I know this is a very sensitive subject for some, especially because during our 28-Day Nutrition Reset Program, we typically aim to eliminate or decrease coffee consumption all together.
We do this because your body literally needs to rewire its circadian rhythm, cortisol levels, and blood sugar patterns. Even more importantly, we have to take the Adrenal glands that produce important hormones out of overdrive. Ultimately, we are removing the stress and inflammation on the body that coffee contributes to.
Aside from elimination, let's go over a few habits around coffee consumption to create happier hormones.
Coffee Habits for Happy Hormones
Avoid at all costs drinking coffee on an empty stomach. This derails your blood sugar and cortisol levels. In turn it throws your appetite and blood sugar balance off for the rest of the day, leaving you voracious at lunch and dinner, wanting a nap in the afternoon, and feeling like you have nothing left in the evening. Let's not forget to mention the mood swings or anxiety in between.
Swap your dairy for a plant based protein milk with minimal ingredients. A few faves are flax, almond, pistachio, coconut, and cashew milk.
Swap your sugary creamer for a plant based one with minimal ingredients.
Avoid drinking coffee after 12 pm and let your natural rhythms kick in. Eating a balanced meal and having some electrolytes is a great alternative. If afternoon coffee is a habit or part of your culture, try swapping for green tea or match a!
Try a mushroom based coffee that offers adaptogens and more benefits. Brands to try are King Coffee, Four-Sigmatic, Mudwtr, or Om.
Replenish your minerals with electrolytes after your morning cup
If you use k-cups or nespresso, make sure you're replenishing your body with greens and minerals to help Detox heavy metals and plastics. If you can avoid or minimize your use of these, even better! The microparticles that leach from here have a compound affect on your hormones, especially your Thyroid!
Please avoid using white sugar or liquid sugar in your coffee. This has a similar affect as drinking coffee on an empty stomach. Alternatives can be monk fruit, stevia, or coconut sugar.
Note: Coffee shops often use liquid or white sugar. Flavor shots are often already sweetened as well. So if you are adament about a flavor shot, ask if it's sweetened and avoid the extra liquid sugar it you're just beginning to clean up your coffee one habit at a time.
How to level up your coffee for Hormone Balance:
This is personally what I do at the stage I'm at in my health journey.
Balance your coffee, like you would your meals adding in a healthy fat and protein to slow the absorption, boost your brain power, and not wreck your blood sugar.
The goal should always be nourishment and getting the most out of what you're eating or drinking for ultimate blood sugar balance and nutrient absorption!
Here we go:
Utilize a darker roast or a medium or a light roast. Lighter roast contain more caffeine
Add in a healthy fat and protein! Examples are collagen (2-in-1), Coconut oil, or Flax Milk with Protein and it contains your healthy fats (another 2-in-1), or coconut milk + collagen.
Favorite metal free collagen brands are Further Foods, Perfect Supplements, Truvani, and Great Lakes.
Other Coffee Alternatives or Swaps
Organic Green tea
Matcha Latte
Four-Sigmatic Brand Coffee, Cocoa, or Matcha
Organo King Coffee
Yogi Brand Tea (Herbal and Non-Caffeinated)
Laird Superfood coffee
Turmeric Latte
Beets Root Latte
Mudwtr Tasala Chai or Original
Teechino
Chai Latte
Adrenal Cocktail and electrolytes (Redmonds or Pickleball)
At the beginning of this article, I mentioned that we often eliminate coffee in the beginning of a reset to take lower stress and inflammation.
This looks different for each of my clients and eliminating it right away often leads to some withdrawal symptoms (headaches, lethargy, and mood swings).
Alongside that we are eliminating other inflammatory habits and foods, so it can be a bit of a shock to the body at first, but after a week or two, the body adjusts.
Knowing where to start is key. This can look like decresing two cups of coffee a day to one, or seven cups of coffee a week to four. It can also look like improving the overall quality of of your coffee and balancing it out properly or swapping out for a green tea or alternative listed above.
This is why it is helpful to listen to your body and also work with someone that can teach you to navigate or pivot what works best for you at the point you're at in your journey!
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