The worst time to drink your coffee.
One Minute For Your Health #7
Even I, with my unconditional love for coffee, can’t deny that there is a right time and a wrong time to drink coffee.
[Tea drinkers, don’t stop reading - this applies to tea just as much as it applies to coffee]
I’m a self declared coffee addict.
When I research whether or not coffee or caffeine is good for you (as a nutritional therapist I spend a lot of time researching the pros and cons of different foods) I’m definitely biased towards reading and believing the studies that say coffee is good for you.
Nevertheless, even I have to admit that there is probably a right and a wrong time to drink coffee. Read on to learn more (and to find out how you can win a delicious bag of coffee).
Caffeine in coffee and black or green tea triggers a spike in cortisol - your stress hormone.
One of cortisol’s jobs is to make your body convert stored energy into blood sugar.
This means that when you consume anything caffeinated your stress levels go up, followed by a spike in blood sugar.
(Incidentally, this is one reason why coffee makes us feel so good)
As a result your body releases insulin - because high blood sugar can cause cell damage. The insulin triggers your cells to take up the blood sugar at a higher than normal rate - which leaves you with a sudden drop in blood sugar.
Low blood sugar can be dangerous and so your body releases more cortisol to increase your blood sugar - and you find yourself in a sudden and stressful vicious cycle.
Blood sugar spikes and dips (as well as fluctuating cortisol levels) make us feel:
tired
irritable
anxious
shaky
tearful
nauseous
Over time it can also lead to chronic inflammation which is linked with all sorts of illnesses like cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes.
What you can do about it:
To avoid the vicious caffeine cycle simply always have your coffee with food. And not just any food - think back to the episode on porridge. Look at the archive if you need a reminder.
Combine each caffeinated drink with a source of fibre, healthy fat and protein.
The worst thing you can do is combine coffee with something sugar-y or rich in refined carbs (think coffee and milk or coffee and a pastry).
Since coffee can also stop you absorbing nutrients, make sure you’re having a few meals a day that aren’t followed by coffee.
According to my above rule the person in the left picture is having their coffee in the healthiest way 😌
If you’d like some alternatives to coffee why not read my article on The Nutritionist Resource.
Here’s your #1M4YH challenge for this week - start drinking your coffee together with a source of fibre, good quality fat and protein. A.K.A. preferably after a meal.
As always share some selfies and tag them with #1M4YH - to make sure I don’t miss anything also tag me @efias_kitchen on Instagram and @insideefiaskitchen on Facebook. Can’t wait to see what you’re up to!
The best picture will get a bag of delicious, organic coffee sent to them by me*.
Know someone who could use an amazing bag of coffee? Share the challenge with them using the button below.
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Links and References:
Gavrieli, A. et al. (2011) "Caffeinated Coffee Does Not Acutely Affect Energy Intake, Appetite, or Inflammation but Prevents Serum Cortisol Concentrations from Falling in Healthy Men", The Journal of Nutrition, 141(4), pp. 703-707. doi: 10.3945/jn.110.137323.
KHANI, S. and TAYEK, J. (2001) "Cortisol increases gluconeogenesis in humans: its role in the metabolic syndrome", Clinical Science, 101(6), pp. 739-747. doi: 10.1042/cs1010739.
Harris, A. et al. (2007) "Coffee, stress and cortisol in nursing staff", Psychoneuroendocrinology, 32(4), pp. 322-330. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2007.01.003.
(2020) Rep.bsmu.by. Available at: http://rep.bsmu.by/bitstream/handle/BSMU/9261/4.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y (Accessed: 19 August 2020).
Lovallo, W. et al. (2005) "Caffeine Stimulation of Cortisol Secretion Across the Waking Hours in Relation to Caffeine Intake Levels", Psychosomatic Medicine, 67(5), pp. 734-739. doi: 10.1097/01.psy.0000181270.20036.06.
Acheson, K. et al. (1980) "Caffeine and coffee: their influence on metabolic rate and substrate utilization in normal weight and obese individuals", The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 33(5), pp. 989-997. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/33.5.989.
Moisey, L., Robinson, L. and Graham, T. (2009) "Consumption of caffeinated coffee and a high carbohydrate meal affects postprandial metabolism of a subsequent oral glucose tolerance test in young, healthy males", British Journal of Nutrition, 103(6), pp. 833-841. doi: 10.1017/s0007114509992406.
Morck, T., Lynch, S. and Cook, J. (1983) "Inhibition of food iron absorption by coffee", The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 37(3), pp. 416-420. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/37.3.416.
Images from www.canva.com
Learn more about Marie at www.efiaskitchen.com
*European residents only.