My Thoughts on Caffeine!

We've all been there. Its 3pm, you have an essay due tomorrow, another class you have to get to, or a meeting scheduled for later in the day and you are feeling like a walking zombie. So, you reach for that second, third, or maybe even fourth (me) cup of coffee to get you through the rest of the day. Is that safe? Is caffeine the devil? The greatest invention of all time?

Almond Milk Flat White

To the surprise of some, my answer is - it depends. Every single person has a different tolerance for caffeine and can be affected by it in different ways. For example, if my roommate has even 1/2 cup of coffee at any time of the day, she will shake uncontrollably and experience extreme levels of discomfort. Therefore, she should avoid the drink all together. Then, there is my dad on the opposite end of the spectrum- the man solely responsible for my coffee snobbery- that drinks a cup before he goes to sleep at night. As for me, I lay somewhere in the middle of the spectrum where a nice cup of coffee can both help or hinder me, depending on one thing - timing.

Nitro Cold Brew

I believe that coffee can be an excellent tool when used properly. I think there is nothing wrong with having 1-2 cups of (black) coffee every day if it helps to encourage your productivity levels. I know there are definitely some essays I couldn't have gotten through without this delicious drink! However, relying on it as your only way to feel awake could be a sign of a deeper issue. Are you getting enough sleep at night? Do you sleep soundly throughout the night? Are you pacing your work well enough so you don't feel overly stressed? If you answered yes to all of these questions, there is no reason that having a few cups of coffee would be a problem. As long as you make sure not to drink caffeinated beverages too close to bedtime (I usually don't drink coffee after 4pm) then I believe there is no reason to cut out this tasty energizer!

One last thing I wanted to touch on before ending this post is the type of coffee you are drinking. Loading up your morning brew with a ton of sugar-filled and calorically dense creamer is not the way to go. If this is you, I recommend trying to slowly wean yourself off. You can start by cutting out processed white sugar and then switching your fatty dairy-milk creamer to an almond or coconut creamer alternative. Eventually, you will be satisfied with simply a dash of unsweetened almond/coconut milk! Before you know it you'll have less and less milk until you can eventually enjoy the taste of delicious, 0 calorie black coffee.

At the end of the day, if coffee affects your life in a positive way, go ahead and get that extra afternoon cold brew!

xoxo,

Hanna