Let me start by saying that I LOVE coffee!. Seriously, I do. It's delicious and there's nothing quite like knowing that hot steamy beverage is always there when you need that pick me up on a tough day. However if you find that you are scraping yourself out of bed in the mornings, can't focus without your coffee fix or suffer headaches if you go too long between doses - this is a sign that valuable energy resources are being depleted. You are on the fast track to long and persistant fatigue. Let me explain a little more.. Imagine yourself as a Ferrari, coffee is like the foot slamming down on the accelorator causing you to burn through fuel more quickly - yes the Ferrari goes faster for a little while (which is impressive and fun) but before long you run out of fuel leaving you stranded, tired and in dire need of rescue.
In human terms this is where we are dragging ourselves out of bed, crashing after lunch, getting regular headaches, puffy undereyes, regular colds or flu, chronic fatigue/anxiety and irritated bowels - possibly even chronic constipation when the body stops responding to the stimulation from coffee. Exercise feels difficult, our joints feel stiffer, we find it difficult to maintain a healthy weight and/or lean muscle and we just generally feel run down.
What do we do to correct this?... More coffee, which of course perpetuates the downward spiral.
What's happening here is that we've depleted our energy systems. The valuable powerhouse of energy in our body has been overstimulated and under-nourished - the Ferrari is now a rust bucket collecting dust at the edge of the road.
So what do we do about it? Nutrients such as B Vitamins, Antioxidants, Magnesium etc provide more energy (fuel) so that you - the ferrari, can run for longer, more efficiently and even go faster should you choose to do so. Using ingredients such as Raw Cacao, Matcha (ground green tea leaves), Ginseng or Acai berries provide these essential nutrients to boost your energy levels without forcing you to burn through this energy more quickly. In my next blog I'll be explaining this in more detail, including explaining the effects of stress hormones on weight loss, hormonal balance, mood and general health. For now however, Click here to read my interview by Huffington Post Journalist Emily Blatchford for some simple and healthy coffee alternatives that are sure to get you going in the mornings.
Until next time, stay deliciously healthy.
Jennifer May Adv.Dip.Nutr.Med.ATMS.MINDD
Nutritionist