Coffee Break, or Break from Coffee?
Melbourne is the coffee epicentre and lets be honest – it tastes great and makes you feel amazing, at least for a short time. There are many pros and cons of drinking coffee and KARMIC Cold Pressed felt it necessary to explore these area’s because we personally suggest that people avoid coffee (caffeine) whilst completing a cold pressed juice cleanse.
What is so good about coffee? It can assist individuals to perform tasks better and faster – an obvious tick! Caffeine has been shown to delay fatigue, increase mental cognition and coordination (typing / sports) and creating a sense of euphoria. It is for these reasons, along with taste of course, that caffeine is so popular.
Like all things however, what goes up must come down – and no one likes a caffeine come down! The body builds a tolerance to caffeine over time and, therefore, you will require larger doses to generate similar stimulation – just like any kind of drug. When we drink too much coffee during the day there are some tell tale signs of overdose:
- Anxiety & “fast talking”
- Irritability
- Insomnia
- Dizziness / Shakiness
- Increased Heart rate
- Flushed Face
Caffeine is addictive and the withdrawal symptoms can be painful depending on your habit – typically withdrawal symptoms will kick-in within 24 hours from the last dose and can last up to 3 days. Typical withdrawal symptoms are:
- Depression
- Drowsiness / Apathy / Lethargic
- Craving for Sugar and Coffee
- Shakiness
- Headache / Inability to concentrate
When we consume large and frequent amounts of caffeine, studies have shown that this can carry adverse health effects. Being a stimulant drug, it directly affects the brain, digestion and nervous system. Consumption of coffee can also contribute to sugar cravings as it disrupts our blood glucose – eating excessive refined sugars is a contributing factor to excess weight-gain and the catalyst of many modern illness.
Health professionals generally agree that for normal ‘healthy adults’, small amounts of caffeine (1-2 cups of coffee per day) is relatively safe. Having a complete break from Coffee on a regular basis is recommended to reduce the adverse health impacts of being continuously over stimulated and remove or reduce any coffee addiction.
Many individuals simply don't want to feel dependant on a morning coffee in order wake up and think clearly, and indeed the body is quite capable of doing this effectively without any assistance from caffeine. In order to kick the habit there are some easy techniques:
- Cold turkey - make a decision not to drink coffee on a certain day and stick to it
- Slowly reduce coffee intake over time (reduce by a ½ cup per day until you can easily go without)
- Substitute herbal tea’s and water for your normal coffee break
A Karmic Cold Pressed Juice Cleanse can be the perfect way to kick start a coffee break and initiate a return to balance. The Cleanse program provides a flush of nutrients through the digestive system, assisting the body in removing toxins and re-hydrating cells. The specific low fructose juice blends are designed to keep sugar cravings low during this period and are the perfect substitute for coffee. It is amazing to experience the hit of living nutrients, anti-oxidants and boosting minerals contained in the cold pressed juice, which will help your body function on a natural high.