What Never to Drink if you have Anxiety and What to Choose Instead
So many of us are struggling with anxiety. How could we not? Look at the state of the world, our political landscape, social injustice, and the daily demands on us in our personal and professional lives. It's so much!
In this 3-part series, I will help you ease your anxiety with small, important (but doable!) changes to your diet and lifestyle. Learn more about Ayurveda HERE!
Part 1
What Never to Drink if you have Anxiety and What to Choose Instead
We know we should moderate our sugar and alcohol intake...but what about our morning cup of coffee?
Coffee is a stimulant to your nervous system - it can activate your sympathetic nervous system and put you into fight or flight (raising blood pressure, stress hormones, and yes, anxiety).
Coffee is a "liquid stress hormone" - literally. Coffee spikes your adrenaline and cortisol, giving you that "boost" that many of us crave. But if you have anxiety, your nervous system and stress hormones do not need that boost, and coffee can worsen your symptoms. Depending on your genes, you may also be a "slow metabolizer "of caffeine (as described in this medical study). This means that caffeine lingers in your system later into the day, and its negative effects on you are more intense...late afternoon overwhelm and anxiety, anyone?
It stimulates (or overstimulates) your digestive tract - While some people experience this as a desired laxative effect in the mornings, for many it increases stomach pains, burning sensations, and loose stools.
The Ayurvedic Take:
Coffee aggravates both Vata and Pitta doshas, mentally and digestively, but is slightly beneficial for Kapha.
Don’t know your dosha yet? Take my quick, free assessment here, and get diet and lifestyle tips to benefit your unique mind-body constitution.
In Vata:
Coffee is too stimulating for sensitive Vata
Mentally, it upsets the nervous system, leading to anxiety
Digestively, it over-stimulates the stomach and gut, causing abdominal tension and cramps in the upper and middle GI tract. Then it dries out the colon - not a good combo for vata who already tends towards gas, bloat, and constipation
In Pitta:
Mentally, coffee increases irritability, stress, and feelings of perfectionism and pressure, turning Pitta's natural fiery drive, into overdrive
Digestively it overstimulates Pitta's already "quick-gut" increasing loose stools, acid reflux, and burning sensations in the belly.
In Kapha:
Kaphas are more prone towards depression (rather than anxiety), lethargy, and having trouble motivating.
1 cup of coffee daily is actually good for them, but make sure to enjoy it black, not with loads of cream and sugar - or what I like to call dessert coffee.
Kapha tends towards easy weight gain, and the sugar and dairy bog down their digestive tract, increasing accumulation of fat and water in the body.
So, keep it black, and even add a pinch of cinnamon powder of ginger for added digestive benefits.
The Ayurvedic Takeaway: If you are Vata or Pitta, ditch the coffee and try one of my favorite, delicious and healthy alternatives:
Best Coffee Alternatives (in my order of preference):
1) Rasa Koffee - this adaptogenic herbal coffee is dark, rich, toasty, and has several herbs that help rebalance a aggravated nervous system (like is found in anxiety and panic disorder)
2) Dandelion tea - this is especially amazing for Pitta, in that it contains powerful liver-detoxing properties. It also tastes rich and toasty, but not as "coffee-like" as Rasa.
3) Teeccino - this dark and tasty chicory root tea is an easy coffee sub and can be found at most health for stores as well as online.
If you just love coffee and aren't going to give it up, at least enjoy it in the healthiest way possible, using the tips below.
Healthy Coffee Tips:
Choose a dark roast, which are naturally lower in caffeine and acidity (and in my option taste much better)
Have it with or after breakfast, not first thing in the morning on an empty stomach
Have it with 1/2 - 1 tsp of coconut oil, ghee, or a milk substitute like almond, oat, or coconut milk. The healthy fat slows down the absorption of the caffeine and helps protect your mesentery skin (gut lining) from coffee's acidity.
Limit your coffee intake to 1 cup daily. Less is more here.
Finish it by 9am, especially if you think you might be a slow caffeine-metabolizer
Anxiety can be so difficult and makes it hard to manage day-to-day life. But you can manage it and thrive using holistic health strategies. You have nothing to lose! Try this out, and let me know how you feel by posting below or messaging me at hello@sarahteeple.com.
Stay tuned for our next post: Ease Anxiety with Ayurveda Part 2: "The Lavender Break," a 2-Minute Strategy to Stop Anxiety in its Tracks. Together we can feel calm, centered, and strong, naturally.
What are you working on right now? Anxiety stress overload, and LIFE overwhelm? I want to hear more about it, and offer you some natural options. Click HERE to schedule a fun, free holistic chat with me, and we’ll dive in together.
Living in alignment with your dosha is like unlocking your unique health code.
You can feel amazing - without resorting to pills, self-deprivation or endless doctor visits. My Beautifully Balanced program combines Functional Medicine with Ayurveda to help women transform their health and lives naturally - in just 3 months. I’d love to support you too.
