If you’re a morning coffee lover, there are some things you should do before enjoying your morning cup of Joe. Doing these things can help with digestion, stress, hormone balance, energy, and more. According to Abigail Hueber, a functional dietitian and digestive health expert, supporting your coffee routine with strategic practices can be a game changer for your health. It can also help to reduce the negative impact of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, which can be activated by consuming coffee on an empty stomach.
Before drinking coffee, it is important to rehydrate the body with a mineral-rich drink to replenish the electrolytes that are lost overnight. Drinking 16 ounces of a potassium-rich drink like coconut water, aloe vera juice, grapefruit or orange juice mixed with a pinch of salt and water is recommended. This helps to direct water where it is needed in the body for optimal hydration, support adrenals, blood sugar, hormone balance, and more.
Consuming fiber and protein before or with coffee is ideal to counterbalance the spike in cortisol and blood sugar. This helps to reduce inflammation and keep your energy stable throughout the day. Half a cup of berries, a banana, an orange, or a date with almond butter are some of the foods recommended for fiber intake. Adding collagen protein to your coffee is also ideal for better blood sugar balance and reducing stress and inflammation.
If you work out, it is best to avoid having coffee before hitting the gym as caffeine can make you anxious during your workout. Additionally, coffee and exercise are both GI stimulants, which could leave you running for the bathroom. Frances Largeman-Roth, a nutrition expert, recommends cutting down to a few sips instead of indulging in a full cup of coffee pre-workout.
It is also important to brush your teeth after drinking coffee to avoid damaging the enamel on your teeth. Waiting for at least 30 minutes after drinking coffee to brush your teeth allows your teeth to remineralize and brushing is no longer problematic. Additionally, emptying your bladder is important before consuming coffee as caffeine can trigger you to pee.
Delaying caffeine intake for the first 90 minutes after waking up is the ideal scenario, according to Hueber. This helps to promote the most balanced cortisol awakening response (CAR) and can better support energy levels throughout the day. Within the first hour of waking, cortisol levels should acutely rise and fall, representing a healthy nervous system and influencing immune health and autoimmune development.
Finally, taking a walk is a better way to achieve alertness and awakeness rather than having caffeine first thing in the morning. Getting natural light exposure within the first hour of waking up is a significant way to support optimal hormone balance and a healthy cortisol awakening response. Morning light exposure regulates circadian rhythm, triggers the healthy release of cortisol to support the body’s natural rhythm, and has a positive impact on hormones, energy, and overall health.
Costa Coffee is a multinational coffeehouse chain headquartered in Dunstable, England. It was founded in 1971 by Italian brothers Sergio and Bruno Costa. In 1995, Costa was acquired by Whitbread PLC, a British multinational hotel and restaurant company. In 2018, Whitbread sold Costa to Coca-Cola for $4.9 billion, expanding the beverage giant’s presence in the coffee market. Costa Coffee has over 3,800 stores across 32 countries and is one of the largest coffeehouse chains in the world. It offers a wide range of hot and cold coffee and non-coffee beverages, as well as snacks and pastries.
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