In acknowledgment of International Coffee Day, which was just celebrated, I would like to share a few thoughts. I LOVE COFFEE! And at the same time, I have been known to drink too much of it! I’ve never gotten over 4 cups a day, like some people I’ve known, but even that much can be detrimental to my health and emotional well-being. Coffee fires adrenaline, other neurotransmitters, and brain chemicals and can stress our adrenals and catecholamine neurotransmitter systems. The result??? The body’s initial response to too much caffeine may be jitteriness, increased anxiety, and insomnia. If you struggle with anxiety or insomnia of any kind, try reducing your afternoon and evening coffee/caffeine intake and see what happens. By the way, CHOCOLATE also contains caffeine!
After a while, however, the body cannot keep up with the demand, so we often feel an increase in fatigue and brain fog, along with a low, sluggish depression and a CRAVING for even more coffee! I’m sure you can relate. And if you put SUGAR into your coffee, this can spiral out of control even more quickly.
What to do??? Don’t cold turkey! Abruptly stopping your coffee intake can lead to headaches, fatigue and anxiety. I recommend cutting back by about half a cup per day, or start mixing decaf with your caffeinated coffee, increasing a little more each day. But I NEED it to function, you exclaim! Me too. This is where amino acids and adrenal support come in.
Using the amino acid L-tyrosine upon arising, mid-morning and mid-afternoon before 4 pm if your bedtime is at 10 pm, should significantly reduce your fatigue, craving and other withdrawal symptoms such as headaches. Typically, you can start with 1-500mg capsule and increase as needed. Some people only need a tiny bit. Tyrosine can kick in within 20 minutes at the right dose and improves focus and concentration. DO NOT USE if you have melanoma, Bi-Polar Mania, or Graves Disease. If your migraines get worse, stop it and reach out to one of our trained coaches.
The other thing you can do is support adrenal function in several ways. Adaptogenic herbs such as Rhodiola, Ginseng, Eleuthero and others can also increase energy and focus when used earlier in the day. Please reach out for more information. To your health and well-being!
