Important PSA: Coffee is not breakfast.

Although it’s a ritual engrained in our modern society, drinking coffee first thing in the morning can actually be a habit that’s detrimental to your health.

In fact, coffee on an empty stomach- whether that’s in the morning or any time during the day- will throw a lot of things off- your blood sugar, your stress hormones, your energy, your appetite, and more.

The basics:

Caffeine -> increased cortisol -> increased blood sugar. Without food, especially over time, this -> decreased blood sugar, which -> increased cortisol…

And the cycle continues, putting you on a roller coaster.

Coffee can also deplete minerals, disrupting blood sugar and draining your energy even more.

And yes, decaf can cause similar issues. Non-coffee drinks like matcha, black tea, or juice (even fresh-pressed organic veggie juice).

Anything that’s not food first thing in the morning prolongs your fast instead of breaking it, essentially causing more stress.

How to get off the roller coaster and enjoy coffee in a more supportive way:

Drink it with or after food. This will slow the absorption of caffeine and support more balanced blood sugar levels.
Add protein, fat, and carbs to balance your cup. This is especially helpful for times you can’t or for whatever reason don’t eat first. (I’ve personally been enjoying a mix of collagen, heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk, and coconut sugar).
If you’re stressed, exhausted, or dealing with anxiety or hormone imbalances- cut back. (Postpartum mamas, though it can be a crutch for energy, this can be so helpful). Switch to half-caff or decaf. Give your body more nourishment to support replenishment and healing without the depletion caffeine can cause.
Remember that energy doesn’t come from caffeine. Our bodies make energy and for that, we need a foundation of food and sleep.

So all in all, enjoy your coffee for the taste, for the ritual, and even for a little nudge if you need it…

But know that just shifting when and how you have it (and maybe even why) can have far-reaching positive effects.

For many, this is just about habit change, which will take time. You’ll need to be mindful so you can make intentional decisions- to drink some water, to make some breakfast, to eat before you start to work.

Once you get into a groove, those choices become easier. You’ll also notice positive changes in how you feel, hopefully, more energy and more hunger in the morning- so more motivation to eat when you wake up! For others, there’s more of a physical dependency on caffeine, and that also takes time to change but also, requires some deeper digging into why it’s happening in the first place.

Most often, needing coffee for “energy” is due to overall metabolic dysfunction, depletion, circadian rhythm disruption, and/or chronic stress. Essentially, your natural cortisol awakening response has been blunted. It’s also possible that there’s a dependence on the adrenaline rush that coffee facilitates. So many of us are completely addicted to stress without even realizing it.

Getting down to the roots and supporting your metabolism, blood sugar and stress handling responses, and energy production mechanisms will be key for releasing the grip that caffeine has on you.