I gave up coffee. Totally cold turkey, and it’s totally fine. I’m here to tell you that I’m still here to tell you :) Why? Because I finally figured out what my body needs right now to thrive. And yes, some of it is the soft woo woo stuff, but a lot of it is based in hard science with tests that show what’s off balance biochemically.
So what did I learn from these tests? The biggest thing that I found out was that my cortisol curve is off the charts (not a good thing). Cortisol is your body’s stress hormone. It’s also considered the master hormone because it is in charge of so many other things. You see, our hormones are like a tightly orchestrated symphony. These chemicals in our body are measured in picograms (a millionth of a microgram) because they are that powerful and that tiny of an amount is all we need. The thing is, they balance each other and work together. So if one is off by the tiniest amount, it throws the others off too. And cortisol, it’s like the maestro of the symphony. We need it to work in the right amount because it primes the body's receptors for all the other hormones like your estrogen, progesterone, thyroid hormone, and insulin to name a few.
So in my case, where my cortisol is running high -- the stress hormone is causing imbalance in all parts of my body. It’s making me extremely anxious with a racing heartbeat and hair trigger response to the tiniest things. It’s causing my metabolism to come to a near halt as a measure of protection (the body considers fat to be like a protective blanket). It’s likely the cause of my breakouts, hair loss, and fatigue. It's why, overall, I have not been feeling my best. And it isn't like this came on all of a sudden. These are symptoms that I started noticing about 1.5 years ago. But when I went to my primary care doctor with it, she tested my TSH for thyroid (which was fine, and therefore she said it wasn't my thyroid -- what she didn't test was my Free T4, Free T3 OR Reverse T3 -- which show a clear imbalance now), and then suggested I go on an anti-depressant for my symptoms. For me, that was a hard No. I knew my body better than that and I decided to dig through functional medicine because I knew there was more to it than just masking everything with an anti-depressant. I was going to keep digging until I figured out what was off balance.
Why am I sharing this? Yes, these symptoms are uncomfortable and also a cause of insecurity, but I am sharing because I know I am not alone in these symptoms and imbalances. I’m sharing because we have all had one hell of a year, living through a pandemic, and many, many people are struggling and don’t know why. I want you to know that there is hope to get to the other side. This is not a bash on anti-depressants. For some, they are life saving medications and I believe that if they work for you, then that's a good thing. But I also want you to know that you don't have to settle if that's the only answer you get. There are tests that you can have done to see if your imbalance is stemming from a stress response in overdrive. There are ways to get things to re-balance again. Yes, it does take working with someone who knows the interconnections in the body. A functional medicine approach does this. And yes, it does take commitment to change, but after feeling crappy for so long, the motivation to feel well is a strong and powerful force for change.
What does this have to do with coffee? Well, coffee can have the effect of further spiking your stress hormone. Clearly, for me, this had to go. And besides supplements, good food, exercise and sleep, I know what else my body needs to thrive right now: It is support, it is love, it is a calm state of mind.
So how do I achieve these things? It's a work in progress. Asides from taking my supplements religiously and continuing to focus on my basic healthy lifestyle tenants, I am also focusing my mind on thoughts and affirmations such as: I am loved, I am happy, I am calm and supported. I am exactly where I need to be. All is good. I am meditating every single day. Sometimes twice a day. Right now, I am doing Chopra + Alicia Keys Free 21 Day Divine Feminine meditation. It is gold.
So you see, it's a multi-prong approach that takes time and commitment. It's not an overnight answer or a pill for an ill. But I know, in the long run, this approach will lead me to overall wellness that is sustainable, and a body that is thriving, not just barely getting by. To me, that is gold.