Seems like ‘waking up and smelling the coffee’ isn’t for everyone!
Nadya Movchan, CEO of London-based communications firm Movchan Agency, told Fox News Digital that she’s feeling more energetic than ever since kicking her coffee habit.
What happened?
Movchan, the CEO of Movchan Agency, claims that quitting coffee has had the opposite effect from what she expected. As per what she told Fox News, she was first introduced to coffee as a child and that her mother "always drank a very strong brew." She added, "So growing up, I thought that was the only way to drink coffee." However, Movchan admitted that as an adult, her addiction formed quickly. She said, "I loved coffee. I loved the taste of it. I loved that energy that it gave you in the moment. I would always start my day, normally, [with] two coffees, if I'm completely honest, and then a couple of more throughout the day. I just loved it."
Movchan didn’t realize her coffee habits were even at the point of "being an issue" until she signed up for a three-week detox course in December 2020. The detox required no wine, no alcohol, no greasy food, and, of course, no coffee – which, for Movchan, was "such a pain." As per her, "It was supposed to be not a big deal, but it was so hard for me at the beginning. For the first three days, I had the worst withdrawal symptoms you could imagine." She said she "had a terrible headache from the moment I woke up until the moment I went to sleep." The program recommended working out to help with the detox — which Movchan said she "couldn’t even think about" doing. She admitted, "I had no energy. I had to work. That was super hard because I felt such insane brain fog." Movchan also said that she felt psychologically challenged by this, as her ritual of waking up in the morning and starting her day with a cup of coffee was gone.
But just three days in, Movchan questioned everything.
And then, on day four, there was a big shift.
In her own words, "I woke up and I realized that I had more energy than ever," she said. "No brain fog, no fatigue, no headache. It was really amazing." Movchan recognized that she was maintaining the same energy level throughout the day, instead of having moments of crashing while drinking coffee. She added, "I removed that caffeine in the morning, I realized that I have stable energy levels. I don't need caffeine." As per the CEO, her productivity at work also "soared," and she wasn’t feeling sleepy after lunch.
Movchan also noticed some unexpected results after quitting coffee, including having healthier, less-dry skin. She said, "Especially in the winter, my hands would just be extremely dry. I had to put a lot of cream on them. Also, my lips – I would never go out without [lip balm]. But when I stopped drinking coffee, I realized that it was probably dehydrating me a lot, which is, I guess, no surprise – but I didn't think of it before that."
As a CEO, Movchan recognized that business professionals are constantly looking for ways to boost productivity — but she proposed that caffeine could be "masking the symptoms" of fatigue. She admitted, "I think that for many people and for me, coffee was an addiction. If you cannot function throughout the day without something, that's an addiction." She added, "Right now, when I wake up in the morning, I can have a glass of water, and I'm good to go. Previously, I just couldn't."
For this reason, Movchan said quitting coffee is "worth a try" — although it’s not an option for everyone. As per her, "Even if you think that you're not going to make it … just try to give it a go, see how it goes in a week," she said. "I think the chances of you feeling much, much better are very high."
However, according to a recent study published in the European Heart Journal, limiting coffee intake to the morning, it turns out, maybe best — and that seems to be regardless of the amount consumed and other potentially influential factors.
What did the study say?
Lead author Dr. Lu Qi, HCA Regents Distinguished Chair and professor at Tulane University’s Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, in a news release, said, “This is the first study testing coffee drinking timing patterns and health outcomes. We don’t typically give advice about timing in our dietary guidance, but perhaps we should be thinking about this in the future.”
Most past research investigating participants’ coffee intake over time has found moderate levels of coffee consumption may be associated with lower risks of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and premature death, according to the latest study. But, as per the authors of the new research, scientific evidence of whether factors such as genetics, amount consumed, or added sweeteners affect these relationships has been inconsistent or, at times, controversial.
Perks of coffee at healthy levels:
In a recent article published by the American Medical Association (AMA), experts and AMA members discussed the impact of caffeine on the body as part of its "What Doctors Wish Patients Knew" series. The experts warned coffee drinkers to pay attention to consumption levels, noting that the FDA considers under 400 mg of caffeine a day to be safe.
Dr Nicole Clark, a neurologist at St. Peter’s Health Medical Group in Helena, Montana, said, "Of course, if you're getting jittery, it's too much caffeine. But, in general, about two 8-ounce cups of coffee should be the limit because a cup of coffee has between 100 and 200 milligrams of caffeine."
According to experts, caffeine can have its perks at healthy levels, as it can help with exercise and endurance, as well as depression since it "stimulates dopamine." However, too much coffee can cause problems, like headaches and migraines, anxiety, and withdrawal symptoms. The AMA said the best way to reap the benefits of caffeine is in "small, frequent doses."
Dr Shannon Kilgore, a neurologist at the Veterans Affairs Health Care System in Palo Alto, California, and Stanford University School of Medicine, said that if caffeine is viewed as medicine, smaller portions are best, which means, as Dr Kilgore said, "20 milligrams to 100 milligrams at a time as opposed to the standard American mug of coffee. If caffeine is viewed as medicine, smaller portions are best. Then, when you start to feel your mental performance lagging, take it a little bit more — up until 2 p.m."
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