But First, Breakfast
Alright all you matcha drinking, coffee demonizing influencers. I am sure at one point you have been told that coffee is bad for you.
And at another point were told to drink your coffee with some nutrient-void nut juice or black on an empty stomach to boost metabolism.
The controversy about coffee is wild and one of the most frequently asked questions I get.
“Can I drink coffee? Is it good for me?”
I don’t know. Can you?
Well I am happy to report, coffee is good for you. If done right.
Where can coffee drinking go wrong tho?
Coffee is only supportive AFTER a meal. On an empty stomach it will elicit a harmful stress response that then cause a blood sugar shit show and impacts your adrenals, hormones, metabolism and digestion.
Let’s take a look at how this plays out.
You have naturally fasted all night for 10-12 hours.
At this point your body needs fuel. I hear all you fasters. Yes, it does. You are not better than anyone for being able to skip breakfast. Give it some time girlfriend 😉
Fasting in and of itself is stressful and causes your adrenals to pump out stress hormones and cortisol. Your body thinks it’s in a famine, it is scrambling for resources to keep you alive the longer you wait to eat. A drop in blood sugar is the absolute biggest stressor on the body hands down.
Let’s add more fuel to the fire eh?
You now have that morning coffee on an empty stomach. Caffeine also causes cortisol to rise. You are now in a chronic stressed out cortisol risen state, depleting your body of minerals contributing to further stress on your system.
This is when the cascade of effects begin, your blood sugar is impacted, your adrenals are working over-time, your body can’t make hormones and your digestion can’t function because they are not priorities when trying to survive, and your metabolism is wrecked.
You have now set yourself up to be riding the blood sugar rollercoaster all day.
Eating a balanced meal prior to coffee will put out the stressful blood sugar fire and allow your body to view coffee as helpful rather than harmful.
Next time someone hands you a coffee first thing you know better and can now confidently say, “But first, breakfast.”