Posted on February 14th, 2016

Coffee gets many mixed reviews especially when you type it into ‘Google’. It’s good, it’s bad, you should drink this much each day, you should drink it before this time and the list goes on.

From a nutritionist’s perspective, caffeine releases stored glucose into our blood stream which raises blood glucose levels in the body, a similar effect to what eating a handful of lollies does. What goes up must come down and for some people this can be quite dramatic with feeling jittery and frantic.

Coffee does contain antioxidants which can be effective for neutralising free radicals in the body that we are exposed to daily from our environments. Studies have shown that drinking coffee can improve cognitive function, physical performance and can brighten your mood.

People who suffer from insomnia, stress and anxiety in particular may find consuming coffee makes their condition worse and therefore should refrain from drinking. People who have inflammatory conditions such as; IBS, Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis may also find the acidity of coffee too irritating and may promote the onset of flare ups.

Personally I enjoy drinking coffee and having 1 coffee a day in my opinion is fine as long as it does not cause you any problems. I do recommend that you drink a good quality coffee to get as many antioxidants as possible.

When you are drinking coffee, try having a small snack that contains some healthy fats to slow down the spike and drop in glucose levels. To make a coffee break that bit healthier try swapping out regular cow’s milk for almond, coconut or rice milk and without the sugar. If you do need a hint of sweetness try stevia, xylitol or a tsp of raw honey.

I do suggest that you have your coffee before 3pm to ensure that your sleep in not compromised.

Always remember that if you choose to have your coffee, you will need to drink an extra 1-2 glasses of water as coffee can dehydrate you as it promotes urinary excretion of minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium.