Brace Your Coffee-Loving Selves
Hello there!!! As a personal trainer I am hired to help others reach various fitness goals and as a life coach I am hired to help people sort out all the rest and sometimes including fitness. More often than not I am asked to assist with weight loss, energy levels and overall well-being. Most people who I work with have one thing in common, and it is often what I suggest they approach first (and it is often what they say they cannot give up), they are addicted to caffeine.
I have a lot of energy, true story. I have always been known to be active and full of life. I attribute my energy to being generally happy and content, doing what I love, eating well and staying away from drugs. Caffeine is the world's most popular stimulant. 4 out of 5 people in this country take caffeine daily.
Ok, you may not enjoy this part but I believe it is very key to understanding what the hell you put in your body on a regular basis. Honestly, we wonder why we don't feel good, why we gain weight, why we are exhausted. Let's see shall we…
Caffeine is a powerful substance. There are a million studies that will show you all of the wonderful things that come with being addicted to coffee. Does it make sense to be addicted to anything that is a drug? Does it make sense to not expect people to defend its use who use it? Don't addicts make up any reason to continue to use? Wouldn't you try to get it at all costs. If you were a scientist and the drug you took helped reaction time, wouldn't that be what you discussed and not the fact that it decreases iron absorption, causes gastrointestinal problems (think about the increase of coffee consumption and the amount of gastritis, colitis or stomach ulcers), causes anxiety and irritability, raises cholesterol levels, can cause insomnia and or narcolepsy, and is linked to coronary artery disease. I haven't mentioned fertility issues and birth defects, or headaches, nausea and diarrhea. If you are interested in more info on the effects of caffeine on your health please let me know, I will give you the total low down. Not a pretty picture people.
The other part that isn't discussed is the fact that it sucks all of the energy out of you and replaces it with fake energy only to have you crash later on. Caffeine causes an increase, temporarily, in blood sugar, followed by a decrease. It stimulates the release of adrenaline and causes the body tissues to turn into sugar and fat. Too much insulin is released and the blood sugar falls. Then you reach for that next cup…
Withdrawal sucks. The fact that you have withdrawal, actual physical symptoms tells you just how powerful caffeine is. It is seriously difficult to quit. However, if you decide to, I guarantee a new world awaits! I know, it sounds crazy, but we actually don't need outside stimulation. Our bodies are equipped to wake up, move about and do it with feeling! During the process and after you are off of coffee you will need to journal a bit to see how you see the world differently, how you feel, what you think. The changes may be that you are more even keel emotionally. You wake up easier. You don't have tummy aches and you realize that you actually lived with having them. You have more energy and you are suddenly RICH. No more $5 lattes.
Look, I want you to be all that you can be… I think it may start with getting off of the junk (as a friend put it).
Good luck in your quest for wellbeing
xo
a