Coffee. The caffeine in it more specifically.
I didn’t know which factor in my new lifestyle had made me feel better, so I attempted to repeat EVERYthing from the day I finally felt good. Including nixing my daily cup(s) of coffee. Then, today I suddenly had 12oz of coffee–and I feel that relentless, overwhelming fatigue.
Here’s why [A]:
-caffeine is a stimulant. It releases adrenaline from adrenal glands which then gives you an artificial energy boost. But your neurons can only fire so much before getting exhausted so it sets you up for a big crash. And it’s an additive effect, which is why people get tolerant to caffeine and need more and more coffee to feel the same energy.
-This is the most interesting point I found: It dampens insulin sensitivity. So the body won’t recognize sugar in the bloodstream to utilize for energy production. Which makes sense to me. I thought maybe I had gone diabetic. Becuase I knew the fatigue I felt wasn’t the same as a hypoglycemic crash, but it felt related. And symptoms were somewhat relieved immediately after exercise or after I ate an apple. [1, 2, ]
-It contributes to anxiety and also disrupts sleep. Which can also add up to tossing and turning and ruin the next day. I should have listed this toward the beginning, because it’s obvious.
-Caffeine is dehydrating. So the same factors that make you feel so scummy with a hangover are at work with too much coffee. When your cells are all shriveled up, you feel tired and listless.
A] http://drhyman.com/blog/2012/06/13/ten-reasons-to-quit-your-coffee/
1] http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/25/2/399.full
2] http://www.marksdailyapple.com/coffee-and-insulin-fat-and-post-workout-meals/#axzz2rMasNyBK
Coffee is one of my favorite things, and the one item I consumed every, single day for the last 2 years. Maybe 3–I know that because the Lose-It calorie site tracks that. And I was very against giving it up. What would I drink if BOTH my favorite beverages were out of play?! But once I didn’t have time in my morning routine for it anymore, I felt loads better! And yesterday when I had it–I felt miserable. And my sleep was light, restless, and terrible last night. So I guess it will be a special treat only and in very small quantities. Goodbye, morning coffee.
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