Can your cup of coffee be messing with more than just your sleep? Bipolar Mums founder Mariska finds out.
I live in the coffee capital of Australia� maybe even of the world.� We have more coffee shops in Melbourne than in any other state � and our Baristas are� known for their world class coffee.
I still find it amazing that up until the age of 32, I�d never tasted coffee.� By that I mean real coffee. I had tried a sip of Mum�s cheap instant coffee�when I was 17�� and promptly spit it out into the sink.
Since my first taste of real coffee, I�ve slowly become hooked on my �morning cuppa�.
I�ve mentioned before that I�m not a morning person.� It�s�not helped by the�medication I take each night which leaves me a�bit�groggy.��But my morning cuppa clears my head and leaves me ready to face the day.
Lately, I�ve been noticing my morning cuppa�being followed by a�midday coffee and sometimes even�a sneaky afternoon coffee.� Add to that a few more cups of black tea and�soon my stress hormone, called�cortisol, is�surging.
So what�s the problem with coffee causing raised cortisol levels?� And is this something�we should be concerned�as women�with Bipolar?
A quick scan of the internet�tells me�that raised cortisol levels can not only leave you feeling anxious, fearful and angry � they can also lead to feelings of depression, lower your immune systems and increase fat in the stomach area.
Now, I�m not someone who should be lecturing on health issues, but none of these things sound appealing.� Goodness knows I spend enough time dealing with anxiety and depression.� The last thing I need is to be adding to the problem with my new love affair with coffee.
Earlier this week, I convinced myself to at least check out the herbal teas in the supermarket, telling myself they were just as satisfying as a freshly brewed coffee.� I was staggered to find dozens of different herbal teas.
As I write, I have my fingers wrapped around a steaming cup of lemon and ginger tea.� No caffeine.� No worry about insomnia or surging cortisol levels.� A truly guilt free cuppa.
I don�t think I can give up my beloved morning coffee. Or a cup of milky tea in the afternoon.� But that�s it.� The rest have to go.� And with it, all those side effects that make life as a Bipolar Mum even more difficult.
Do you find coffee gives you any side-effects?� Or are you one of those people who can drink copious amounts and still sleep like a log?� Leave your comments below.
