I love coffee – and I make no secret of that fact. My weekdays consist of oversharing my adoration for the beverage with my colleagues – and the weekends see me frequenting the many independent cafes in the city. So, you can imagine the immediate dread I felt when I was asked to change my morning coffee for juice.
There’s a lot of information out there recommending that you drink juice in the morning to get vitamins, minerals, and fiber into your diet. However, There’s a lot of information out there recommending that you drink a shot of espresso to start your morning too. It gives you an energy boost whilst hitting your fiber intake and antioxidant requirements. I wanted to get some evidence for myself on how I felt after starting my day with each drink.
Initially, I invested in one of these best juicers. I picked up this Hurom HP Slow Juicer that's on sale at the moment, from $379.00 to $284.25 at Hurom. I chose this one because it's ideal for serving up single cups, which is ideal because I live on my own. This Hurom HP Slow Juicer review also sealed the deal.
I had heard that juice would boost my immune system and, in some cases, improve the health and appearance of my skin – both of which were high up my priority list. I wanted to enjoy these perks, but I had my reservations about replacing coffee with juice. However, the intrigue was there – and after talking with nutritionist Arina Kuzmina, I felt reassured that I could get on with my morning without an immediate caffeine hit.
'For many of us, morning coffee is a daily ritual that takes place as soon as we wake up,' Arina says. 'Within the first half an hour, we sip on the aromatic, warm drink in the hope of waking up and getting a boost of energy. However, drinking coffee in the first 1.5-2 hours after the wake up is a mistake.'
Instead of reaching straight for the best coffee maker in the morning, Arina urged me to stay away from caffeine for at least 1-2 hours. Instead, she suggests it is better to have juice.
'As soon as we open our eyes and for the next first 1-2 hours, our cortisol levels are higher than for the rest of the day. Many of us know cortisol as a stress hormone, but in reality, it is a hormone that activates all of the body's systems. When we wake up, it serves as an alarm for all of our internal functions and systems and sends them a signal to start working,' she says.
Coffee also elevates our cortisol levels, but when we drink it when our natural levels are already high (after waking), our cortisol levels could go too high. As a result, our anxiety levels and our feelings of alertness and mood swings might increase.
I found that, while I loved the boost I got from my morning coffee, I did experience feelings of anxiousness not long after drinking. It wasn't until mid-morning that I began to feel more grounded. However, after switching to coffee, I was less anxious for the first few hours of the day. Then, later, when I had my first coffee around 11 AM, it gave me the boost I desired without the over-anxiety.
Over the week, I usually made berry smoothies with blackcurrants, raspberry, strawberry, and vanilla yogurt. However, the nutritionist recommends a vegetable-based smoothie as the best way to kick-start your morning.
'A smoothie made with vegetables and fruits is the perfect light start of the day that slowly wakes up the digestion and loads our body with vitamins and nutrients needed for sustained energy levels and better brain function,' Arina says.
While I opted for a juicer, you can also get the same result from one of the best blenders on the market. And, while I admit that I do sometimes slip back into my coffee habits on tired mornings, the week has changed my caffeine habits for the better.
