Tea and coffee are nervous stimulants. Nervous stimulants will give you a boost of energy for a short while, after which the body’s energy will crash. Too much of tea and coffee consumption will lower your stamina and energy levels, so by the end of the day you are running out of fuel for the body and for the work it does.
Now, does that mean you give up tea or coffee?
'No.'
When you give up a food it should be because your body does not feel good with it and not because of some forced restriction. The problem is not absolutely in the consumption of tea or coffee per se but in the abuse of it.
Don't let tea or coffee replace a meal or suppress your appetite; help you wake up or push you through the late working hours. Let tea be a refreshing beverage for the winter or wet, rainy days to keep you warm or sooth your sniffles. Tea or coffee should not be had compulsively or habitually but should be had once or twice a day without the guilt and pressure. Having it for the right reasons and amounts will help you relish it and you won't want to depend on it.
If skipping your mug of coffee is making you groggy or if your tea is a necessity to help morning bowel movements, then it's not good.
Don't let your cup of tea or coffee decide how your body responds or how your day will be. Be conscious of your diet, eat well, sleep well and you will not have to depend on any stimulant to breeze yourself through the day.
Jennifer Dhuri
Registered Dietitian
Mumbai