If you’re like me, you’ve heard mixed reviews about coffee. Some swear by the health benefits of it, such as reduced risk of type 2 Diabetes and early onset Alzheimer’s, while others caution the risks outweigh the rewards. If you’re an avid coffee drinker, and unsure which side to listen to, try not drinking coffee for a full day, and your body will tell you loud and clear that caffeine is not a good thing.

I gave up coffee five days ago, and I can honestly say today (day six) is the first day I haven’t had shooting pain headaches and been able to coherently finish a sentence. And the scary thing is, I would only drink 1-3 cups a day, and mostly all before lunchtime.

There are many things that contain caffeine but an average cup of coffee packs a walloping 115-175 mg of caffeine per serving. Only two things rank higher on the caffeine chart: extra strength Caffeine tablets (200mg), and Jolt Cola (280 mg). To compare, a cup of black, green or other types of tea steeped for three minutes contains 22-74 mg gram of caffeine, and that Hershey candy bar many of us love only contains 10mg.

So, why stop drinking coffee?

For one, your bones will thank you. Coffee is very acidic, and your body uses calcium to maintain its PH balance. If your body is using this precious calcium to fight the consequences of coffee consumption, it’s not going to feed your bones. This can lead to brittle bones, osteoporosis, arthritis, kidney stones, and other health concerns.

Caffeine can also cause weight gain. Yes, you read that right. The most significant way this happens is it plays games with your blood sugar levels. After drinking coffee, the body releases glycogen which raises blood sugar and to fix this problem the pancreas releases insulin. The catch is that insulin will store the excess sugar as fat. Your blood sugar levels can also drop, making you very hungry.

Many people feel (and I was one for a very long time) that I needed my morning coffee to boost my energy levels. The truth of the matter is that caffeine disrupts your natural energy levels through the day… so rather than steady, consistent energy you may experience shaky bouts of excess energy followed by crashes where want to take a nap. Your body is very good at regulating things, when you let it!

Caffeine also stays in the body much longer than you think. Although the rate of elimination depends on many factors such as weight, metabolic rate, etc… most people have more coffee before the first dose has worn off. Because of this, the body can still be trying to eliminate caffeine in your sleep. Studies have shown that the deepest level of sleep, stage 4, is impaired by caffeine, and some coffee drinkers never reach it. This means that no matter how long you sleep you won’t feel rested. Eliminating coffee will have a significant impact on your quality of sleep and your resting energy level.

And if you need help expending energy so that you can sleep, giving up coffee also helps increase your sex drive. The adrenal glands in our bodies are responsible for giving us that “lovin feeling”, such as testosterone. If you have low testosterone, you have a lower sex drive.

And if all of the above still hasn’t convinced you, excessive caffeine causes stress. If you’re one of the 76% of Canadians who experience regular stress, or the 32% who site their jobs as the biggest source of stress (source) cutting out excessive caffeine and implementing relaxation strategies can make you an overall happier person.

Take the plunge and put down the joe. Your body will thank you!

Source Url: http://gobelmont.ca/keep-calm-and-put-down-the-coffee/