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4A Daily News – Monday, October 24, 2011 Vitality & health (MCT) — For most people, a morning cup of java isn't harmful. But if you rely on coffee to get you out of bed, to stave off midmorning headaches and to avoid the 3 p.m. crash, you may be hooked on one of the most popular drugs in the world. Nearly 90 percent of American adults drink coffee on a regular basis. More than 50 percent of adults, mean- while, consume just over three cups of coffee a day. But caffeine is a tricky stimulant to shake. Though tolerance levels vary, drinking just 100 milligrams per day — the amount of a small cup of brewed coffee — and then giving it up can lead to withdrawal symptoms ranging from headaches and depres- sion to flulike nausea and muscle pain, according to the National Institutes of Health. Caffeine may have some health benefits, but so far research is weak. Some kinds of headaches cause blood vessels to widen; caffeine temporarily causes them to narrow. Coffee may also help reduce your risk of Parkin- son's disease. But coffee — like sugary breakfast foods — can create a cycle of extreme energy swings. The National Institutes of Health also reports that caffeine raises blood pressure and increases feelings of stress, anxiety and road rage. It can leave you feeling wired 12 fitness Kick the habit If caffeine owns you, it might be time to reassert yourself to 16 hours after the last cup, wreaking havoc on sleep. And it can exacerbate health conditions such as diabetes by making blood sugar rise faster than usual. To start weaning yourself off the joe, figure out how much caffeine you're ingesting during the day, includ- ing soft drinks and energy drinks; if you can't track it, it's too much. Also try the following tips: Wake up and drink 8 ounces of water. This strategy seems to slow cof- fee consumption and also works if you have a morning diet or regular soda habit, said Brian Wansink, founder and director of the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab and an expert on psy- chology and food consumption. Choose your approach. Some peo- ple can go cold turkey; others need to gradually reduce. "There's no evidence that either approach is superior," said James Lane, a caffeine researcher and professor in the department of psychi- atry and behavioral sciences at Duke University Medical Center. If you're a heavy coffee drinker — eight cups a day — gradual withdrawal can help prevent the dreaded headaches and fogginess. If you drink two cups, you may be able to bite the bullet. "With- drawal symptoms most likely disap- pear in two or three days," said Lane. Taper: To minimize withdrawal symptoms, gradually reduce the amount of caffeine by drinking half regular and half decaffeinated and gradually increasing the amount of decaf, said Ling Wong, a Santa Moni- ca-based nutrition and wellness coach. "You can also try tea —black or yerba mate — which has the richness of cof- fee without that much caffeine," Wong said. "Rooibos is an herbal tea that has a rich body similar to black tea, with- out any caffeine. Green tea and white tea are also great choices," she said. Try Sanka. After several unsuccess- ful attempts, Barry Maher said he managed to quit drinking several quarts of coffee a day by substituting "the worst-tasting coffee substitute that ever existed, Sanka. Nothing could have made me develop an aversion to coffee quicker than associating it with a vile brew like that," said Maher, a professional speaker in Corona. Fruit juices might seem like a healthy option to coffee, but it's better to avoid all sugar-sweetened bever- ages, whether it's added or high natur- al sugar. "The stomach doesn't feel full so the brain can't know it, and you keep eating," said physician and chef John LaPuma. "Because they boost glycemic load, they inflame arteries, disable insulin and clog up the beta- cells in the pancreas, where insulin is made. They can also make the liver store fat. Not a pretty picture." A better alternative? Sparkling water. Road map to mental illness is being redrawn (MCT) —When psychi- atrists diagnose mental ill- ness, they turn to an unwieldy book called the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disor- ders," or DSM for short. First published in 1952, the tome also is used as a standard by researchers, the health insurance industry and pharmaceutical compa- nies. But the American Psy- chiatry Association is now in the middle of a historic and controversial revision of its bible. The fifth and high- ly anticipated edition, DSM- 5, has sparked dissension among psychiatrists and generated more than 8,000 public comments on topics ranging from sexual- and gender-identity issues and anxiety disorders to mind- body problems. Local Businesses: You can sponsor a whole classroom of kids to design an ad for YOUR business! YOU choose the winning entry. Your kid-designed ad will be featured in Through a Child's Eyes • Published as a full section of The Daily News in November • Digital edition stays online for a full year Sponsor Deadline: Tuesday, November 1 D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY For details and sponsorship Reservations call your Daily News advertising Representative today! 527-2151 Every Wednesday October 5, 12, 19 & 26 Pine Street Plaza 332 Pine Street, Suite G Red Bluff, CA Stacy L. Garcia Hearing Aid Dispenser Lic. #7440 (800) 843-4271 The proposed revisions are "based on the most rigor- ous and up-to-date scientific findings available," said Dr. Darrel Regier, the DSM-5 task force vice chairman. Inclusion, meanwhile, "means that a mental illness is more likely to be a target of research, which ultimate- ly will improve our under- standing how best to diag- nose and treat psychiatric disorders," he said. Critics say some of the new entries broadly extend some definitions of mental illness and lower thresholds for some existing disorders, which will result in higher rates of diagnoses. That, they argue, "could result in massive overtreatment with medications that are unnec- essary, expensive and often quite harmful," Dr. Allen Frances, chairman of the DSM,-IV task force, wrote in the Psychiatric Times. In response, the Ameri- can Psychiatry Association, which publishes the manual, has increased the trans- parency of the process; All the proposals can be found at dsm5.org. It has extended the publication date to May 2013. Today's DSM defines 238 mental illnesses. Among the proposed changes for DSM-5 are a single diagnosis for autism James W. Tysinger, Jr. M.D. Eye Physician & Surgeon Fellow American Academy of Ophtalmology We accept Medical, Medicare & most Insurances Office Hours: Tues-Wed-Thurs 8am-4:30pm Mon & Fri 1pm-5pm For Emergencies, After Hours, Week-ends, Call 530-567-5001 345 Hickory St. Red Bluff Tel: (530) 529-4733 Fax: (530) 529-1114 and related disorders, the classification of binge eating as a medical condition, and the inclusion of the category "nonsuicidal self-injury" to distinguish those who cut themselves from those who are attempting suicide. Here's a small sample of some proposed changes: AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER The change: Creates a single diagnosis Since doctors approach patients on the spectrum in different ways, a child might get three different diag- noses. "Previously, the crite- ria were equivalent to trying to 'cleave meatloaf at the joints,'" the working group wrote in its rationale for the change. Instead of "autistic disorder," the name would be autism spectrum disor- der; it would include autism, Asperger's disorder, child- hood disintegrative disorder and pervasive developmen- tal disorder not otherwise specified. ORDER threshold BINGE-EATING DIS- The change: Lowers If you eat a large amount of food at one time, feel like you can't stop and are dis- gusted, embarrassed or feel depressed by how much you ingested, you meet a few of the criteria for binge-eating disorder. Included in the appendix Local Businesses! DISCOUNTS bundled business-building promotional packages on print, online On Sale OCT 17-28 ONLY! Only available through D NEWSAILY (530) 527-2151 RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY Contact your advertising representative today of the current DSM, binge eating has been compared with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and obesity. But due to its distinct char- acteristics, it would become a free-standing diagnosis. What concerns some is that bingeing is a fairly com- mon behavior. The diagno- sis would apply to those who binge, on average, at least once a week for three months. In the current DSM, the frequency was at least two days a week for six months; the lower threshold could medicalize normal behavior, critics say. NONSUICIDA L SELF-INJURY The change: Distinguish- es self-harm from suicidal tendencies People who injure them- selves by cutting, burning, stabbing, hitting or exces- sive rubbing don't necessari- ly want to die. Cutters, for example, may feel a sense of relief, which is very differ- ent from a highly stressed individual who seeks to end his life, said Dr. Mark Olf- son, a professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia who is not involved with the revi- sions. "Currently, a person who comes to ER after making a suicide attempt, say by intentionally swallowing pills with the intent to die, is diagnosed with the same disorder as someone who makes a small cut to his or her wrist to relieve anxiety and has no intent to die," said Olfson. His research has found emergency room doctors often don't evaluate the men- tal health of patients who intentionally harm them- selves: "Right now, whether it is suicidal or nonsuicidal self-injury, it is all viewed as 'intentional self-injury,' but they are clearly different groups."