Can it be tamed?
Coffee is an essential part of daily life for many of us with caffeine often referred to as ‘the world’s most popular drug’. You only have to look around at the explosion of cafes and coffee trucks over the past 20 years to gauge its popularity. If you’re a traveller you will know coffee in Australia is some of the best in the world and our baristas are often seen as world leading in their profession.
Many of us wouldn’t get through a work day without coffee! Take a moment to look around your workplace and see how many coffee cups, energy drinks and chocolate bars you can find. A lot? So what is caffeine and why do many of us find ourselves wanting it on a daily basis?
Caffeine is a ‘psychoactive stimulant drug’ and is naturally found in the leaves, seed and fruits of over 60 plants worldwide. The most common sources in our diet are coffee, tea leaves, cola and energy drinks. Caffeine can also be produced synthetically and added to food, beverages, supplements and medications.
How much is too much?
One shot of espresso coffee in a cappuccino or latte equates to approximately 100mg of caffeine. The average Australian drinks two cups of coffee per day. While this is a healthy quantity and is enough to keep a person energised and feeling alert for the day, the problem is that most people who work in an office tend to consume more caffeine than the average Australian.
Why do we become addicted?
If you have coffee regularly over time your body becomes used to having caffeine in the system. If we then cut it out your body misses the caffeine and you start to show symptoms of withdrawal. At this point we usually race out for a coffee hit! And so the vicious cycle continues….
As well as being addictive, coffee consumption has become a very social habit. How often to we invite someone to catch up for a coffee?
Once the addiction has taken hold we begin to run the risk of burning out, crashing or getting what is commonly known as ‘the afternoon slump’ at around 2pm or 3pm.
How does it affect us?
The reason people who consume considerable amounts of caffeine end up being more tired and having less energy than everyone else is due to two very important, very small glands in the body: the adrenal glands.
These little glands are responsible for producing adrenalin. And what gets pumped around the body every time we consume caffeine? You guessed it – adrenaline! If you push these little glands too far they will eventually run dry, and it is at this point where you will begin to burn out or become fatigued.
To make things worse, it’s not only caffeine that can strain your adrenal glands. Several other factors such as lack of sleep, high sugar intake and high levels of stress can leave you without anything left in the tank.
So, how do we protect ourselves from abusing our adrenal glands and burning out?
The simple answer is to consume the right type of caffeine, in the right amount and at the right time and gradually reduce your consumption.