Is Coffee Your Energy Solution?

When you’re dealing with thyroid issues, especially hypothyroidism, fatigue becomes an all-too-familiar companion. Many of us seek solutions to boost our energy, and often, coffee is the first go-to option. In this episode, we’ll dive into the effects of coffee on your health, particularly its interaction with your thyroid medication. But don’t worry, I’m not here to tell you to give up your beloved coffee. Instead, I’ll educate you so that you can make the best decisions for your own health.

The Coffee Dilemma

Many coffee enthusiasts rely on that morning cup to kickstart their day. It helps you feel more awake, and, for some, it even aids in starting the day with a bowel movement. But if you’re on thyroid medication, like levothyroxine or Synthroid, you’ve probably heard the warning – don’t consume caffeine within an hour of taking your medication.

Why?

Coffee Interferes with Medication Absorption

Caffeine can alter thyroid medications’ absorption in your intestines. It does this by speeding up how quickly your thyroid medication travels through your intestines meaning less of it gets absorbed.

Your thyroid medication is meticulously calibrated to suit your needs. So when caffeine leads to inconsistent absorption, this can result in heightened thyroid symptoms. If not enough medication gets absorbed, you could have hypothyroid symptoms (fatigue, slow metabolism, depression.) If you don’t drink your coffee, your body will absorb more medication than normal which could lead to hyperthyroid symptoms (heart racing, tremors, anxiety.)

Coffee and Your Adrenal Glands

While you might turn to coffee for an energy boost, it’s crucial to understand that caffeine can stimulate your adrenal glands to release adrenaline. This adrenaline, when not utilized – for instance, if you’re not in a situation that requires a fight-or-flight response – prompts the release of glucose, which often ends up being stored in your fat cells. Thus, your quest for energy can ironically lead to weight gain. Additionally, chronic stress on your adrenal glands, exacerbated by caffeine intake, can cause adrenal fatigue. Both adrenal health and thyroid health are linked together; they are both important parts of your hormonal system.

3 Solutions to No Coffee and Thyroid Meds

If you drink coffee each morning, you probably enjoy the routine, smell, and taste, but your goal is probably something along the lines of: “I want more energy. I want to feel alive. I want to wake up and be alert!” Here are three simple solutions to improve your morning energy. Some of them even work better than caffeine!

Morning Sun Exposure

Your pursuit of more energy often leads you to that morning cup of coffee, but did you know that something as simple as exposing yourself to morning sunlight can make a significant difference? When your eyes absorb morning sunlight, it sends signals throughout your body, enhancing wakefulness and regulating your internal clock. If you can catch some morning sunlight within 30 minutes of waking up, you’ll likely feel more alert. But what if you live in a place where the sun isn’t up when you wake? There are alternatives, such as specialized lamps designed to mimic sunlight and provide similar benefits.

Movement Right Away

Instead of coffee, there’s a better way to invigorate yourself – start your day with movement. Exercising for 10 minutes in the morning improves your mental and physical energy more than coffee does according to the research done here.

Research indicates that you get an even bigger boost when you exercise outdoors. As a bonus, this will help you get some morning sunlight, too!

Movement stimulates blood flow to your brain, gets your heart rate up, and enhances your mental clarity. Plus, it even helps with bowel movements.

Mitochondrial Health

Your ultimate reason for drinking coffee is more energy, right? So let’s talk about where energy is created in your body.

I always go back to the cell as the basic building structure of your body because, well I’m the mom of four boys. I loved Legos as a little girl and my four boys absolutely love Legos. I think we have a million in our house. So when I talk about the basic building block of your body, I’m immediately picturing Legos. Elaborate builds come down to the integrity of the little bricks. My kids will not use generic Legos because they don’t hold together as well as real Legos.

The same thing goes for your body. You need to have healthy cells. Not only do you need to have healthy cells, but you need to have the energy-producing part of that cell the mitochondria healthy and working really well. And that is why every single morning every single morning I take the Protandim Dual Synergizer.

The Dual Synergizer is a combination of NRF1 and NRF2. NRF1 targets your body’s own mechanisms to boost mitochondrial health, creating more mitochondria, and providing essential nutrients. NRF2 complements this by reducing oxidative stress by up to 40% in 30 days and supports your body’s ability to produce antioxidants, repair cells, and reduce cellular stress.

By addressing your mitochondrial health and supporting your cellular well-being, you pave the way for increased energy and a healthier you.

Here is what one of my affiliate customers had to say:

I definitely feel I’m having more sustained energy throughout the day, even if I am not eating the best or exercising the best or sleeping the best. As much as those things are important, if I was slightly off on my food intake or sleep intake, I could notice it the rest of the day. I feel like now it’s not as noticeable, thankfully.

And then a couple of weeks later she told me this.

I’m feeling great. It’s honestly insane how much more energy I have. I wasn’t doing that bad before this supplement, but I’m starting to have energy like I had pre-Hashi’s.

Not everyone feels a difference like she did. I didn’t. I take the Dual Synergizer each day because I know the science and benefits I’m getting. One of my other friends didn’t think she was feeling a difference until she messed up her subscription and ran out. She was so tired that she thought she had Covid! When her test came back negative she realized that she hadn’t been taking the Dual Synergizer.

*Standard disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Coffee, Thyroid Meds, and 3Ms

In conclusion, it’s essential to be mindful of the relationship between coffee, thyroid medication, and your overall health. The goal is to enhance your energy. While coffee remains an option for an energy boost, it’s crucial to recognize that coffee interferes with thyroid medications and alternatives exist. Morning sunlight, movement in the morning, and supporting mitochondrial health can all help you in your quest for better energy levels.

Images used in this post by Aaron Burden, Nikita Kachanovsky, and Clay Banks on Unsplash