Coffee and tea are a huge part of many people's daily lives and there has been a great debate raging for many years about which is better. Tea has played such an important role in history that there have been actual wars fought over it, whilst today, coffee is the second most sought after commodity on the planet. Whilst some coffee lovers never drink tea and vice versa, many people enjoy drinking both. There are many conflicting guides about the best times to drink coffee and tea. Both contain caffeine, which has some great benefits but can also have some negative side effects which should be taken into account when deciding when to drink coffee and tea. This article provides a daily schedule of the best times to consume each.
When you wake up, drink tea!
For many people, their morning routine would not be complete without a cup of Hawaiian coffee in the morning. It is an essential part of many people's breakfast, and for others, it may be the only thing they consume in the early morning. Many people need that caffeine hit to kick start their day and we all have friends who simply cannot function without it. But although coffee is drunk by so many people in the morning, this is not an ideal time to consume it. One of the common negative side effects of caffeine is that it can cause anxiety and first thing in the morning is one of the times when our body has the highest levels of cortisol (the chemical that causes feelings of anxiety). Caffeine further increases the levels of cortisone, which is why people feel anxious or stressed when they have drunk too much caffeine. Whilst tea also contains caffeine, it has far less than coffee. Drinking tea in the morning should provide enough of a caffeine hit to get your day on the go, without detrimentally increasing cortisol.
After lunch – Coffee time!
Many people love to have a cup of coffee right after lunch to see them through the afternoon hours at work. This also tends to be the time when people drink coffee for the pure enjoyment of it. Whilst the morning caffeine hit may just be an espresso or a strong black coffee to get the wheels rolling, after lunch, more people tend to drink a latte or a cappuccino. Many offices these days have sophisticated coffee machines which can make all kinds of coffees and if you click here you can see some popular models that we found online. Straight after lunch, and, in fact, straight after any meal is a really good time to drink coffee as caffeine stimulates digestion. Post-lunch is the time of day when the office coffee maker sees the most action and when a big office needs a machine that is up to the job.
In the evening – Anything goes!
For most of us, the evening is our time to wind down after a busy day and enjoy some hard-earned hours of relaxation. Different people have different tolerances and reactions to caffeine so what you drink in the evening depends on you. We all know that person who drinks a double espresso after dinner, even when it’s close to midnight, and falls straight to sleep, whilst another person may still be feeling their 6 pm decaf as they’re lying in bed many hours later. Your cortisol levels are lower in the evening and are in fact at their absolute lowest around midnight, so anxiety levels should not be affected by caffeine, only the ability of some people to get to sleep.
There are some fantastic alternatives to drinking caffeinated tea or coffee in the morning, which promotes relaxation and helps to relieve any stress from a hectic day. Chamomile tea provides various health benefits and also contains no caffeine at all and is a great beverage to drink before bed. Hot cocoa is another great bedtime drink that we all remember from our childhoods, but it is important to note that whilst it does not contain caffeine, it certainly contains a lot of sugar. If you absolutely can't go without a little caffeine in the evening, try drinking decaf to at least limit your consumption.
Whilst tea and coffee are both delicious drinks that are enjoyed by many people around the world and offer a plethora of health benefits, it is important to stay mindful of the fact that caffeine is a powerful stimulant. Whilst there are no really serious side effects from drinking too much caffeine, following this guide will help you to maximize its benefits and avoid any anxiety it can cause.
