Frazzled, run-down, beat, drained, exhausted. I.AM.SO.TIRED. Let me just start off by saying that mom’s never get enough credit for how much energy they exert and how little sleep they get to make up for it. We are all sleep deprived.

Because of our long days and even longer nights, I joke that “coffee is my love language”. I don’t know how I’d survive without it. Currently, I can drink coffee black, but I didn’t always like it this way. I didn’t start drinking coffee until I was in college. I would add so many little packets of splenda, Dunkin Donuts sweeteners, or buy the heavily, artificially sweetened coffees. Yikes. #Cancer

For those of you that know me personally or follow me, you know I am pretty honest about my health struggles in the past. I’ve changed a LOT of my nutrition practices since college. It certainly wasn’t easy. If you’re a coffee drinker like myself, you want to limit coffee intake to 300 mg or less per day. Now that may be easier said than done, but it’s important. I want to share some tips on how you can make your coffee drinking even healthier.

1. Consider making the investment in buying organic coffee.

Did you know that conventionally grown coffee is one of the most heavily chemically treated foods in the world? Wow. If you’re drinking it everyday, it’s worth the cost of organic!

2. Consider using the mushroom coffee elixirs.

I’ve been using the Four Sigmatic coffee. It does make me feel more attentive, and I also drink less because it’s more expensive (which drinking less coffee is a goal of mine). It has taken me a while to adjust to the taste. It’s very earthy. Some health benefits found are:

• Supports focus, creativity, memory, concentration, and brain health.
• Achieve and sustain energy levels.
• Helps support a steady glycemic balance, improved digestive system, and enhanced metabolism.

3. Cut out the sugar and artificial sugars.

You will likely need to start this transition gradually. The spike sugar causes in your blood sugar levels will cause an energy crash a few hours later. In the meantime, try a small amount of liquid stevia. Then you can begin weaning yourself down until you are drinking black coffee.

4. Drink coffee sans milks, creams, etc.

If you want to make your coffee creamy, try using a milk frother with 1 tablespoon of full fat coconut milk, coconut butter, or coconut oil. Conventional dairy is highly inflammatory for some people; which means it could be causing you some effects like fatigue, bloating, digestive discomfort and so on. Try removing the current dairy you are using for a few weeks. Then, test it again. How does your body respond?

 

This image is to give you an idea of how much caffeine you are consuming daily. Hopefully you are already under the suggested 300 mg. If not, maybe it will be an eye opener for how much you’re ingesting.

Want more? Read part 2 where I will share tips of how to up your energy if you aren’t a coffee connoisseur.