Welcome to Ask Whole9 Canada, where Summer Innanen and Sarah Ramsden answer all of your health and nutrition questions. In this week’s episode, Clarissa from Toronto asks us, “Is coffee bad for you??”
We’ll say this up front–this is one topic that does not have a black or white answer. It is a situation where your individual context matters, as noted in the Whole9 Coffee Manifesto.
We see studies that show that coffee can be good for us, but we cannot forget that coffee is a potent stimulant and stressor on the body. This stress can lead to adrenal burnout and consequently other health issues, such as: PMS, digestive issues, hormonal imbalances, blood sugar regulation issues (got cravings and the need for caffeine at 3pm?), weight gain, sleep disruptions, and overall feelings of fatigue and lassitude.
In this episode of S&STV, we tell you when coffee fits into a balanced lifestyle, how to know if you should avoid it, what the risks are if you consume too much, as well as the best way to enjoy it.
The Canadian brand that we (Summer, because Sarah does not like coffee) love is Kicking Horse–in particular their decaf blend (which goes very well with their Kick-Ass blend if you are doing a half-caf). Their decaffeination process uses a Swiss Water technique that is free of the solvents typically used such as methylene chloride or ethyl acetate.
Got a question for Whole9 Canada? Send your questions about health, nutrition or where to find Whole30 approved sources of food (that you don’t need to import!) to asksummerandsarah@gmail.com and we’ll feature you in an upcoming episode.
For more Whole9 Canada-specific blog posts, videos, and resources, visit the Whole9 Canada Facebook page or Whole9 Canada blog here on the Whole9 site.
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Thanks for the great post on coffee. I LOVE coffee and always drink one large (not too large) in the morning. I have tried Kicking Horse that my wife obtained from the owner at a mountain bike clinic in Bend OR. I use Bicycle Coffee, roasted in Oakland CA by some bicycle enthusiasts that roast the beans and deliver to all their accounts by bike! The coffee is organic fair trade and not over roasted. I think that coffee in moderation, as long as it’s not effecting me in a negative way is OK. One or two cups per day max and avoid after noon time. Anybody that tries to take away my morning cup is in BIG trouble!!
I have given up coffee. The results? Happier and less stress.
I have given up caffinated coffee and now drink decaf coffee for about a month and a half after drinking 4 lg MacDonald coffees a day, plus tea. I have had chronic back pain due to an injury or birth defect. Medical docs are not too sure. My pain was an 8 (10 being high) now my pain is about a 1-2 on most days. I had read an article about caffine and back pain so I though I would give it a try not thing to lose. It helped and my mood seems to be much better.
That’s great Mary, glad you’re feeling better. No doubt there’s a variety of factors involved here.