To have a cuppa…or not?
If you had to pick one drink that you absolutely cannot give up, what would it be? For many, it is their cup of coffee or tea. The quiet morning cuppa, the companion on a wintery commute, the warm brew when catching up with friends, the mug to snuggle on a rainy day, the midday pick-me-up…we are creatures of ritual and habit.
Originating from Africa, these magic beans come predominantly from two species of plants; Coffea arabica is more popular due to its mild and aromatic flavour, while Robusta has twice the caffeine content and is cheaper to grow (making it the common commercial coffee bean and often used in grounded and instant coffee). Arabica comes from Eastern Africa, Latin America, Asia and Arabia, while Robusta comes from Western and Central Africa, Southeast Asia and Brazil. An old coffee lore tells the story of an Arab goatherd who was puzzled by his flocks strange behaviour until his sampled the berries of the evergreen bush they were feeding on. He experience the instant exhilaration of this stimulant, and it became so famous that coffee drinking spread rapidly to Arabs and their neighbours, causing a ban of the substance and the emergence of a new cultural entity; the coffeehouse.
Today, coffee culture and self-proclaimed coffee snobs discuss the merits of the French press and disdain at the 7-Eleven espresso. While the modern world touts both the benefits and harms of coffee, Ayurveda takes the approach of personalised medicine and balance. From this perspective, coffee has qualities or gunas that increase dryness, stimulation and heat, so those of us prone to constipation, anxiety, light sleep and sensitive stomachs may want to reconsider caffeine, or at least minimise it. Caffeine is a heaty stimulant; it raises internal heat - both in the body such as heat rashes and ulcers, and in the mind such as alertness, sensitivity and strong emotions like anger. If you are prone to these already, Ayurveda recommends a cautious relationship with caffeine.
Disclaimer: I do drink coffee a few times a week, and occasionally tea. These are some of the way I mitigate the effects of this powerful brew:
Enjoy coffee in cool, wet or humid weather such as springtime rather than the dry, windy fall. A small quantity of caffeine can be balanced by your environment, but can tip you over in excess.
Add a pinch of cardamom; the Ayurvedic approach to decaffeinate your cuppa. This grounding spice reduces the stimulating effects of caffeine by soothing the nerves. This is why it is a common ingredient in chai blends.
Bulletproof your coffee with a teaspoon of coconut oil (if you have a warmer constitution or weather) or ghee (a nice all-rounder). This reduces the drying and heating effects of the coffee.
Avoid coffee first thing in the morning or with meals. On an empty stomach, a long black is like pouring acid on acid, and can disrupt the gut microbiome. Caffeine reduces the absorption of iron by up to 90% and depletes iron stores, so if you are iron deficient, make this change before turning to supplements and infusions.
Take a coffee break - give yourself some caffeine-free days each week. Rather than switching to decaf, which still has many of the less favourable effects of coffee, try a herbal tea or non caffeinated alternative such as dandelion tea or African Roobios tea.
Choose one step to start, and find a more comfortable relationship with your cuppa that is free from attachment, co-dependence and strong emotions. This is where friendship lives.
