"Coffee is a cup of hope in a world full of chaos and Mondays!" (Author Unknown) I have a complicated relationship with coffee. On the one hand, I love ritual and coffee is the starting block of my daily routine. On the other hand, it is often accompanied by a sense of compulsion, jitters, and craving; less than ideal for mental and physical health. Throughout my life I have alternated between regular coffee, decaf, half-caf, tea, and most recently some of these interesting adaptogenic mushroom coffees. One thing that has never been a personal struggle however is Starbucks. For me, these coffees are over-priced and often laden with syrups, sugar, and excess calories that metamorphosize a somewhat healthy beverage into a metabolic, diabetic disaster. From time to time, in an effort to be amicable, I will accompany friends or family for coffee, but ultimately my favorite cup is brewed at home.
Due to the autoimmune issue of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, I personally find I am more sensitive to the caffeine jitters and addictive nature of the beverage. While it has redeeming qualities for health including antioxidants, improved mental alertness, enhanced physical performance, and potentially a lower risk of certain diseases like Type 2 diabetes, I can't help but note my undue reliance on it. When I find myself waking up earlier and earlier with a subtle caffeine headache or feeling moody or angry out of proportion to the stimulus, these are signals to me that my coffee obsession is extending to that of an addict. It may sound like an exaggeration, but at this point in life, I recognize the symptoms.
In addition, it is well-known that coffee and thyroid meds do not mix. Caffeine can interfere with medication absorption, potentially leading to less effective treatment and a return of thyroid symptoms. Caffeine stimulates gut motility and the rapid transit of food and drugs, thus less of the medication is fully absorbed into the bloodstream. One of the strategies I have implemented most recently is simply taking my thyroid meds on an empty stomach at night. This decision was based less on the coffee/med interaction issue and more about how I was feeling first thing in the morning. Cortisol, our stress hormone, naturally increases in the morning, which is what allows us to wake up. Traditionally, I would then take my thyroid meds, drag my feet a bit, and then indulge in my morning joe. Somehow, that trifecta of cortisol, caffeine, and meds left me wired but tired. There was a JAMA (Journal of American Medicine) study from 2010 studying the effects of evening vs. morning dosing of levothyroxine. Their particular conclusions were Levothyroxine taken at bedtime significantly improved hormone levels. This would be something to certainly clear with your doctor before changing your schedule, but I personally have been pleased with my overall energy levels, alertness, and a smoother morning routine.
Finally, my most recent coffee exploration has been the market of mushroom coffees. Mushrooms are often referred to as adaptogens. Adaptogens are active ingredients in certain plants, herbs, and mushrooms that may impact how your body deals with stress, anxiety, and fatigue. Whereas coffee seems to increase my stress and anxiety, adaptogens have the opposite effect. I know mushroom coffee doesn't sound particularly appealing, but mushrooms contain a rich, nutty, bold flavor similar to coffee. I started a couple of years ago with MudWater, advertised as "the original mushroom coffee." It does have a cult-like following and states, "It tastes like your mug of hot cacao met a chai latte and they had a baby!" Its powerhouse ingredients include, cacao, turmeric, sea salt, and cinnamon plus includes mushroom varieties of Chaga, Cordyceps, Reishi, and Lions Mane. Mix with hot water and maybe a little milk and honey for a coffee alternative. mudwtr.com/
My personal favorite which I started drinking a few weeks ago is Everyday Dose, Coffee+. It is a combination of mushrooms, collagen protein, and nootropics. Nootropics are substances that may improve cognitive functions such as memory, learning and concentration. One of the most common examples of a nootropic is caffeine. Everyday Dose includes coffee, Chaga and Lion Mane's mushrooms, L-theanine, and collagen. L-theanine is considered a nootropic. It is an amino acid found in green tea leaves that has been shown to promote relaxation, improve focus, and reduce anxiety. It's this combination of ingredients that work to boost energy, elevate mood, improve gut health and enhance focus that likely benefit me moreso than coffee. I like to add my Bub's collagen plus a little creamer and use my frother to create a rich, hearty morning drink. www.everydaydose.com/products/30-serving-mushroom-coffee?servings=30
The MudWtr and Everyday Dose websites are listed above. If you prefer to research the products via Amazon, here are a couple of affiliate links.
RSS Feed