We have been hearing conflicting views on coffee and whether or not it is good for us for many years. Well, by now you know how I am. I’m all about doing my own research and finding out the facts. Let’s take a closer look at the physiology.

In order to understand this process, we must under- stand how our adrenal glands work. Your adrenal glands are endocrine glands that sit on top of your kidneys. Normal functioning adrenals keep your cortisol (a hormone controlling sleep/wake cycles and metabolism) levels in check and help to regulate many other hormone functions. If you have been through a period of increased stress, whether chemical, physical or emotional, chances are your adrenals are fatigued. Adrenal fatigue then causes high cortisol levels. Your body then has to find a place to store this additional cortisol, and it usually picks your hips, abdomen and back side.

Ok, bring in the coffee. As you sip from your favorite cup, enzymes are immediately released from the parotid gland to start the breakdown into molecules. Once in the stomach, mucus thickens in order to protect the lining and to prepare for the immediate change in pH. This change causes your pituitary (a small endocrine gland in the brain) to release hormones for digestion.

While being digested or broken down, it must go through the detox "filter" a.k.a., your liver. Through various reactions, the molecules enter your bloodstream. Here’s where the problem lies. When you wake up in the morning, your cortisol levels are naturally regulated, making you feel awake, alert and ready for your day.

However, if you suffer from adrenal fatigue, this is not the case. That’s why you end up relying on a morning stimulant (coffee). This will cause you to feel awake for a certain amount of time, but once the caffeine and other oils filter out of your system, you feel the need to "re- charge" again, or else continue through your day feeling drained and fatigued. Additional coffee at this time will tax the adrenals even more, cause a diuretic effect (dehydrating your cells), and even more fatigue once the initial caffeine surge wears off.

As you can see, this is a vicious cycle. Continuing to stress already stressed adrenal glands leads to more cortisol accumulation, more overall fatigue, and eventually more trouble losing weight. In order to free yourself from this cycle, you must quit the coffee and start exercising (the exercise rids your body of excess cortisol).

On the flip side…if you are someone who is normally full of energy, sleeps well through the night and wakes up refreshed, an occasional morning cup of coffee is okay. You can even get some antioxidant benefit from it. Follow these simple rules to be safe:

1. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you should always avoid coffee. Research suggests that drinking more than 300 mg of coffee daily, or the equivalent of two to three 8-ounce cups, may increase the risk of miscarriage, birth defects such as cleft palate and low birth weight.

2. Make sure your cup of choice is organic. Coffee is one of the most heavily sprayed crops, so drinking organic coffee is a smart way to reduce your exposure to toxic herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers.

3. If you drink decaf, try to select brands that decaffeinate using the "Swiss Water Process." This patented method is the best choice, as most of the major brands are chemically decaffeinated, adding harsh chemicals to your body.

4. Use unbleached filters. The bright white ones are chlorine bleached, and some of this chlorine will be extracted from the filter during the brewing process.

5. Make your coffee a FAT coffee. I’m sure you’ve heard of the Bulletproof craze by now. The research is clear, adding some ghee, grass fed butter, coconut oil, or MCT oil to your Cup of Joe in the morning not only gives you sustainable energy, but helps keep your body in a fat burning state. Use this in lieu of breakfast and you can help put your body into an Intermittent Fasting state which is a wonderful detoxification process. More on this in a later article. 

6. Let’s not forget the real reason coffee is on our planet...the almighty coffee enema! We can provide you with more info on this amazing liver clearing process at any time. Just ask! Hey, don’t deny it until you try it. If your hormones are out of whack, you’re feeling sluggish or foggy, maybe your metabolism is shot; the coffee enema is definitely a great place to start. Once you try it you’ll be hooked!

So overall, if you are trying to cut back or quit caffeine all together, there are some great alternatives out there. Roasted Chicory is probably my favorite. Dandy Blend is probably the most beneficial. The taste of both is very similar to coffee, but it will not have an effect on your adrenals. Teas are a great choice as well, but follow the same first four rules above.