Why I Quit Coffee to Save My Hormones
@pinkisforboysco
Have you ever looked back on life and realised that moment, that decision or that event in time was the turning point? The turning point to a more positive you, the turning point to living your best life.
I look back 7 years ago and see that turning point in my life. What felt like a small sacrifice at the time has gone on to create more health and happiness than I could have ever thought possible. You see 7 years ago I quit coffee.
Here’s my story
I remember it as a pretty low point in my life, don’t get me wrong I loved where I was and what I was doing (I was into my second year as a qualified naturopath) but I felt like a train wreck. My body was exhausted, every morning was a struggle to get out of bed and my brain felt like mush. Worst of all I had adult acne and was carrying 15kg too much. Being a naturopath, I felt that I should have been all over it but instead I was failing.
Thank goodness for coffee! Coffee was like a gift from the gods, it was my go-to every morning to help wake me up and get pumped for the day. The warm creamy (soy) milk goodness was like a big warm hug. As time went on, I also started to have a mid-morning coffee when one of my work mates would offer to do a coffee run then in the afternoon, I would pick up another one while running errands. Slowly my 1 per day habit was turning into a 3 per day habit.
Coffee became my life line, I was slowly feeling more and more tired and coffee became my solution. It was like riding a roller coaster of energy highs and energy lows all day……it was exhausting!
Combine poor sleep, constant fatigue, acne and excess weight (which despite trying I couldn’t lose) and life was a constant struggle. That’s when I did a saliva hormone test, as I knew that something wasn’t right. And sure, enough my hormones were a mess. I remember reading the results (probably had a coffee in my hand) and something in my gut just said QUIT COFFEE.
And I did! Fast forward 6 months and I was loving life again. I felt so much more energized, I had a spring in my step and my energy levels felt like a long straight highway rather than the roller coaster I had been on. My skin was the best it had been in years and the weight was starting to fall off without even trying. I was me again, happy, vibrant and loving life.
It’s hard to believe but quitting coffee gave me my energy back!
Quitting coffee was the turning point in my life, the turning point to a much happier me!
How does coffee mess with your hormones?
Coffee and oestrogen forever in competition
The liver is responsible for removing and clearing foreign substances and excess hormones from the body. There are a number of different pathways the liver uses to eliminate these substances and you guessed it caffeine and oestrogen share the same pathway (CYP1A2 to be exact).
As the pathway fills up, it takes longer to clear out oestrogen resulting in oestrogen excess. For me this extra oestrogen resulted in acne, weight gain and irritability. If you are struggling with oestrogen excess then maybe it’s time to look at your coffee intake. Are they competing for detox?
2. Is coffee turning you into a man?
Studies have shown higher testosterone levels with higher caffeine intake due to caffeine’s effect on the aromatase enzyme that metabolises testosterone. Therefore 3 coffees per day were turning me into a man i.e. high testosterone levels.
3. Have you ever wondered how coffee gives you energy?
That energy surge you get from drinking coffee is all thanks to the adrenal glands. Caffeine triggers the adrenal glands to produce cortisol, boosting energy and helping with mental clarity (everything I needed). But caffeine hit after caffeine hit exhausts the adrenal glands and it gets harder and harder to produce cortisol. That’s when 1 coffee per day becomes 2, 3 or more….. Using coffee as a ‘pick me up’ is the number one symptom of adrenal fatigue. If you are drinking coffee for energy perhaps its time to look at the under lying issue.
Quitting coffee was my turning point, the turning point to better health, better hormones and a happier life. I’m not saying coffee is bad and that you should stop drinking it. No way, coffee is enjoyable, it makes your heart sing and plus it has some benefits for your health. But if you are struggling with energy, an inability to lose weight, acne or other hormonal imbalances than maybe it’s time to stop and ask…. Is coffee really for me?
Your body is talking are you listening?
Jacqui x