Let’s talk coffee shall we?

Another question I frequently get asked is, “Is coffee really that bad for me? Or, how can I reduce my caffeine intake and still feel like I have enough energy?”  First of all, you don’t have to explain your coffee addiction to me.  Although, I never really cared for the stuff, I had a killer addiction to diet soda for years, but have since kicked the habit to the curb.

Here’s the thing about caffeine. It’s a drug, plain and simple. And, if you’ve ever tried to quit drinking it cold turkey, you probably experienced headaches, and feeling foggy or tired. The other thing is, drinking coffee or other caffeinated drinks is kinda like borrowing money from the bank.  We drink it to get a boost in energy, but sooner or later we are going to have a debt to pay because you’re forcing your adrenal glands to secrete when there is little or nothing to give and the more you drink the deeper they have to dig. After drinking coffee for prolonged periods of time, you will likely experience adrenal fatigue and with that comes feeling exhausted.  Oh, and by the way,  I often have people tell me they don’t think coffee is having a negative impact on their lives, and in the next breath tell me they have trouble getting enough good sleep or experience mood imbalances. Is this you?

So how can you decrease your coffee habit and still boost your energy? Here are a few tips:

Try decreasing the amount you are drinking by about a 1/4 cup per day so you don’t experience withdrawal symptoms that I listed above.

Make sure you are eating a healthy breakfast every morning. Try whipping up a green smoothie, making some scrambled eggs with spinach and other veggies or even try some green juices.

Stay hydrated. Make sure you are are drinking half your weight in ounces every day. This helps keep energy levels up, flushes toxins, and also helps keep our appetite in check. Many times when we’re hungry our body is crying out for water.

Try substituting some healthier alternatives:

This might be a long shot for some of you, but how about substituting your shot of espresso for a shot of wheatgrass? The high chlorophyll content brings increased oxygen to our cells and that means increased energy. Wheatgrass also helps keep your hair from going gray. Seriously!  I’m not making this up.

How about trying a cup of yerba mate?  It has low caffeine and is loaded with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

Dandelion root coffee is becoming more well known now as a coffee alternative too. You can brew your own by purchasing dandelion root in bulk from your health food store or try Dandy Blend which is an instant coffee made from dandelion root.  It’s also high in vitamin c, d, and beta carotene and research suggests that it has anti-cancer causing properties.

If you have some questions you’d love answered, be sure to shoot me an e-mail.  I’d love to hear from you. Drop me a line at Bewellbymichelle@gmail. com or connect with me on Facebook.