Depending on what stage of adrenal fatigue you are in, your tolerance for caffeine may vary.
For many of us, it's a crutch and for those with adrenal fatigue, mustering up enough energy to get through the day can be tough. We totally feel ya on this. This is where many fall into the cycle of drinking coffee for more temporary energy because they are fatigued, while at the same time putting more wear and tear on the adrenal glands over the long term. Do you see how this is a double-edged sword?
If you are struggling with adrenal fatigue is any caffeine okay!?
This question comes up a lot. The answer really depends on where you're at and how depleted your adrenals are.
Typically, I'd recommend taking a good 30 day break from coffee while you give your adrenals some time to recover.
Why would I recommend this torture you ask? To help you regain balance and control. 30 days is enough time to release you from the clutch of caffeine addiction and to reset your relationship with it. It will also support you in re-establishing hormonal balance.
Is there a better way to energize without coffee?
We think so! We wrote a blog all about this that you can check out here!
I recommend tindering down your daily consumption slowly, rather then going cold turkey. This will just make things a little easier on you. Start with smaller cup sizes or switch to decaf.
I love substituting in matcha or raw cacao in place of one of my daily coffees during this phase. These alternatives provide smaller amounts of caffeine to help prevent withdrawal headaches, while also offering comfort, deliciousness, and lots of great nutrition.
WHAT IS MATCHA?
Matcha is finely milled, premium green tea leaves. The difference between this and regular green tea is that you actually consume the whole ground leaf (rather than steeping it in the water), because of this you consume all the nutrition from the leaf too. Because your consuming the whole leaf, you are getting a much more concentrated green tea with exaggerated benefits.
The Benefits:
It is amazingly high in free radical scavenging antioxidants! ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) is a method in which we rate the antioxidant capacity of things, and matcha is up there amongst the highest rated foods.
Matcha has 137 times more antioxidants than 1 cup of regular green tea
The nutritional equivalent of drinking 10 cups of regular green tea per 1 cup.
It boosts your energy! Studies have shown that a cup of matcha can boost endurance by nearly 25%. Matcha does contain caffeine, but about half the amount of a regular cup of coffee. With matcha, the buzz is longer and more sustained, not up and down like a cup of coffee.
At the same time that it is stimulating, it is also calming. Matcha is rich in L-theanine, an amino acid that promotes alpha waves in your brain promoting zen and calm. You won't get those jitters like you may from caffeine, just a blast of non-anxious energy!
It is rich in detoxifying chlorophyll and fiber.
It's amazing for skin health!
A CREAMY MATCHA NINJA LATTE RECIPE FOR THE ADRENALS
The Recipe:
1 cup steamed almond milk
1/2 tsp Matcha Ninja matcha
1 tsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp maple syrup
1 tbsp collagen protein powder
a splash of vanilla extract
a pinch of sea salt
Directions:
In a blender, combine all ingredients and blend until mixed well and frothy. Transfer to your mug and enjoy.
Alternatively, add a 1/2 of your steamed almond milk and the rest of the ingredients to your mug. Mix well with a mini hand frother and then gently pour in the rest of your steamed milk.
This matcha latte is special. The maple syrup and sea salt bring out a really delicious flavour and provide trace minerals that our adrenals crave for repair. The addition of collagen protein gives this drink a blood sugar balancing boost as well as extra gut nourishment. The coconut oil and collagen balance things out helping to energize you and fuel you- you'll find this is a perfect mid-morning or mid-afternoon energizer snack.
Hope you love it!
xo Danielle + the HYAF Team