Is Coffee Bad For You?
Is Coffee Bad For You?
Oh baby, I love my am coffee! How about you???? Or are you a tea drinker? Honestly I'm both I could go either way each morning. Some days I prefer Jasmine green tea and others the delicious black nectar of coffee.
Is it good for you?
Caffeine is neither good nor bad for you. This is highly individualized. Some people do way worse with caffeine and should avoid it (increase anxiety, sweating, feeling jitters and poor sleep) and others it is fine. Generally caffeine is best in the morning and should be avoided as the day progresses
One of the biggest issues is what caffeine is mixed with.
For example a cup of organic, cold pressed coffee in the morning either black or with cream/milk alternative can be a healthy addition to the day. Coffee, after all, has numerous published research about the benefits of drinking this daily.
What the research says:
Drinking coffee can reduce depression risk by up to ⅓.
The greatest health benefits are from drinking 2 cups of coffee per day.
In a study of 14,000 university students in Spain, those who drank at least four cups of coffee per day were more than 20% less likely to be diagnosed clinically-significant depression
Here's where you get into trouble:
1. Numerous cups of coffee per day. For most limit to 2 cups per day of the best quality you can afford is generally ok
2. Junk additives- Forget ""fake"" creamers are loaded with sugar, trans fatty acids and low quality oils.
3. High sugar + high caffeine drinks ex: Energy drinks and soda these are bad news no matter how you look at it.
4. Using caffeine to push through the day....now you know your are in trouble and using this to create false energy. Slippery slope and your low energy will only get worse if you keep pushing.
Here's how to have coffee be a health promoting activity
1. Give yourself caffeine breaks. This will help your body not become dependent at least 1x per week is a good start
2. Add only WHOLE FOOD ingredients to you ie organic cream, organic almond milk, organic coconut milk
3. Spice it up- I love cinnamon or cardamon in my coffee. Also you can add ground powdered mushrooms too- like reishi, shiitaki, cordyceps for additional adrenal support
4. Buy the best you can afford. Coffee plants are sprayed heavily with chemicals...that comes off in water when brewing. Organic is best.
5. If you are a fan of decaf- organic cold press is the best option to avoid harsh chemical residue that are used to decaffeinate your coffee