Caffeine; is it really that bad?

Yes!
Becci Kay discusses the misunderstood concepts behind why caffeine is bad
 
We all get told time and time again that caffeine is not good for us, but how bad is it? And what makes it bad?
 
So what is it about caffeine that's bad? Before I answer this question have you every tried to go without?  Many of you that have will have experienced terrible headaches and withdrawal symptoms in the first few weeks, that alone shows us that it can't be good for the body.  Don't worry though there is some good news at the end of this article.
 
Caffeine doesn’t directly make us put on weight as it's calorie count is not as high as say a bag of crisps or a chocolate bar (unless you go for a super sized full fat mocha choc double espresso shot coffee at break time) and because of this many of us think it’s not that bad and we can get away with it.  However it does indirectly cause weight gain by slowing down our metabolism and upsetting the absorption of vital minerals and vitamins, please read on below to find out more.
 
Dehydration
Caffeine is a diuretic which means it pulls water away from our body causing us to dehydrate. It definitely does not contribute to the 2 litres of water we should be consuming daily, the more caffeine you drink the more well-sourced water you need to be drinking to re-hydrate.
 
Toxin
Caffeine is a toxin which encourages fungi and parasites to fester in our abdomen which in turn causes our tummy to swell.  Toxin are stored in our fat stores and if we continue to consume toxins we will never break down those fat stores.
 
Pressured Adrenal Glands = Stress!
Caffeine puts pressure on the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands are responsible for producing many of our body’s hormones including the stress hormone.  Mess with the adrenal glands means you are messing with your hormones which can cause a whole array of problems.
 
Vitamin and Mineral Absorption put on hold
Caffeine upsets vital vitamin and mineral absorption. The more caffeine you drink the less benefits you get from the healthy foods that you eat. If your body doesn’t get the essential vitamins and minerals it needs then it will stop working how it should which could lead to a number of problems; weight gain, depression, bad skin, dull hair, bad breath, lack of energy and many many more.
 
Caffeine used as a replacement for food
We often replace food with caffeine which messes up our metabolism which again will lead to weight gain and lack of energy.
 
Caffeine gives us that unnatural high which subsequently leads to an unnatural low
This is mainly cause by what we add to our caffeine beverages; sugar, chocolate, pasturized milk and so on, we feel sluggish if we don’t get that fix and could lead to diabetes, blood pressure problems, depression and other psychological issues.
 
What beverages contain caffeine?
  • Tea
  • Coffee
  • Soft drinks e.g. coke
  • Energy drinks e.g. red bull
  • A number of foods also contain small amounts of caffeine like chocolate 
Tips:
  • Reduce intake gradually. Every week reduce your intake by 1 or 2 cups a day until you have either cut it out completely or until you only require a few per week or 1 per day at the very most
  • Don’t start the day with caffeine! Get some healthy, nutritious food inside your body before you get that caffeine fix.
  • Drink more water
  • A lot of it is habit so just boil the kettle pour yourself a cup of hot water and sip at it, tepid water is a good way to drink water as it doesn’t shock the body by being too hot or too cold
  • Take away the milk, sugar or sweetner from your beverage and it's actually quite healthy, replace with black organic coffee or green tea.

The Good News!

Good quality caffeine e.g. organic coffee (black) and organic green tea are good sources of caffeine and without all the added rubbish (pasturised milk, sugar, chocolate and sweetners) they do hold benefits.  Black organic coffee 30 mins before a workout will actually benefit your workout and green tea has been shown to help with elevated estrogen levels, cholesterol levels and support your immune system as well as much more.

 
 
Would you like more information on caffeine, nutrition, weight loss, energy etc?  Contact our team on 08454503073 or email info@born2move.co.uk

Watch a video from born2move's YouTube channel of Matt discussing the topics within this article: