Caffeine, sugar and alcohol are the three substances that I
am most frequently asked about. All three are powerful substances that need to
be respected. To understand their potency, we could compare them to prescription
medications. For some they might aid healing , but be harmful to others. They may
be tolerated at a certain dosage but become harmful when exceeding the
recommended dosage . We need to understand and honor the powerful effect of
these substances on our body.
When we over-use caffeine, it mimics the stress response
within the body. Our heart rate increases, our blood pressure goes up, insulin
levels rise, as do the levels of cortisol and adrenalin. Each person is able to
metabolize caffeine differently and expel it from the system at a different
rate. Some people get the buzz from ½ a cup, and some get it from 2 cups. Small
amounts of caffeine could increase metabolism, but too much will weaken it.
This is similar to building a fire (our digestive fire,) a small log can
increase the flame but a large one will smother it.
Individuals who struggle with weight issues and drink lots
of caffeine should cut down on the caffeine. Caffeine’s effect on cortisol and
insulin through the stress response, slows down calorie burning capabilities,
sustains fat, and inhibits muscle from being built.
Caffeine gives us a false sense of metabolism. It provides
an artificial sense of energy but this it is not a true calorie burning kind of
energy (i.e when we eat food, we extract the nutrients and burn the calories.)
If we find ourselves binge eating, ravenous later in the
day, experiencing mood swings, or a lack of weight loss, then it is best to
reduce caffeine. This is especially true if we are relying on caffeine’s energy
for the early third or half of the day. We reduce our calorie burning capacity to
a degree that when we do eat food, we’re burning the calories more slowly.
To read more about caffeine and its effect, view this past posting.
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