For most of my adult life, my first action of the day was reaching for the kettle or coffee pot to begin my morning ritual of a hot cup of coffee. I have mentioned before that this hot mug of joe in the morning is part of the trifecta of a.m. rituals that keep me sane, and I sincerely thought it would be something I would do for the rest of my life.
Then one busy morning, running late to a doctor's appointment, I skipped my morning coffee. And while sitting in the waiting room, flipping through a magazine, I read a small blurb that insisted that the optimal time to drink coffee is not when you wake, but two to three hours after. This is, like most things in the body, is based on hormones. In this case, the hormone cortisol. In the mornings, we have a spike of cortisol, which tends to crash 2-3 hours after waking. Cortisol helps us feel awake and alert when we first wake, but for habitual morning coffee drinkers, we dull this effect with an early dose of caffeine. If we drink coffee in the mornings when the cortisol spike is occurring, the combination of caffeine and cortisol can cause a jittery feeling. Plus, when the cortisol crash coincides with the caffeine crash, it can lead to a case of extreme sleepiness, and maybe even grumpiness.
If we instead hold off on drinking caffeine until the cortisol has crashed, it can be a more effective way to use caffeine for wakefulness. Utilize the natural cortisol boost your of your body in the morning, and when that crashes a few hours later, supplement with caffeine.
I decided to give it a shot. I had already delayed my coffee intake for the day, and I could wait a little longer. Unsurprisingly, the results of holding off on my coffee did lead to higher energy levels throughout the day.
More surprisingly, however, were the other effects of waiting to drink coffee that I was not anticipating. I found myself less hungry throughout the mornings, less likely to say yes to an offer of a sugary muffin. In the 3 weeks of starting my coffee delay, I have lost several pounds. I feel clear-headed and alert upon waking, instead of groggy and foggy. I feel that my moods have improved as well. Holding off on something I felt incredibly dependent upon, has provided me with a great sense of will power, and overall well being.
And of course, my energy levels are more manageable, predictable, and better aided by caffeine.
Now I start my mornings with a tall glass of water, preferably with a squeeze of lemon. And I still take time to sit down and plan my day, journal, or just sit and enjoy the morning, I just do it without my coffee now. Waiting for the optimal time to imbibe. And the wait for that coffee is so worth it.