|
|
 |
Just say goodbye
to those coffee highs
by Natalie Savona
DEVON-based Natalie Savona is resident nutritionist for Cosmopolitan magazine, a member of Healthy magazine’s expert panel, a regular contributor to national newspapers and the author of several books, including her latest, The Kitchen Shrink.
|
|
|
|
THERE’S no denying the lift and the buzz you get from a cup of good, strong coffee. Scientists have backed this up with research that showed two cups of coffee give you maximum alertness and concentration. So yes, it is absolutely true that a good dose of caffeine gives you a lift.
But, as with many things in life that give you an instant fix, there’s a catch. The lift is only short-term, and over time you need more and more to get the same effect. In other words, you’re addicted.
Research done at Bristol University concluded that coffee drinkers don’t actually feel better than people who never drink coffee after their first rocket-fuelling cup of the day. They simply feel better than they did when they woke up. The benefits of coffee are at best small and unstable when you consider the negative effects of caffeine withdrawal and that over all it results in a decline in performance and health. Research on 1500 psychology students showed that those on more coffee had higher levels of anxiety, depression, stress-related medical problems and lower academic performance.
Caffeine, in effect, helps raise levels of stimulating brain chemicals, or neurotransmitters, called dopamine and adrenalin. But the more caffeine you consume, the less sensitive the body and brain become to these neurotransmitters. So you need more and more to get the same effect and to get the body to produce dopamine and adrenaline. In an extreme dependence, this ends up exhausting the mechanisms of producing and responding to the neurotransmitters. Ultimately, you become exhausted, apathetic, depressed and feeling like you can’t cope.
Giving up caffeine can be tricky. As any of you who have tried it know, you can feel more tired and headachey. Don’t bother with decaf coffee as an alternative because it still contains other, albeit less strong, stimulants. And remember that a strong cup of tea gives a good dose of the stuff, as do cola and ‘energy’ drinks.
Remember that changing a food habit can, in itself, be stressful, so don’t go for too many alterations at once. Having a good diet helps reduce cravings for drinks (or foods) you’re hooked on. Make sure you’re not replacing the caffeine with other ‘addictions’ such as sugar or chocolate!
All stimulants play havoc with blood sugar levels, keep yours even by having a good breakfast - maybe eggs, yoghurt, or oat-based cereal. Snack on fresh fruit and nuts and eat substantial meals of good protein, such as eggs, soya or lean meat and plenty of vegetables. You may also find it a good support to take a multivitamin/mineral supplement and perhaps the mineral chromium which can help blood sugar balance.
Full Spice
Here’s a great warm alternative to coffee, taken from The Big Book of Juices and Smoothies. You can even add milk or soya milk to make an Indian-style chai.
1cm fresh ginger root, grated or finely sliced
4 cardamom pods, 1 cinnamon stick, 5 cloves
500ml water
Put all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and leave to simmer for at least five minutes. Strain and serve.
Natalie Savona
|
|
|
