This is a really interesting question, because I love coffee! And I know, sometimes, if I don’t control it, I can drink too much.
We have done some interesting research on coffee; the quality of the coffee you drink is important – we recommend organic coffee; we also recommend you to drink it black, or with a tablespoon of organic, grass-fed cow butter, or a tablespoon of coconut oil.
Coconut oil contains something called Medium-chain triglyceride, and some good quality fats; you will actually find this is very good for your energy levels, so this is something to try with your morning coffee.
We also recommend that you should not really have coffee, or any drinks containing caffeine, past a certain time.
We have come to the conclusion that 12:00 for most people is optimal, although there is always going to be an exception for every rule. Some people are able to drink 50 coffees a day, sleep like a baby and not have any issues – but there are “caffeine metabolisers”, so the way that people metabolise caffeine is genetic and can be very different from one person to another; so what could be fine for me may not be good for you.
But, like anything, having too much coffee can be bad for your adrenal glands, putting them under too much pressure, and can also affect your circadian rhythm, your sleeping rhythm.
The key is to experiment and find out what is optimal for you, but we would suggest that you don’t drink coffee or caffeine containing drinks past 12:00 and try to only have them before working out.
My true recommendation would be that you have a black coffee before you work out, if you are working out in the morning. If you work out in the evening, and you find that you are not affected by having a coffee beforehand - you still sleep well and recover well, that is fine. If you find that having a coffee before you work out in the evening does affect your sleep, then you should cut down and only have the coffee before 12:00, as we mentioned above.
You should also remember that coffee does not actually hydrate you; it can dehydrate you, so you should drink extra water when you are drinking coffee.
So, that is how to drink coffee and still be as healthy as possible.
