Each morning, our world may seem gray and dull as we wake up with stiff muscles, heavy breathing and bleary eyes. However, with only a cup of coffee, our world is immediately filled with wonderful colors. Unfortunately, after a few hours of working, the effect dissipates, we grab another cup of coffee and the cycle continues to repeat. Caffeine in our coffee is a wonderful drug, but it’s easy to abuse it. Coffee is beneficial if taken in moderation. In fact, there are studies about clear benefits of coffee, since it’s filled with antioxidants that can make use healthier. However, busy and stressful lifestyle compels us to get one cup after another, then quite easily; we drink more than 8 cups of coffee each day.
Excessive intake of caffeine could cause various problems, such as ulcer, hyperactive heart and high blood pressure. If you are busy, don’t have enough sleep and need to stay awake, coffee simple won’t cut it. Increased consumption of coffee or even worse, energy drinks with concentrated level of caffeine will cause significant pressure on your body. When you are tired and need rest, then the best solution is to rest. Coffee should be used only as a little boost to brighten your day and you shouldn’t become dependent on it. Instead of relying on coffee, you may need to perform lifestyle and dietary changes. If you lack proper rest, you should sleep immediately. Adding one more hour of sleep each night can make a huge difference and you won’t need as many cups as you used too.
Another way to reduce your dependence on caffeine is to have high-fiber diet, such as oatmeal, whole wheat bread and vegetables. Fiber is essentially a complex form of carbohydrate and it takes more time for our body to transform it into usable energy. It means that our body will get steady supply of energy, instead of instant jolt of energy provided by high-sugar food like jam, cupcake and donut. Because you get steady release of energy, you won’t need repeated jolts of caffeine stimulation. If you need some extra energy, you shouldn’t be afraid to have healthy snack during work. Your goal should be to have a reasonable supply of energy throughout your working hours. This kind of dietary adjustment will also prevent you from overeating during lunch, which could cause you to feel sluggish during the rest of your working hours.
If high-fiber breakfast enough due to your active working style in the office and stores that require plenty of standing up, lifting and walking; it is a good idea to take some time for having good snacks. Fruit should be a good snack, because it has moderate amount of fructose that can be converted relatively quickly into glucose. It also has plenty of dietary fiber that can be released into energy later. Nuts should also be a good snack in the office, because they are convenient and packed with some energy. But, if you still need an additional boost, you can get a cup of coffee, but it will be a rare occurrence.