At some point along your health journey, you might start to question your coffee consumption. There is a lot of mixed information out there about coffee - some people say the antioxidants in coffee are health promoting, while others say that the caffeine in coffee can wreak havoc on the adrenal glands and lead to exhaustion, fatigue, and other diseases. With all of this conflicting information, how are you supposed to know when, and if, you should drink coffee?
Let's first start examining the gunas, or qualities, of coffee. Coffee is hot, sharp, dry, and light like Pitta. It speeds up the mind and stimulates the release of stress hormones from the adrenal glands, kicking your body into "high gear" mode. For kapha constitutions, who often feel sluggish, heavy, and find it hard to get up and get going in the morning, 2-3 cups of coffee per week may be very healing. But, kapha constitutions should not rely on coffee for energy. If you feel sluggish in the morning, you should try avoiding heavy, oily, or sweet foods at night to bring a more authentic and vital 'pep to your step' the next morning. Instead of drinking coffee, you could try splashing cold water on your face, drinking a hot cup of ginger tea, and going for a brisk fifteen minute walk in the mornings to get you going.
People who have exhausted adrenal glands will crave coffee most at 3pm. Vata people (who have excess dry, light, and mobile qualities in their constitution) are more at risk for adrenal exhaustion. Unfortunately, the energy boost you receive after drinking coffee depletes the adrenals even further. Coffee over-stimulates the adrenals depleting them of fluids and creating more dryness. This process is much like whipping a tired horse. The energy that it provides is fleeting and can even be hurtful. In Vata individuals especially, coffee increases exhaustion, anxiousness, and fear. Instead of drinking coffee, Vata will benefit from licorice root tea in a warm glass or water, which will nourish instead of deplete them. Vata may combat tired afternoons by replenishing their fluids and electrolytes with a homemade version of Gatorade: Simply squeeze a wedge of lime and a pinch of salt into warm water.
Pitta folks, who have naturally sharp minds, intense emotions, and plenty of ambition do best to avoid coffee except for only on special occasions. Coffee irritates the digestive tract and heats up the liver, making a Pitta person irritable, hyper-focused, and critical. Fiery pitta people do not normally crave coffee anyway, since they already have plenty of energy.
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