Dear Coffee Haters. Stop Throwing Shade in My Cup.

All reasons I enjoy my coffee, and you can too.

Whenever I have to rush through my morning coffee ritual, I dread it. I would rather skip it altogether than drink it in one gulp.

I have grown to cherish the ceremony of sipping through my beloved beverage while witnessing the world waking up to life.

Call it an addiction. Call it sentiment.

I couldn’t care less. Coffee seems to be the right drug.

Some scientific jargon about caffeine if you care:

It keeps you focused.

Caffeine is absorbed into your bloodstream. Next, it travels to your brain, where the amount of other neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and dopamine increases, leading to the heightened firing of neurons.

Many studies show that coffee improves brain functions — including memory, mood, vigilance, energy levels, reaction times and general mental function.

Caffeine makes us super productive.

It helps you get down to work and stay on the goal rather than leave your thoughts wandering. It keeps your “monkey brain” in check.

Michael Pollan, author of This Is Your Mind on Plants, claims:

caffeine contributed to the Enlightenment and the Age of Reason, and the Industrial Revolution all of which required us to think in much more focused, linear terms. Caffeine was an amazing aid to the rise of capitalism.

I am not surprised. I like my ideas after drinking that cup of Joe, although coffee is not a must-have for my creative thinking. It is a welcomed companion, not a forced partnership.

Isaac Newton was a big coffee fan. Voltaire, the Enlightenment figure, apparently had 72 cups a day. Diderot wrote the encyclopedia on caffeine. This new, sober, more civil drink was changing the way people thought and the way they worked.

It adds to your happiness.

In yet another Harvard study published in 2011, women who drank four or more cups of coffee per day had a 20% lower risk of becoming depressed.

Coffee stimulates the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine that produces euphoria and pleasant feelings.

Researchers even saw a link between caffeine intake and lower suicide rates. They have found that caffeine can have the same effects as a mild antidepressant.

Since coffee keeps your brain sharp, you can successfully tackle your to-do list. No wonder, at the end of the day, you feel satisfied with your achievements.

What is more, caffeine protects your brain and makes it resilient to stress, ageing, and neurological diseases.

It lowers your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

For some reason, coffee drinkers have a significantly reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Studies observe that people who drink the most coffee have a 23–50% lower risk of getting this disease. One study showed a reduction as high as 67%.

Drinking coffee reduces your chances of developing Alzheimer’s and other diseases.

Several studies show that coffee drinkers have up to a 65% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

A study also singled out the compounds in roasted coffee that may be responsible for preventing the build-up of the brain plaque believed to cause the disease.

A large new study of nearly 500,000 people has found that coffee lowers the risk of chronic liver disease, liver cancer, and other liver maladies.

It is an abundant source of antioxidants.

Scientists have identified approximately 1,000 antioxidants in unprocessed coffee beans, and hundreds more develop during the roasting process.

Antioxidants fight inflammation, an underlying cause of many chronic conditions.

Studies don’t support the idea that coffee raises your risk of heart disease. Caffeine can increase your blood pressure, but with a rise of only 3–4 mm/Hg, the effect is small and usually dissipates if you drink coffee regularly.

Some studies also show that coffee drinkers have a 20% lower risk of stroke.

A large new study of nearly 500,000 people has found that coffee lowers the risk of chronic liver disease, liver cancer, and other liver maladies.

It enhances your physical performance.

Many individuals prefer a strong cup of coffee before hitting the gym.

Caffeine breaks down body fat, making free fatty acids available as fuel, improving physical performance on average. Two cups of coffee can cut post-workout muscle pain by up to 48%.

Partner it with a meditation practice.

Enough with the scientific excuses.

Using your coffee time as meditation is a great way to incorporate mindfulness into your day.

When you create a morning ritual around your coffee, you win quality time with yourself. Focusing on yourself during the first part of the day is essential to keep your balance.

The ritual of brewing my precious cuppa is a journey of mindfulness: taking in smells, and tasting different flavours until the last sip.

It is not about a destination to the empty cup but an entire process of preparing and enjoying the ritual.

In her article, Elizabeth Loberg stresses the importance of establishing a personalized morning routine. Coffee can be your anchor.

Bear in mind that the intake I am raving about is moderate consumption. Find what makes you feel good.

Enjoy your coffee as long as it serves you.

It all boils down to one: if it makes you feel good, engage.

If it helps tackle your to-do list, by all means, carve out the time and sip your coffee with gratitude.

If coffee makes you anxious, or you constantly debate whether to have another cup, then don’t. Your frantic thinking alone causes more damage to your health than drinking that coffee.

When I was stressed out about my body and looks despite eliminating more and more food groups, my health did not improve. The obsession has run me down.

My attitude and how I feel after having coffee has changed drastically since I stopped making myself guilty for having it in the first place. I know I am going to enjoy my coffee as long as it serves my body and my mood. Whenever I become stressed about having one, I step aside.

I have travelled a long journey of a mental diet, changing my core beliefs about health. Finally, I am happy to say that I can drink coffee with no guilt prior or anxiety afterwards.

Why do you reach for your coffee?

Is it a pick-me-up tool after a meal saturated with carbs? Do you actually enjoy the taste more than you need that fuel?

Is it comfort food for you? Does it give you security, a comfy blanket, an excuse for something sweet?

Many people don’t react well to coffee, as they treat it like a substitute for something they seem to lack. The news? Coffee will never give you that. It is just a beverage. Glorious indeed. But still a beverage.

Since I started drinking coffee for the sole pleasure of it, not because I have to or mindlessly choke it down the throat, it started serving me.

First, ask yourself what is it about your lifestyle that makes you tired? Perhaps instead of reaching for that next cup, change your daily routine.

Why are you craving comfort? Where are you not feeling safe and satisfied that you need to search for it outside?

Whatever we consume in excess has its reasons. Those reasons affect our health and mind.

Emotional stress, like that from blocked emotions, has not only been linked to mental illness, but also to physical problems like heart disease, intestinal problems, headaches, insomnia and autoimmune disorders.

— Time Magazine, Ignoring Your Emotions Is Bad for Your Health. Here’s What to Do About It

You can remove the ailment surgically. But unless you discover the root cause of the condition, the next disease will pop up.

Find the root of any discomfort and what feelings lie behind it, instead of relying on pills and substances to make you feel better. Because after a while, they will not suffice, and you will be tempted to search for more.

How about going decaf?

Food detoxes rise in popularity. And I am all for it. For one particular reason: it tastes so much better when you come back.

That is why I like having a break from coffee. It may be a week or a month. I have never experienced any headaches or symptoms of withdrawal.

Perhaps you will discover that the taste of caffeine no longer suits your palate, and you are better off without it.

Any food detoxes I have willingly embarked upon served my mood, energy, and the discovery of new preferences.

Experimenting is fun, and treating life as a constant learning curve is key to enjoying it.

If you feel passionate about your coffee as I do, check out James Hoffmann’s YouTube Channel, the ultimate coffee guide and a World Barista Champion.

All in all, caffeine delivers much more than it takes away. So enjoy your caffeine for good reasons.

I savour my coffee affair while it lasts.

For now, I enjoy my coffee and its creativity boost afterwards. I enjoy my sleep with no interruptions. No toxic side effects on the horizon. Keep your way of living. And let me keep mine.

After all: the only size that matters is the size of my coffee cup.

Thank you for being here, — Kate