Do You Caffeinate?
Confused about coffee? You’re not alone. In our diet-obsessed culture, we like to label foods as “good” or “bad”. But food (especially food that comes from the earth) is just food. It has a diverse blend of phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients that is designed by nature, for nature. Not for your personal health and fitness goals. This means that these foods contain a unique blend of properties, some of which are beneficial, and some detrimental, depending on your body’s needs.
Coffee is brewed from roasted coffee beans, which are the seeds of berries from the coffea plant. Besides being rich in antioxidants, these beans have been shown to improve circulation and liver function. They also boost fat-burning and physical performance, serving as a healthy alternative to preworkout supplements. Coffee may benefit heart health, prevent diabetes, and have anti-cancer properties, studies show. It also supports cognitive function, and has even been studied extensively as a natural treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.
We have records of coffee-drinking dating back to the 15th century. In Chinese medicine, it’s been used to stimulate the liver, regulate menstruation, and prevent gallstones. So, no, it’s not a poisonous devil-drink. But it does have some downsides.
For example, it’s very acidic. So if you are someone with digestive issues, or one of your goals is to keep your body as alkaline as possible, you might want to skip it. It also stimulates peristalsis – the contractions that move food through the digestive tract – which is why you may feel like your morning cup of coffee helps keep you regular. This could be either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your personal preferences and your digestive health.
A “healthy” amount of caffeine can vary anywhere from 150 mg all the way up to 500 mg per day, depending on the individual. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others. It’s important to pay attention to how it makes you feel, and adjust accordingly. Caffeine stimulates the release of cortisol, a stress hormone. It also has the ability to impact neurotransmitter function and nerve signals. This can be taxing for the adrenal glands, and may exacerbate mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.
How do you know how much (if any) coffee is right for you? A good way to tell is to stop drinking it for one week. See how you feel. Caffeine is a stimulant, and can have addictive properties. If you experience headaches, fatigue, brain fog, or irritability when you don’t get your “fix”, this means that your body has become dependent on caffeine, and is no longer producing the proper hormones for energy and balance on its own. Another way to tell is to ask yourself why you drink coffee. Is it because you enjoy the taste, or just like a warm beverage in the morning? Or are you using coffee to mask underlying fatigue, sleep problems, or stress? If this is the case, it might be time to switch to tea or a coffee alternative, and get some much-needed rest.
There are some people for whom caffeine is never recommended, such as people with severe digestive problems, anxiety, manic-depressive disorder, insomnia, ADHD, hormonal imbalance, adrenal fatigue, and children and pregnant women. The bottom line is that every “body” is different. The decision to include coffee in your daily routine is very personal. It’s important to listen to your body, learn how it responds to caffeine, and recognize when you’ve had too much.
Like any other stimulant, it’s possible to abuse caffeine. It’s also possible to enjoy it, in moderation, as a healthy addition to a balanced, well-rounded diet and lifestyle. If you do drink coffee, some good general rules to follow are to avoid adding too much dairy or sugar, and to buy organic as often as possible, as coffee beans are a heavily sprayed crop.