Should you take a break from coffee?

You love your morning cup ‘o joe, but is it doing your body good? Maybe you are drinking too much of it, and we all know too much of anything can cause trouble. 

We don’t think there’s anything wrong with a morning coffee, and we don’t think that you should stop drinking it cold turkey. But if you’re filling cup after cup throughout the day, it may be time to reassess how much coffee you drink. Even taking a small break from it to see how your body reacts can be eye-opening.

What could a coffee break do for you?

Check out the benefits.

You May Lower your Stress Levels

Are your stress levels high? Coffee isn’t helping. Research shows that high levels of caffeine increase cortisol levels when you’re stressed. So not only are you dealing with the negative side effects of normal everyday stress, but coffee turns up the volume. 

If you’ve ever felt your mood go from high to low in what felt like milliseconds, you’ve felt the effects of caffeine on your already stressed body. Cut back on coffee and you find that it’s a lot easier to calm yourself when you might otherwise feel frazzled. 

You May Sleep Better

Caffeine increases your heart rate, which could keep you awake. That means you may not sleep as well as your body needs. With less time in restorative sleep, you may feel worse when you wake up because your body didn’t spend enough time doing the necessary repair and maintenance that happens while you sleep. 

And just because your eyes were closed, it doesn’t mean you were getting the right amount of sleep. 

Your Skin May Look Better

Caffeine isn’t necessarily bad for your skin, but a couple scenarios could affect the way your skin looks. 

First, some people do not tolerate caffeine, and just like any allergen or food intolerance, it could cause breakouts. 

Second, coffee can be dehydrating. When you’re dehydrated your skin may appear dry and cracked. It may also have more wrinkles, and appear dull and uneven. 

A cup in the morning isn’t likely to negatively affect your skin, but you might notice skin changes if you’re drinking several cups a day. 

Your Mood May Improve

At first, coffee may seem to help your mood. Suddenly you have the energy to do so much more and you may even feel happy. But it also stimulates the central nervous system. Your body gets a jolt of dopamine and serotonin, along with adrenaline. 

And what goes up, must come down. That’s why you want more coffee after you come down from all the good feels. 

What’s more is that coffee engages your fight or flight response, which compounds when you’re stressed. In moderation, it can be okay, but drink it too much and you could feel irritable, scared, and even angry. If you take a break from drinking coffee, you may find that you get stressed much less often and your moods feel more stable. 

You May Have Better Digestion

No matter how much you love coffee, you have to admit that it doesn’t make your stomach feel the greatest. That happens for a few reasons.

• Caffeine is a diuretic which means it makes your body lose water. This can cause you to feel constipated and even suffer from dehydration.
• Caffeine can also cause diarrhea especially if you have irritable bowel syndrome. It speeds things along in your digestive tract, causing a fast exit versus a slow, methodical digestion.
• You may get heartburn from the caffeine. Your stomach releases acid when you consume caffeine, which in excess can cause unpleasant heartburn.

Final Thoughts

Do you have to give up coffee forever?

No, thank goodness!

What you should consider, though, is a break or at the very least, consuming less of it daily. If you need your morning cup of sunshine, that’s fine, but keep it either black or use no-sugar creamers like Lakanto’s sweeteners. 

Don’t drink more than one cup and try to rehydrate your body immediately after drinking it. As you take a break, notice how different your body and mind feel. It won’t happen overnight and initially, you may not feel the greatest, but with practice, you’ll likely find that you feel a lot better and can maintain better health just by cutting back on your caffeine habit.