By Allison Tannis
Addicted to Coffee?
Judging by the long lines at the local coffee shop each morning, Canadians are in love with their cup of java. Are you relying on coffee to keep you on top of your game?
Many people have grown so accustomed to having their morning coffee to get them moving that they don’t consider the damaging effects caffeine has on the body. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. It reduces fine motor coordination, causes insomnia, headaches, nervousness, dizziness, irritability, muscle tension, nausea, tiredness and jitters. Caffeine interferes with particular sites in the brain and acts at other sites to increase heart rate and constrict blood vessels. It also causes physical dependence (if you don’t think it’s addicting, try going cold turkey). It takes about six hours for caffeine to be eliminated from the body. Even as little as one to two cups a day can negatively affect you.
Improving your natural energy production is easy to do through healthier means and can reduce your requirement for caffeine.
Stress and lack of rest can drain your natural energy reserves. Food offers nutrients to improve those reserves, but as you age your ability to digest food decreases, lowering the amount of energy-enhancing nutrients available to your body.
In addition, your daily metabolic reactions create free radicals that can damage your cells’ ability to produce energy. Free radicals are also inflicted upon your body by UV light, toxins and radiation.
Together, these problems decrease your body’s available energy. How can you increase energy naturally, without the need for stimulants like caffeine? Lifestyle changes such as increasing sleep, reducing stress and exercising are a great start. However, the best way to attack the energy problem is through nutrition.
Poor nutrition is one of the leading causes for feeling lack of energy.
Energy production in the body is a complicated process that requires carbohydrates, proteins, fat, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and healthy cells. To ensure your body has plenty of fuel sources available (carbohydrates, protein and fat), include plant enzymes in your diet to help digestion. Plant enzymes are available in supplements and naturally occur in uncooked vegetables, fruits and grains.
For proper energy metabolism to work, essential vitamins and minerals are required. Eat a balanced diet of a variety of whole foods to ensure your body has all of the essential vitamins and minerals it needs to function properly. In particular, energy metabolism requires B vitamins. B vitamins promote energy production. Mushrooms are a great food source of B vitamins, as are mangoes. But, remember that B vitamins are water soluble and as such, your body can not store them. Throughout the day, include B vitamins in your diet to ensure optimal energy production.
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How do you keep your cells healthy? One way is to keep free radicals at bay. Free radicals are naturally produced in your body every day and are also inflicted upon us by our environment. Free radicals steal oxygen from cells, creating an unstable environment that can lead to cell damage and sometimes cell death.
How do you stop free radical damage? Antioxidants are the solution. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals. However, it is important to note that a wide variety of antioxidants is required to neutralize free radicals effectively. A rainbow of colourful vegetables and fruit on your plate is vital to stopping free radical damage. Or, if choosing a multivitamin, be sure to look for one with a wide range of whole food antioxidants.
Next to colds and flu, fatigue is the most common patient complaint.
Energy is manufactured in the mitochondria, an organelle found in every cell. Antioxidants protect the mitochondria from free radical damage, ensuring this important structure is healthy and stable to optimize energy production. The mitochondria need vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins and fats to create energy.
In addition, the mitochondria also need essential fatty acids to optimize energy production. You may remember from biology class that a potential difference across a membrane can be used to create energy – the healthier the membrane, the better the energy production. Essential fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-6 are vital to healthy membranes. Include omega-3 and omega-6 into your coffee-busting plan and help your cells create more energy.
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Get out of the coffee shop line-up and step into a life of feeling naturally energetic. Try making lifestyle changes to increase your sleep and decrease your stress. Eat a rainbow of whole foods to offer your body the building blocks it needs to produce energy. Currently, the average Canadian is only consuming half of the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables per day (Statistics Canada, 2006). If you aren’t getting all of your fruits and veggies, a potent multivitamin is one of the ways that nutritionally-minded healthcare professionals suggest boosting energy. Brighten your outlook in the morning from that dull brown of your cup of coffee to the energizing colours of whole foods and enjoy an extra bounce in your step.
Allison Tannis
Allison Tannis, BSc, MSc is a nutritional scientist and educator. She is the author of Vitality: Quest for a Healthy Diet, and loving aunt to three school-aged, flu-catching boys.
