By Tellis Everett, Founder of strongerGREATER, Certified Personal Trainer, National Council on Strength and Fitness(NCSF)

Coffee May Be Preventing You From Reaching Your Greatness

Reducing coffee consumption or even eliminating caffeine entirely can help decrease anxiety, enhance sleep quality, and lessen headaches, among other benefits. If you’re accustomed to starting your morning with coffee, you might wonder how to energize your morning without it. We’ll discuss several reasons why you might consider cutting back on this beloved morning drink and offer ways to energize your morning without relying on caffeine.

High levels of caffeine, particularly in the morning, can certainly provide energy, but there are potential side effects to consider before your next cup of coffee.

Anxiety
Increased anxiety may be linked to excessive caffeine intake. Caffeine delivers a surge of energy, which many of us seek. However, this energy also triggers our “fight or flight” hormones, potentially leading to heightened anxiety, nervousness, heart palpitations, and even panic attacks.

Poor Sleep
Your caffeine routine might be disrupting your sleep. Research indicates that regular coffee consumption can modify your sleep cycle, leading to restless nights and daytime fatigue.

Inefficient Nutrient Absorption
Caffeine drinkers might experience poorer nutrient absorption compared to non-consumers. Caffeine’s tannins can interfere with the absorption of calcium, iron, and B vitamins. Avoiding caffeine can help ensure you’re absorbing the maximum nutrients from your diet.

Hormonal Imbalance in Women
Women, in particular, may find benefits in eliminating caffeine. Caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea, and soda can affect estrogen levels.

High Blood Pressure
Avoiding caffeine can be beneficial for your blood pressure. Caffeine is known to elevate blood pressure due to its stimulating effect on the nervous system.

Brain Chemistry Imbalance
Caffeine can affect brain chemistry in a way similar to drugs like cocaine, and researchers agree that caffeine fulfills some of the criteria for drug dependence.

Aging Poorly
Concerns about aging might lead someone to avoid caffeine. It interferes with collagen production by reducing collagen synthesis in the skin.

Seeking Energy Without Caffeine?

To feel energized in the morning without caffeine, consider the following:

Practice Good Sleep Hygiene
Good sleep hygiene is beneficial for mental and physical health and rejuvenates energy. Here are tips to enhance sleep and increase energy levels in the morning:

-Maintain a Consistent Sleep Schedule
Strive for consistent sleeping and waking times every day, including weekends, to reinforce your body’s sleep cycle, which helps with easier sleep and alertness upon waking.

-Turn Off Electronic Devices Before Bed
Electronic devices emit blue light, which can decrease melatonin levels, similar to the effect of sunlight on wakefulness. Melatonin is crucial for regulating your sleep/wake cycle; reduced levels can make falling asleep difficult. Blue light also keeps the brain active, making it harder to fall asleep.

-Regular Exercise
Engaging in just 30 minutes of daily aerobic exercise can improve both sleep quality and overall health. Exercising outdoors can provide additional benefits by syncing your sleep cycle with the natural light.

-Optimize Your Sleep Environment
Setting up your sleep environment properly can aid in falling and staying asleep. For most individuals, maintaining a bedroom temperature between 60 and 67°F (15.6 and 19.4°C) is ideal for sleep.

-Manage Pre-Bedtime Stress
Pre-sleep worries can lead to restlessness. To combat this:
*Jot down your concerns before bedtime to clear your mind.
*If your to-do list is overwhelming, write it down as well. Organize your tasks for the next day and the following week, then allow yourself to unwind.
*Studies indicate that using a weighted blanket can alleviate anxiety and insomnia, offering benefits akin to deep pressure therapy.
*Consider meditation before bed to soothe your mind.

-Limit Large Meals Before Bed
Consuming a substantial meal before sleep can disrupt sleep quality and may lead to acid reflux symptoms. It’s also advised to avoid alcohol and nicotine before bedtime, as they can degrade sleep quality.

Avoid hitting snooze
Resisting the temptation to hit the snooze button can prevent sleep fragmentation, which often makes it more challenging to feel refreshed in the morning. The consequences of interrupted sleep include increased daytime drowsiness, cognitive impairment, mood swings, and health issues. Therefore, it’s best to avoid snoozing.

Drink water
Hydrating first thing in the morning can boost alertness and reinvigorate your body. Placing a water bottle on your nightstand to sip from as soon as you wake up serves as a gentle nudge to start your day focused on health. Additionally, it can help dispel morning grogginess. Since it’s likely you haven’t had any fluids for around eight hours, drinking water upon waking is crucial to rehydrate and energize your body.

Get some sunlight
Exposing yourself to early morning sunlight can enhance your energy levels. Sunlight is a natural energy booster, perfect for kickstarting your day. During certain times of the year when sunlight is scarce, supplementing with vitamin D can be advantageous.

How to harness more energy from the sun? Combine it with exercise. Engaging in a brief exercise session, such as a 15-30 minute walk in the morning sun, can significantly boost your energy. Exercise promotes the circulation of oxygen and nutrients in your body. Whether you choose to bask in the sunlight by a window, take a morning stroll, or simply step outside, aim for 10-15 minutes to aid in elevating your energy and mood. This method also offers a way to energize without the anxiety or jitteriness that caffeine can induce.

Movement
Movement is a fantastic, cost-free method to gain natural energy in the morning. It can be something as straightforward as a few yoga stretches or a stroll, or as elaborate as a full workout routine. Either way, engaging in physical activity and stimulating circulation can enhance your alertness, focus, and overall wakefulness. Movement isn’t just healthy; it’s an excellent method to stimulate your brain and improve your learning, thinking, and problem-solving abilities throughout the day. If the weather is unfavorable, why not start your day with some music and light dancing to wake up without coffee? Simply going for a walk and being active can help you boost your energy without relying on caffeine. Movement is also the simplest and most convenient way to stay energized without depending on stimulants like caffeine.

Drink Herbal Tea
Tea is one of my favorite ways to begin the morning. On any given morning, you might find me savoring a cup of the following:
Peppermint: Enhances mental alertness and strengthens the immune system.
Licorice Root: Aids the immune system and supports weight loss.
Ginger: Promotes heart health and aids in managing weight and blood sugar levels.
Fennel: Aids digestion and boosts the body’s antioxidant levels.
Hibiscus: Rich in antioxidants and may help reduce blood pressure.
Tulsi: Helps prevent diabetes and regulates stress hormones.

Opting for herbal tea is a wonderful way to start your day without caffeine while still enjoying a warm drink.

Eat breakfast
Beginning your day with a vitamin-rich meal can energize you, as your metabolism is more active in the morning. A meal high in nutrients can provide energy without relying on caffeine. 

Look for foods that don’t cause a spike in blood sugar levels and include vitamin B12. If my morning feels sluggish, I ensure to eat a hearty meal to stay full longer. Looking for ideas to start your day with a vitamin-packed meal? Here are some options:

– Eggs
– Avocado
– Berries
– Cottage Cheese
– Greek Yogurt
– Oatmeal
– Nuts or Nut Butters
– Whole Grain Toast
– Protein Shakes

Practice Mindfulness
Incorporating mindfulness and gratitude into your routine, through meditation, yoga, or journaling, can enhance your mornings and set a positive tone for the day. Mindfulness practice can lead to lower stress, anxiety, and depression, fewer negative thoughts and distractions, improved mood and well-being, slower brain aging, enhanced cognitive abilities, lower blood pressure, and better overall health.

If you’re thinking of quitting your morning coffee, remember that moderation is essential. Take it slowly. It’s advisable to do it gradually. Quitting abruptly can lead to withdrawal symptoms like headaches and fatigue, which may persist for two to three weeks.

The intensity and duration of these symptoms depend on your daily caffeine intake and the length of your consumption habit. Without your usual caffeine fix, your mornings may change. However, this change can be positive: there’s a plethora of non-caffeinated drinks to try, many of which can be quite delightful. This presents an opportunity to establish a new, personalized morning routine.


~strongerGreater


Tellis Everett is a Certified Personal Trainer that has been helping individuals and families reach their health and fitness goals for over fifteen years. His personal mission is to help others become stronger so that they can live a greater quality of life.