I am a coffee lover. I consume 2 cups a day averagely. Sometimes more depending on my activities for that particular day. And it has become a habit for me to drink a cup of coffee every morning before I start my day else, I won't be functioning well. Well, I guess this is all psychology. Kalau tak minum coffee, otak tak jalan. But that has become my natural habit. I do get a serious headache if I don't have my usual coffee in the morning and it will be all gone once I have my first sip. Psychology lagi di situ. Mind you that my cup is not the regular small cup size. My cup is the big diameter cup size which last me for 2 hours at least.
I can't really remember how I get myself addicted to it. No one teaches me to drink coffee but I remember started consuming it more seriously during my uni years. Being an art & design student requires a long hours of staying up all night to complete the assignments hence the coffee to make sure that I keep myself awake. I guess, I developed my love for coffee from there. This love I have has caused me a life disappointment as I had to reduce and cut-down my coffee in take due to pregnancy. Agak meroyan jugak di situ. I even consulted my gynae to check if I can still consume coffee even during pregnancy - that was how much love I have for it. No compromise when it comes to coffee.
Semenjak dah berduit sendiri ni, bila-bila rasa nak beli coffee mahal pon tak kesah dah. Coffee mahal means a small cup of coffee that cost more than a plate of mixed rice.
Tersentap sikit membaca sebab all this while, I have been consuming coffee at the wrong timing which in the long run will damage my body system. I shall not elaborate more, have a read on what is written on the article.
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Drinking
a cup of coffee first thing in the morning blunts the energy-boosting effects
of caffeine and may lead to increased tolerance of the stimulant. This
counterintuitive fact is explained in engaging visual form by Ryoko Iwata, “a
Japanese coffee-lover living in Seattle” on her appropriately titled blog, I
Love Coffee. Iwata based her post on research gathered by Steven Miller, a
Ph.D. candidate at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in
Bethesda.
Everybody is different, of course, but we are all guided by
the 24-hour hormonal cycle referred to as the circadian clock. These basic
rhythms are pre-programmed into us genetically and although we can mess with
our cycles through lifestyle habits, the major factor in their regulation is
sunlight. One of the things that this clock controls in humans is the release
of the hormone called cortisol which makes us feel alert and awake.
Here’s the thing. The peak production of cortisol occurs
between 8–9 am (under normal circumstances.) This means that at the time that
many people are having their first cup of coffee on the way to work, their
bodies are actually “naturally caffeinating” the most effectively! According to
Iwata, the effects of caffeine consumption at times of peak cortisol levels
actually diminishes the effectiveness of the additional stimulation. Worse
still, “By consuming caffeine when it is not needed, your body will build a
faster tolerance to it, and the buzz you get will greatly diminish.”
Cortisol is also considered a stress-related hormone and
consumption of caffeine has been shown to increase the production of cortisol
when timed at periods of peak cortisol levels. An increased tolerance for
caffeine can therefore lead to heightened cortisol levels which can disturb
circadian rhythms and have other deleterious effects on your health.
Iwata, as her blog title suggests, loves coffee
and has articulated what she considers to be the optimal timing of your coffee
intake to experience maximum enjoyment with minimal negative effects. The times
of peak cortisol levels in most people are between 8-9 am, 12-1 pm and
5:30-6:30 pm. Therefore, timing your “coffee breaks” (an apt term) between 9:30-11:30 and 1:30 and 5:00
takes advantage of the dips in your cortisol levels when you need a boost the
most
The best times to drink coffee are when your cortisol levels
naturally dip. These are, in fact, traditional “coffee break” times.
Put this way, the traditional idea of a “coffee break” makes
a lot of sense. I almost wonder if the idea of having coffee first thing is a
habit instilled by the coffee industry to get us to all drink more coffee! What
Iwata’s chart does not take into account is coffee consumption by early risers
before 8 am, when many of us have our first cups. This raises the question of
whether to have three coffees a day (probably too much for most people) or to
forgo one of the periods Miller’s research suggests.
Iwata’s delightful blog has other pleasures as
well. There is a post about an app that simulates the audio ambience of a café
for those who find it a productive work environment, a comparison of the
beneficial attributes of beer vs. coffee (she likes both!) and a spot on
assessment of what your coffee preference reveals about your personality. For
now, my cortisol is kicking in but I’ll wait for later to have a second cup.
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Well, what is written above makes sense and I guess I have to work myself towards the right coffee time. Tapi kadang-kadang pergi melepak dengan kawan-kawan pon minum coffee jugak which celarly past 6:30pm?
I guess, it depends on individual as well. As long as you know how to control or to balance your intake between the caffeinated drink (in this case, it's coffee) with plain water, it should be fine.
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