 Coffee and I have been best friends for quite some time. In high school, I distinctly remember my Mom trying to shove coffee down my throat out of desperation after yet another morning of trying to wake me up for school. Once I entered college and the working world, it became an addiction. Sure, I joked about it-but the idea of sitting down in my tiny cubicle and starting my day without my morning coffee would be downright unsettling. So unsettling, in fact that I was often late for work, just so I could start my day without the added stress of not having my delicious morning beverage.
How did I know it had become a problem? In the Winter of 2018 during a terrible storm, we woke up to a basement with several inches of water and the entire county was without power. My biggest concern? Not that my cat’s litter box was floating across the room. How would I get my coffee? I knew it was bad, but after developing a stomach ulcer that just wouldn’t go away, I finally knew I had to do it-I had to end my coffee addiction. The fact that I felt my stomach ripping apart after each sip and I somehow didn’t care eventually reminded me that this had to end. So-I did it. I went cold turkey. No coffee, no caffeine for the unforeseeable future. Those first few days, to put it mildly were…AWFUL. I was nauseous, dizzy, weak and ready to bite everyone’s head off. I hated the world and I especially hated those heathens in the Starbucks drive-thru line. And the headache? I actually had to take a day off work because I could barely see straight. By the fourth day, the symptoms started to subside and as each day passed, I slowly stopped caring less and less about those people in line getting their coffee. By the end of the first week, I stopped wanting to bite everyone’s head off. By the end of the first month, I finally started to feel like my ulcer was on the path to healing. Now? Okay, so I’d be lying if I said I didn’t still indulge in the occasional decaf here or there now that my ulcer finally healed. So, why not go back to my regular caffeine habits? I’ve come up with four reasons I’m continuing to live a limited caffeine lifestyle and why you may consider doing the same: Caffeine impacts your stress hormones When we immediately start our day with a stimulant such as coffee, we’re sending a signal to our stress hormones that we’re ready for attack. Our body will release the hormone cortisol to help regulate our hormones and calm us down. So, what’s wrong with that? Cortisol is a really important hormone to help us in those fight or flight moments (think of our ancestors when they had to ward off an animal attack). Unfortunate for us, we now live in a world that is constantly stressed OUT. All the time. Simply sitting in traffic each and every morning can trigger that same cortisol response that our ancestors only dealt with when faced with the occasional threat. By consuming that morning cup of coffee, we’re setting up our day to be a roller coaster of hormonal spikes and crashes before we’ve even faced any of those outside stressors. Elevated levels of cortisol can lead to insulin resistance and adrenal fatigue, which each come with a whole host of unpleasant signs and side effects. With life’s stressors being bad enough, why make it worse? I can speak from experience and say that my anxiety levels have definitely improved since lowering my caffeine intake. When the going got rough, my instinct in the past was always to run to my Keurig or down to the cafeteria at work. I thought coffee would calm me down. In fact, it only elevated my anxiety even more. I didn’t realize this until I broke the habit, so you’ll just have to trust me on this one. Caffeine impacts our blood sugar levels, blood pressure and more. Okay, so this isn’t so much a criticism of caffeine as it is for the things some of you might be adding to your coffee- flavored creams and sweeteners. Remember what I said about caffeine impacting our cortisol levels? Combine that with a first-thing-in-the-morning, blood sugar rush from added sugar and we’ve set our day up for a roller coaster of imbalance. Added sugars supply food energy but no other nutrients (what is known as “empty calories”) and increase risk of developing obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, obesity-related cancers, and dental caries. If you aren’t ready to nix the coffee habit completely, consider lowering or eliminating the added sugars. This is where reading food labels comes in handy. Many creamers labeled as having “natural ingredients” include cane sugar. It took me a while, but once I lowered and finally got rid of the sugar in my coffee for good, I began to truly appreciate the taste of the coffee even more (which isn’t really helping my argument for eliminating coffee from your diet, but baby steps, right?). Things like pure vanilla extract and cinnamon are great additions (or decaffeinated tea) that won’t do the same damage as sugar. Caffeine and our hydration levels For years, I woke up and the first thing I consumed was my cup (or three) of coffee. But, did you know that diuretics such as coffee, tea or soda can have a huge impact on your body’s hydration? Hydration is a key foundation in overall health-arguably the most important. Dehydration can lead to migraines, digestive issues such as constipation or colitis, depression and joint pain, to name a few. The general rule of thumb is to consume in ounces your body weight divided in half (example: A 140 pound person should on average consume 70 ounces of water). However, diuretics can detract from this and make us further dehydrated. If you do consume caffeine, we should be adding roughly 1.5 ounces of water per ounce of diuretic on top of our regular water consumption in order to stay properly hydrated. Caffeine and our circadian rhythm Our circadian rhythm is the process in the body that regulates our sleep and wake cycle. There are many disruptors in modern day life that can impact our circadian rhythm including light cycle, eating habits and yes-caffeine. An article published by Science Magazine shows a study where participants consumed caffeine up to a few hours before bed. The results showed upwards of a half an hour delay in their natural sleep cycle-meaning, it made it harder for the participants to fall asleep. For those of you who regularly consume caffeine later in the day, this could be impacting not only your ability to fall asleep but to stay asleep and wake up feeling fully rested. Conclusion While I decided to address my caffeine addiction because of a serious medical issue, I’ve seen so many added benefits besides healing my body. One of the biggest? Being able to drive down the street and no longer feel the gravitational pull each time I pass a coffee shop. It’s given me a sense of freedom to no longer need coffee, but rather have it only when I really am going to enjoy the experience (and forget what anyone tells you, decaf can be just as delicious as the real deal). Plus, I know that the next time we get another storm and there is no coffee shop open for miles, I won’t bat an eye. Ah…freedom. References: Burke, T. M., Markwald, R. R., McHill, A. W., Chinoy, E. D., Snider, J. A., Bessman, S. C., Wright, K. P., Jr (2015). Effects of caffeine on the human circadian clock in vivo and in vitro. Science translational medicine, 7(305), 305ra146. doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.aac5125 Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4657156/ Delli Bovi, A. P., Di Michele, L., Laino, G., & Vajro, P. (2017). Obesity and Obesity Related Diseases, Sugar Consumption and Bad Oral Health: A Fatal Epidemic Mixtures: The Pediatric and Odontologist Point of View. Translational medicine @ UniSa, 16, 11–16. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5536157/
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