There’s a solid reason why coffee is getting all the attention now more than ever before. People all over the globe love the energy boost, the flavor, and the caffeine effect. Even without sugar or cream, black coffee has been shown to improve memory, aid digestion, and reduce inflammation. In some recent studies, experts even stated that coffee might help prevent dementia.
It’s understandable why a cup of coffee brings about positive associations for so many.
We often resort to a second or third cuppa if you want a quick pick-me-up in the afternoon. Let’s find out what experts have to say about your coffee habits!
1. Coffee Without Having a Proper Meal
Up first on this list of the worst times to drink coffee, according to dietitians and health experts, is when you grab a cup of coffee on an empty stomach.
Does coffee aid digestion? Yes, but drinking a cup before you grab a bite can do quite the opposite.
This is because coffee is an acidic beverage, so drinking it when there is no food in your system may cause extreme discomfort and even pain. The acidity levels are especially dangerous for those diagnosed with heartburn, digestive issues, an upset stomach, or even acid reflux.
Some specialized non-GMO beans have lower toxin effects while containing the highest antioxidant levels! Adding some milk will also help lower the acidity. Additionally, if you love to grab a drink first thing in the morning. In that case, you should invest in making a cold brew as it comes with significantly lower acidity levels than its warmer alternative.
Suggested: Holiday Coffee Recipes
2. During the Afternoon
One of the worst times to drink coffee, according to dietitians, is the afternoon. Right around noon, although it might still feel like morning to you, people typically start experiencing difficulties sleeping because of their caffeine intake. Furthermore, as you are getting less sleep, this will mess with you how your body digests and absorbs food.
If you substitute your hot beverage for a cold one, this can go a long way to keeping your sleeping schedule in check! Cold brew has a higher caffeine percentage. Pour a cold cup right before the afternoon, and you’ll likely be up to speed for the rest of the day until you finally hit the bed.
3. When it’s Close to Bed Time
A cup of coffee keeps you energized and fully conscious, so drinking it at the wrong time of day can severely affect your body. You should listen to your body cues. The outcome can be even worse if you aren’t adjusted to stimulating effects, and it might even make you feel sick. For instance, it might feel tempting to grab a coffee from Starbucks or another cafe on your ride back from work late evening or night.
This can make it hard to fall asleep at night, waking up feeling lethargic the following day. Chances are you won’t feel productive and will have to go through a grueling day filled with even more coffee! That being said, how much coffee affects you varies from person to person, so be sure to find your sweet spot and stick to your usual coffee hours.
Related: Homemade Coffee Macaron Recipe
4. When You Return From the Gym
If you are a gym enthusiast, you might feel the temptation to drink a cup of coffee right after working out to recover from the fatigue quickly. We recommend that you withhold going to your unique cup of coffee for some extra energy, as this can affect your appetite and might even lead to feeling under-fueled for the rest of the day.
Furthermore, drinking coffee after working out might cause other harmful effects on your body. You might feel headaches or feel dehydrated more. Additionally, you mustn’t use coffee as a substitute for food or water as it is much more important than coffee to lead a healthy lifestyle.
5. When You Drink Because of Habit
If you love coffee and have been indulging in it for quite some time, then chances are you’ve developed a habit of drinking it. There are instances where our body doesn’t necessarily need coffee. Still, we drink it anyways simply because we enjoy the taste or have a habit of drinking a cup at that hour.
This habit is triggered when we are in environments where coffee is constantly available and everyone around us is drinking as well. At the office, coffeeshops, business meetings, etc are some examples of events that usually come with a cup of coffee. Make sure not to go overboard just because you see others filling their cup now and then.
Furthermore, caffeine can be an addictive substance. Your nervous system and hormones are stimulated by coffee ( similarly to adrenaline) and so you feel an impact on your energy levels. If continued on a daily basis, then our body will adapt and the old dosage of coffee might not be enough. Hence, the addition of several cups of coffee might be formed if you are not careful.
You may also like: Keto Coffee Recipes for Weight Loss
6. When Cholesterol Levels Peak
If you are diagnosed with medical conditions such as high cholesterol levels, then it’s advised by professionals that you always keep track of how much coffee you drink and make sure that you’re not drinking too much.
If you have a high LDL level then it’s best to drink filtered coffee instead of french pressed or unfiltered coffee. LDL refers to the bad cholesterol that slowly piles up in your body. This can be very severe so make sure to consult a doctor before deciding how many cups you can drink each day!
7. When You’ve Finished More Than 2 Cups
Coffee is good for you, but consumption must be kept to a limit. The “everything in moderation” proverb certainly applies to coffee. However, a significant quantity can be enjoyed without the risk of toxicity. Drinking more than two or three cups, as recommended can be dehydrating. According to Research, one of the Coffee Habits That Are Shortening Your Life, is drinking more than four cups each day.
8. When You’ve Just Woken Up
If the first thing you do in the morning is to grab a cup of coffee, then you are starting your day in the wrong way entirely! Dietitians suggest that drinking coffee right out the bed will have adverse effects despite popular belief.
Drinking coffee immediately after waking up may make you feel energized and aware for a short time but then incredibly sleepy and tired. The stress hormone cortisol, which can make you feel anywhere from alert to worried, is produced in increased amounts by your body when you first wake up. Caffeine, which raises cortisol levels in those under mental stress or who are otherwise at rest, could cause a sudden surge of the hormone.
Furthermore, When the effects of the coffee and the cortisol wear off, some nutritionists warn you can feel even more exhausted than before. Getting more sleep the night before is the simplest approach to feeling more refreshed in the morning. On the other hand, you could try delaying your morning coffee intake by a few hours.
When is the Best Time for a Cup of Coffee?
As mentioned above, the popular belief that the morning is the best time for a cup of coffee is actually among the worst times to drink coffee. So, when should you drink coffee? Scientists suggest that the best time for sipping your favorite drink is right before you sit to work on an important task.
Writing a document, coding, or business presentations, meetings, etc, are all possible tasks that you might have to deal with on a day-to-day basis. And, since coffee is known to spike your senses, it’s best that you drink a cup for about thirty minutes or so before it’s time to get to work.
That being said, you will know your body best at the end of the day, so you need to try drinking coffee at different times and find what suits your flow better.
Scientists say there are windows between certain hours during the day when your cortisol levels spike and that we should avoid coffee. Hence, the drink is for when your cortisol levels are low, not when you think you’re tired, but for when your body is.
Conclusion
The key takeaway here is that coffee is not as simple as you may have thought before reading this article. Coffee can harm you if you have medical conditions or become addicted to it as you drink more.
Therefore, we recommend drinking a cup of coffee at different hours for a few days to find the sweet spot when you genuinely need that energy boost. We hope this article helped you learn the worst time to drink coffee, according to dietitians and other experts.
If you like this article about the worst times for a cup of coffee, please share this with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Also, you can subscribe to my blog to get all the latest articles first on your mobile.
SHARING IS CARING!
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | PINTEREST
Did you like this recipe and make it later at home? SAVE this pin to your favourite board on Pinterest!