In last week’s IGTV I spoke about the Adrenal Glands and signs and symptoms of Burin-out (A.K.A Adrenal Fatigue) and how the adrenals are responsible for releasing hormones in response to stress.
Prolonged stress causes our body to go into survival mode, our flight-or-flight response. Now when our adrenal glands are in constant guard by stressors in our environment, high levels of cortisol are released in our bodies creating a domino effect of symptoms and issues.
I wanted to focus this week on coffee and its connection with the adrenal glands
We have heard about how we need to cut back on the amount of coffee we consume on a daily basis. At the same time we have all heard that coffee has positive effects on weight loss, mood, alertness, improved memory, enhanced athletic performance, etc.
Does coffee alone cause adrenal fatigue? My answer to this is no however chronic stress does.
Does coffee contribute to the chronic stress in an individual living the majority of their day in fight-or-flight mode? My answer to this is yes.
Caffeine tolerance is individual, the effects can vary from person to person and different individuals may be able to tolerate different amounts. You may have one individual consume a single cup of coffee making them amped with energy to the point of jitters while another individual may drink many cups and are able to fall asleep at given moment.
People vary in their tolerance to caffein. As we have seen in the example mentioned above, some people consume caffeine without negative consequences and for others consuming caffeine can cause distress.
An individual’s sensitivity to caffeine may depend on body size, how they metabolize caffeine, when and how they consume caffeine, how stressed they are to begin with, and the list goes on and on! It is important to note that caffeine increases blood pressure. If you’re an individual with a heart condition, hypertension, a cardiovascular disorder, or are sensitive to caffeine you may want to strongly consider limiting or eliminating caffeine all together.
If you’re an individual that lives in fight-or-flight mode (where your adrenals are fatigued), drinking coffee can lead to jitters, anxiety, nervousness, restlessness, irritability, short-tempered, overly dehydrated or light headed.
To conclude, most Holistic Practitioners teach individuals how to begin to tune into their bodies, to listen and feel the effects things have on them. When it comes to coffee and adrenal fatigue not everyone suffers from a daily onslaught of chronic stress. But for those that do, caffeine pumping into your body daily, coupled with chronic high stress levels, and possibly a variety of other destructive habits, can leave you in a perpetual state of fight-or-flight or adrenal fatigue/burn-out.
3 Tips for cutting back on coffee
- Begin to gradually cut back on the number of cups per day (you may find a journal could help keep track of your progress)
- Begin to explore healthier caffeine alternatives such as green tea and matcha
- Be aware of the products you’re consuming and if they include caffeine. Caffeine can be found in some energy bars/balls, energy drinks, soda, some teas and chocolate
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