Ho Ho Ho Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz

Article written by Daniel Max, Holistic Health Counselor, Yoga Instructor, Shiatsu Practitioner, owner of Sense of Self

Winter has arrived and with it has come the Holiday Season. As the air cools, animals hibernate and trees shed their leaves, conserving their energy by sending it down into the roots. We, on the other hand, are shopping, traveling, eating, drinking and partying from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day. This puts us out of sync with winter's restorative energy.

Introspection is a beautiful and timely process for the winter season. In the spirit of the holidays we celebrate with light during the darkest of seasons. Introspection carries a similar energy of shining light on the areas of our life that feel dark. If the holiday season emphasizes loneliness, it might inspire us to invest in deepening our connections with friends, partners and family. If feeling tired and overwhelmed by our numerous commitments, it’s time to shed some draining obligations and invest in the actions and relations that nourish our soul.

Often though, we distract ourselves in busyness, avoiding this reflective time until the arrival of New Year resolutions. Indulging in food, drink and guilt only to attempt yet another diet next month is not an act of loving one’s self. Engaging in physical and emotional self-indulgence now while vowing to do things differently later makes no sense. By the time the holidays are over, many people are exhausted, stressed or depressed, and dealing with colds and flu. Be smart with your time this year. Celebrate with your loved ones, get plenty of rest, drink less and laugh more, eat less and sing more, shop less and hug more.

Let’s Talk Coffee:

With more obligations, less sleep and a natural attempt of our body to slow down, we may be feeling the need for an extra boost of energy.

When we are naturally stressed, we produce a hormone called adrenaline. During the course of our day, our body starts to tire and we feel the need to recharge. Ignoring the need for proper rest and nutrition, we may develop a craving for stimulants in the form of caffeine and sugar to give us a sense of energy.  These may seem to provide a boost of energy, but has the opposite effect.

By reaching for a cup of coffee we cause our bodies to release more adrenaline so that we can operate at an even faster and quicker pace. Caffeine stimulates the stress response in the body and causes our adrenals to release more adrenaline. In a natural environment such a flush of adrenaline would happen if we were suddenly faced with danger. The body goes into survival mode where it is once again alert and ready to “fight or flight” any rising situation. We feel alert though the body never got the rest or nutrition it originally needed. Continually flushing our body with adrenaline through the consumption of caffeine can eventually lead to adrenal exhaustion, leaving us vulnerable to a variety of health disorders related to inflammation, autoimmunity and fatigue.

Consuming caffeine may feel like it is helping us cope with stress and fatigue, although it is actually contributing to the increase of more stress in the body. Just as with an addiction (such as to drugs, nicotine or alcohol,) we only feel better when we feed our body more of the substance that is causing it most damage. Stress can be addictive in a similar manner.

Caffeine stimulates the excretion of stress hormones, which makes us feel more alert. However, this hormonal response can produce increased levels of anxiety, irritability, muscular tension, indigestion, insomnia and decreased immunity. Increasing the levels of stress will increase heart rate and elevate blood pressure, and can therefore contribute to the development of heart disease. Both decaf and regular coffee increase cholesterol and homocysteine, the biochemical linked to an increased risk of heart attack.

Caffeine stimulates a temporary surge in blood sugar followed by an overproduction of insulin, which causes a blood sugar crash within hours. Diabetics and hypoglycemics should avoid caffeine. In this manner caffeine can contribute to weight gain, since insulin's message to the body is to store excess sugar as fat. On an emotional level depression may occur as part of the letdown after the stimulant effects of caffeine wear off. It may also appear during the withdrawal  period after quitting caffeine while the brain's chemistry is readjusted. Rather than increasing mental activity, caffeine decreases blood flow to the brain by as much as 30%, and negatively affects memory and mental performance.

You Don’t Have To Give Up Coffee:

If you really love coffee then put in the time to enjoy it. Most Americans drink their coffee “on the go,” while rushing to work or while multi-tasking. If we consume a stress-stimulating substance (caffeine and sugar) while our body is already stressed, we are pushing ourselves to an extreme. 

In Europe you will often see people enjoying a cup of coffee while sitting peacefully with friends at a local coffee shop. In Italy a small espresso is consumed after a large meal as a digestive aid. In the States; “America Runs on Dunkin’.”

Caffeine has wonderful health benefits. We can read plenty of studies that show that coffee contains high levels of antioxidants. These antioxidants are stored in the coffee bean but are destroyed within half an hour of grinding and brewing the beans. When drinking instant coffees or purchasing a cup from most stores where the beans are not fresh, we are not getting those benefits. We are just causing the stress response.

Savor the experience. Purchase a high quality organic brand of coffee, grind it fresh (or store your freshly ground coffee in the freezer) and sit down and relax while drinking it. Make sure your coffee is an addition to a healthy diet and not substituting a meal or hours of sleep.