#24 Understanding caffeine and why coffee makes you poop with Sheradyn Dekker

FREEBIE: Natural Constipation Relief PDF - See www.sheradyndekker.com/podcast24 too download. Today is the first of my Nugget’s of gold series where we jump straight into an in-depth topic together - short, sharp and actionable! Today we are tackling caffeine - Is it a yes or no for those who struggle with alternating bowel movements, adrenal burnout (aka fatigue) or hormone imbalance’s (PCOS, acne, mood swings). BRIEF SHOW NOTES I often get asked what I think about caffeine... Now, this sounds like a simple question, but there is no such thing as a simple question when it comes to nutrition. Let’s point out first that it depends on how you take your caffeine - I am primarily talking about coffee here because it is the most popular way I see the women I work with taking it - but you can get it from tea, energy drinks or supplements.  I love my coffee - I would even go as far as to say a am a little bit of a coffee snob. I love my Aero Press coffee for its smooth delicious taste (if you haven’t seen it jump to my IG). BUT recently, I have decided to come off coffee - There are a few reasons why I choose to do this. Firstly - I used to use coffee as a meal replacement, when I didn’t want to eat in the mornings before training (usually running or boxing), I would have a black coffee or a bulletproof coffee, to give me the energy I needed to get that long run’s in or intense HIIT sessions in - looking back now its no wonder I went years without a period - from my caffeine, blood sugar imbalances, low-calorie intake and high-intensity training a lot….  But recently I have removed it because, A - I have taken a break from exercise to heal repair my hormones after a few stressful months with work and moving, as well as part of the AIP diet. As many of you know I struggle with Psoriasis from years of leaky gut damage, and having an overactive immune system has given me an autoimmune condition that needs to be respected - too much stress, exercise, inflammatory foods or burden on my body, and I get really severe flare-ups on my scalp. Lastly, I can get really hyperstimulated on coffee, and feel really super productive but struggle to focus on the task at hand - I don’t get anxious but it would be along those lines. AND - it impacts my bowel movements, and after 10years of constipation, I now value a good poo! So anything that changes that really is a no go for me... The thing with coffee is for some people it helps keep them regular, and it doesn’t affect their nervous system, like my dad - he can have a coffee at night! Others, like myself, should never have it on an empty stomach for starter’s, and even then, I don't know that coffee is a good idea if it affects you drastically. We also talk about the clearance of caffeine - because this is different for everyone - Why do some people, like myself, have such extreme reactions to coffee whereas other people feel nothing? If you struggle with handling coffee, maybe it's time to give your liver some support, to load up on that magnesium. If you don't know where to start remember that you can always book a free 15min chat with me from my website or show notes, or you can register for August Gut Hormone Solution, where we address dietary changes (including coming off coffee) in a group setting, to see what triggers could be causing your IBS or hormones imbalances. Thanks for listening, hit subscribe and rate this episode, and I look forward to hearing from you! LINKS TO SHERADYN: Assess your gut health here. Follow me on Instagram HERE.  Check out my website HERE: Book a free health chat HERE. Register your interest for the October 2021 intake of The Gut Health Solution, an online program that gets women from symptoms to solutions in just 6 weeks HERE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.