1. Antioxidants: Did you know that the number one source of antioxidants in Americans’ diets is coffee? According to researchers at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, dates have more antioxidants per serving than coffee; but because people drink so much more coffee than they eat dates, coffee wins as the number one source.
2. Prevent Disease: In researching Parkinson’s disease for my Medical Nutrition Therapy course, I found a study from Duke University concluding that drinking two cups of coffee a day could cut your lifetime risk for Parkinson’s by 40%. It is possible that caffeine may modify underlying susceptibilities that exist in families with Parkinson’s disease.
3. Alertness: In a British study, researchers in Wales observing the effects of coffee’s caffeine concluded that after drinking the caffeinated beverages, the people had a better outlook on life and did better on tests as well!
4. Magnesium: Coffee has magnesium in it! Watch out though — too much is never a good thing, and too much magnesium has been shown to actually lower energy levels. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests drinking coffee in moderation because it can interfere with sleep and cause an increase in heart rate. If you have issues with high blood pressure, caffeinated beverages are not a good idea; they might make your heart work too hard. If you’ve had too much coffee, you will probably get a twitch in your muscles, a flush in your face, and headaches usually starting after drinking about 2-5 cups of coffee. Make sure to drink plenty of water to help detox.
If you’re really struggling with fatigue, these tips will help:
1. Eat more fruits and vegetables: Studies show that people who consume more vitamin C report feeling less fatigue than those consuming less vitamin C.
2. Drink more water: Water allows the enzymes to work throughout your body; it assists in the proper digestion of food and energy. I suggest drinking plenty of water between meals, but not too much during meals so you don’t dilute your digestive juices. As long as your urine is clear to lemonade looking, you’re good. If it looks more like apple juice, drink up!!
3. Watch the sugar: Around 3 p.m., many of us are either reaching for another cup of coffee or craving something sweet to give us a quick pick me up. Sugar can lead to fatigue because it causes a spike in insulin, causing a surge of energy, followed by an even longer lasting crash. Eating less refined sugars and more whole foods will help you feel balanced and energized throughout the day.
4. Get in enough iron: Pre-menopausal women are most at risk for iron deficiency, which could cause fatigue. Fortunately, getting iron in is pretty easy. Spinach, quinoa, lentils and beans are great non-heme sources. Just make sure to sprinkle with a little lemon juice or eat accompanied with a vitamin C source like tomatoes, red bell pepper, broccoli, orange juice, or any fruit really, because vitamin C assists in the absorption of iron. If you get your iron from a heme source such as red meat, it is already in the form that gets absorbed directly so you don’t need the lemon juice sprinkle. Both sources are equally efficient at getting you enough iron and the extra vitamin C may help with your fatigue too!
So it looks like a morning coffee everyday won’t kill you. Hopefully, this helps you to feel more balanced and energized throughout the day with a moderate consumption of caffeine. No more jittery twitches from that 10th cup my friends! Whole foods for the win!
