Some people can’t handle coffee as it perhaps makes them more anxious, gives them jitters or the crash that follows after the caffeine-high is simply too much for them to bear, and so they avoid it altogether. For others of us coffee means comfort, it means home, just a whiff of it, and I mean a really good whiff of really good coffee, makes us salivate and maybe elicit a stomach hunger-growl..or it may just really be our only way to make it through the day- our hope. Coffee has since become a common household item in many people’s homes but not everyone can stomach it or, even if they can, they choose not to for a number of reasons categorized under diverse health reasons, taste or simply because they want to try something new. For me, it’s the coffee breath. Depending on the day, sometimes I just can’t stand the lingering smell of coffee on my breath so I started drinking peppermint green tea where I win on both sides . I get the caffeine as well as the minty fresh breath, AND it's much more hydrating than coffee.
Did you know that coffee has diuretic effects on the body? What does that even mean? Well, if you must know diuretic drinks, like a lot of caffeinated drinks, are those that cause your kidneys to flush out more sodium and water than it otherwise would. Ever heard of the saying: the proof is in the pudding? Well ,here, the proof is in the urine. Drinking coffee, especially true for people who drink it often or in larger amounts, is probably familiar with the number of times they have to go to the bathroom. They are more prone to feeling its diuretic effects.
Diuretics are substances that affect your body in such a way that it produces more urine than usual and, although you are taking in liquids by drinking coffee, because of its diuretic effect it means that you are also losing liquid through the frequent urination. Basically, the more coffee you have the more likely you will be affected by its diuretic effects, especially if its over 500mg a day. As an avid coffee drinker myself, I can 100% attest to that. It; almost as if I all of a sudden have the bladder of a baby. If it is not compensated by water as well, you may become dehydrated; not absolutely, of course, but you aren’t being fully hydrated either. Solution? Drink water!
Yes, coffee is delicious, gives us a quick solution to get more energy, improve athletic performance, improve focus and, in turn, also productivity, helps gets us through that last hour of work and somehow gives us hope. Coffee may hold memories, be part of our morning rituals we are just not willing to break, and even provides us with some beneficial antioxidants but it is not just black and white. It is not just a matter of drinking coffee or not drinking coffee; of being caffeinated or not caffeinated. Coffee is more than just caffeine.
So what to do, quit drinking coffee all together? Not necessarily, just be aware of how much of it you consume and what you add to it (sugars, syrups and cream) and how much of that too. Most of the time, it boils down not only to being informed but moderating. It's all about moderation.
