Pro’s and Con’s of caffeine

My jaw dropped when I saw this fact a while ago. 

Did you know that there is a drug that 85% of us use every single day?

If you’re one of them, I have a little assignment for you. :) No, I am not going to ask you to quit.

It’s caffeine … and we use it to get going in the morning, power through workouts or work, and keep us going through the mid-afternoon slump.

The upside of caffeine?

● It gives you energy

● It boosts your alertness and ability to concentrate

● It can come in beverages filled with antioxidants that have health benefits (ex: tea!)

That’s all well and good ...

But there are a few downsides.

● It can take up to 10 hours to clear your system – which means it can also get in the way of relaxing – and falling and staying asleep.

● You can build up a tolerance after your body gets used to it, which means you might need to drink more of it to get the same effects.

● It can raise your blood pressure.

● It can make you “wired-tired”: jittery, overstimulated, and tired at the same time.

● It’s linked with migraines.

● It doesn’t mix well with some medications and health issues.

● Suddenly quitting caffeine can give you headaches and leave you feeling tired, achy, and even nauseous.

This leads me to that little assignment I mentioned earlier. 

Today, take some time to ask yourself: 

Are you using caffeine – or is it using you?

If you are feeling jittery and stressed, having a hard time sleeping, getting headaches, or finding that your tolerance for caffeine is increasing …

Or maybe you feel like you NEED it to keep going through the day – it might be time to reevaluate your caffeine use.

Just something to think about!