Welcome to the Good Citizen weekly newsletter where we will dive into topics surrounding coffee, specifically Specialty Coffee, and its impact on human health and the environment.
Today I want to look at coffee’s most well-known benefit, bringing energy through caffeine, and how to avoid its most well-known deterrent: the anxious jitters.
I have been an avid coffee consumer for the better part of a decade and I went from the type of person that could drink a cup of coffee right before bed and still sleep like a baby to someone who gets brain fog accompanied by jitters if I drink any coffee past 2pm if I want to fall asleep at a decent hour. So, for someone like me who wants to beat the afternoon slump but still sleep well at night and avoid the anxious jitters, what are my options?
First, coffee can quickly make one feel dehydrated as the caffeine can stimulate your kidneys and increase urine production - so it is advisable to start your morning off with a balance of water or other hydrating beverages in relation to how much coffee you plan to consume. Waking up and taking down 12-20 ounces of water can help elongate the energy-boosting impact of coffee.
It is also believed that consuming water first thing in the morning and then waiting about 1-2 hours after rising before having your first cup of coffee can help your body regulate natural energy through cortisol and adrenaline release that happens every morning. It also allows your digestive system to jumpstart itself without the help of caffeine. Both of these will lead to better balance in your body’s natural circadian rhythms.
Lastly, the addition of nootropics or adaptogens into your coffee, especially if you like to take a cup in the afternoon, has been studied for its ability to curb some of the negative effects caffeine can have on your body. I would recommend something like CleverMe from thenewmeco.com as a great balance to your afternoon coffee.
Why not just skip the coffee? Specialty coffee adds powerful antioxidants that when farmed well can help create a great gut microbiome and provide major long term health benefits!
All of these steps combined will create an atmosphere for a high performance, high energy, high cognitive performance and brain function kind of day without the anxiety and stress filled evening!