Everywhere you turn there is a cute little coffee shop with excellent decor and great company!  People love to drink coffee because it gives them the energy to get through their day.  It is also a pleasant way to catch up with friends, it is acceptable by the majority of society and it is a way to slip away from work for a few minutes.   Like everything there needs to be a balance and there are some things you should know about coffee before you become too dependant on it.  Also there are things you can choose to substitute your coffee beverage if you are trying to cutt down.

Did you know that coffee:

1. Supresses the immune system for up to 4 hours after consumption.
2. Increases the temperature of your stomach and increases the acidity of your stomach which causes peptic ulcers.
3. Your body builds up a tolerance to it.  This means people often need to increase their consumption in order to overcome fatigue.
4. Drinkers can experience withdrawl sypmtoms because when you stop drinking coffee your body reduces the amount of serotonin it produces.  Serotonin is a hormone that gets secreted so you can wake up and feel refreshed in the morning.  It is also the hormone that makes you happy.  Therefore, some of the feelings often experienced after not drinking coffee are: fatigue, headaches, mild depression, anxiety, and irritabilty.
5. It is contorversial; some people say it is a drug and some people say it isn’t.  In an Alive magazine article they state that it is a drug and the addictive substance in coffee is caffeine, more specifically, a white crystalline alkaloid.  The caffeine is what makes coffee a drug (mood altering); when people consume this the brain is stimulated temporarily making the body feel energized.
6. Not only does coffee cause peptic ulcers if consumed in large amounts, it also makes the body highly inflamed due to how acidic it is.  Inflammation is the route of many diseases such as: heart disease, joint problems, and skin problems.
7. If consumption is really high it causes stomach and bladder cancer.
8. Caffeine may be linked to male infertility and it also leads to pregnancy problems, sometimes as serious as a miscarage.
9. Causes sleep disturbances sometimes as serious as insomnia.
10. Lastly, coffee decreases the absorbtion of your vitamins!   If you drink your coffee every morning, swallow them with water, and drink your coffee later. 

Need an alternative to coffee? Need some energy?

This article is not meant to scare people.  The purpose is to remind people to keep things in moderation.  If you have already had two cups of coffee and someone asks you to meet up at Starbucks after work make a healthy choice.  Order a Rooibos tea, which is wonderful for digestion!  Also Rooibos tea is safe for women who are nursing.  It is also recommended for people who suffer from mild depression, or irritabilty. 

If you are a coffee drinker that has five to ten cups a day you may want to consider reducing your intake.  The risk of an ulcer is right around the corner!  Vega Sport is a fantastic way to still get the feeling of being energized, but it is a much healthier choice.   It comes in two flavours, lime and acai. 

If you feel like coffee is starting to affect your everyday life and you need some ideas of how to subsitute a cup of coffee, come and see us at Alive Health Centre!  As always I look forward to helping you at the Oakridge location Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.  See you soon!