What About Coffee?

Coffee is rich in caffeine which is a natural stimulant, you know this already.

Caffeine is known as an "alkaloid."

It boosts energy by -

Attaching to adenosine receptors and preventing adenosine from having a suppressant effect on the CNS. As a result it can increase mental alertness and CNS activity. It can also have a short term effect on neurotransmitters.

Is this good or bad?

In my experience most things can have a positive effect, or negative depending on how much you use, how often and under which circumstances they are used.

Caffeine is a prime example of something I feel we use too much of. As a result some people will find that their adrenal glands are put under too much stress, their sleep pattern/quality is poor and the actual stimulant benefits of caffeine subside so they don't actually feel any uplift.

Personally I feel 3 average sized cups of coffee a day are about right, as a general rule to follow. However I would avoid coffee within 6 hours of bed, because we know this is roughly how long caffeine remains active for. You want your CNS to be able to relax prior to bed!

Another factor to consider is that caffeine will elevate cortisol briefly which can suppress your appetite. If you struggle to eat at certain times of the day, it probably isn't a good idea to drink coffee then.

If you feel you are already at that point where you don't get the benefits of caffeine anymore, try avoiding it for 10-14 days and then reintroduce it, sticking to the volume I mentioned above!