If you remember back to Tip #4 (Drink a gallon of water every day), you’ll remember the importance of staying properly hydrated and all of its health benefits. The thing with both coffee (caffeine) and alcohol is that they are both diuretics. When you consume either you lose water and become dehydrated. For this tip you don’t need to completely exclude coffee and alcohol from your life, but I do suggest you minimize both considerably.
Coffee contains a stimulant called caffeine and consuming a little caffeine can increase your metabolism and help improve the intensity of your workouts. So there can be some benefits. Alcohol really doesn’t have many health benefits. I know, wine has anti-oxidants! But so do grapes, so eat those. Alcohol is part of our society and culture. It’s a part of many of our celebrations and traditions. Remember cheat days (Tip #7)? Keep your alcohol consumption limited to your cheat days.
The caffeine found in coffee is a stimulant and it will elevate heart rate, increase blood flow, and raise body temperature. It increases blood sugar levels and act as a diuretic, meaning you urinate more frequently and reduce water intake.
For people with high blood pressure or high blood sugar levels (diabetes) the negative effects of caffeine should be understood. Caffeine can raise both these levels. Any type of heart problem can be affected by caffeine. The negative effect of caffeine in increasing heart rate can create problems for people with heart conditions, and in high doses, caffeine can induce irregular heartbeats in healthy people.
People with stomach conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, ulcers, and gastro-intestinal reflux, may all suffer from the negative effects of caffeine. Caffeine increases acidic response in the stomach which may lead to excessive bowel movements and is associated with stomach discomfort.
Negative effects of caffeine can be broken down into moderate and serious side effects:
Moderate negative effects of caffeine include:
1. Headaches
2. Irritability
3. Increase in breast tenderness
4. Restlessness
5. Mild insomnia
6. Increased heart rate
7. Increased blood sugar
8. Difficulty concentrating
9. Mild stomach upset
Severe negative effects of caffeine include:
1. Panic attacks
2. Irregular heartbeat
3. Sleep deprivation
4. Continuous stomach problems
5. Prolonged depression
6. Sleep disorders
The Negative Effects of alcohol include
1. Water loss: There is rapid water loss (diuresis) within the first several hours of drinking alcohol due to decreased secretion of antidiuretic hormone, a pituitary peptide.
2. Electrolyte Depletion: Depletion of magnesium. Magnesium depletion can lead to a reduction calcium from bone. And reduced phosphate level may lead to muscle weakness anddegeneration.
3. Vitamin Deficiency: Folate deficiency can occur and is a common cause of anemia. Alcohol also interferes with vitamin B12 absorption. Deficiencies of the two vitamins cause large-cell anemia. Vitamin B6 metabolism is disturbed by the process of alcohol oxidation, contributing to anemia. Niacin deficiency, is also common. Vitamin A storage is commonly decreased.
4. Micronutrient Deficiency: Trace element metabolism may be disordered with regular alcohol consumption. Alcohol may increase the urinary loss of zinc and the absorption of iron. Zinc deficiency aggravates vitamin A deficiency, since zinc is needed in the transformation of vitamin A into its active form.
5. Liver damage is the best known result of alcohol abuse.
6. Alcohol impairs regulation of blood sugar levels
7. Alcohol impairs reproductive functions
8. Alcohol impairs calcium metabolism and bone structure
So there you have it. This one is pretty simple. Limit your coffee intake to 1-2 cups each day. And only drink alcohol on your cheat days (and don’t go crazy either!)
I’ll be back tomorrow with your final tip!
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