that's all I do.

[bobtheenchantedone]

I avoid caffeinated drinks out of habit. Even though I figure Coke and the like are all right, I am determined to not try anything new. : )

[Indefinite Integral]

I'm with 42, I just stay away from tea and coffee altogether. I guess it's not worth it to me to split hairs over what's allowed and what isn't. I also hate the smell of coffee. Whenever my grandma would come to visit I hated to eat breakfast around her because she drank coffee with it.

I avoid caffeine due to my upbringing. Nobody in my family drinks anything with caffeine. While I don't find it inappropriate if others drink caffeine, I've never had a drink or medicine with caffeine so I continue avoid it. I figure for the most part I'm better off without it. I will mention that this hasn't always been my opinion. My freshman year at BYU, I had a boyfriend who drank Mountain Dew. It really bothered me, and I felt like he was doing something wrong. Note: this is not my current opinion, I don't think less of any of you because you drink Mountain Dew or other caffeinated drinks. Let's just say this: I lived a very sheltered early life and coming to BYU has been a learning experience in more ways than just classes.

[NerdGirl]

I still find the idea of caffeinated Mountain Dew to be really weird. We've only had caffeinated Mountain Dew for a few years in Canada (actually, I'm not sure if it's still available, but it was a few years ago and it was a big deal) because there's some law about not putting caffeine in non-cola drinks. So when I was growing up, Mountain Dew was a total Mormon drink. Right up there with Sprite and that peach powder drink.

[krebscout]

In a somewhat-parallel but irrelevant case, my brother-in-law loves O'Doul's. And my dad drinks non-alcoholic wine...fancy grape juice, I guess?

[thebigcheese]

In high school, I had an LDS friend who firmly believed that we could drink decaf. I was just like...hand over face.

I'm with 42, I just stay away from tea and coffee altogether. I guess it's not worth it to me to split hairs over what's allowed and what isn't. I also hate the smell of coffee. Whenever my grandma would come to visit I hated to eat breakfast around her because she drank coffee with it.

I avoid caffeine due to my upbringing. Nobody in my family drinks anything with caffeine. While I don't find it inappropriate if others drink caffeine, I've never had a drink or medicine with caffeine so I continue avoid it. I figure for the most part I'm better off without it. I will mention that this hasn't always been my opinion. My freshman year at BYU, I had a boyfriend who drank Mountain Dew. It really bothered me, and I felt like he was doing something wrong. Note: this is not my current opinion, I don't think less of any of you because you drink Mountain Dew or other caffeinated drinks. Let's just say this: I lived a very sheltered early life and coming to BYU has been a learning experience in more ways than just classes.

This whole quote represents my sentiments exactly. I still generally avoid it, but my opinion is now much friendlier to caffeine drinkers than it used to be.

I do have an issue with energy drinks though. People use them like drugs. In fact, I would almost go so far as to put them in the same category as "addictive substances" and substances that are frequently abused. Granted, I know that it's not the same as doing hard drugs. But if you simply can't get through your day without a Red Bull, you have a problem.

[bismark]

mocha shakes anyone?

(actually not for me, but my church missionary grandparents are in love with them..)

[FauxRaiden]

I've never really viewed caffeine in conflict with the WoW so long as it's used in moderation. I kinda view it like any other sort of drug I suppose.

Sometimes us junkies just need a hit to get us through the day. When I was plumbing and doing security I would occasionally have to work through the night. The only way to do that would be to crank out one or two of those energy shots. I don't think I would be judged too harshly for that, though I admit it's not necessarily good for my health.