" Why can't I live without my coffeeeee?!"

Well, you could stop drinking it today and continue to be very much alive... It only takes between 4 and 6 days for the caffeine to clear completely from your body. But where's the joy in that?! We love coffee beacuse it speeds us up, literally. It increases our heart rate, alertness....and urine production! so that's all good right?

Hmm, increasing our alertness seems to be a winning idea as so many of us are functioning at way over natural capacity, every little boost feels like a welcome friend. An hour after drinking coffee, it peaks in our blood stream and we feel we can go the extra mile. However, keep in mind that the quarter life of a cup of coffee is 12 hours, this means that 12 hours after you drink it, a quarter of the caffeine is still not metabolised fully and is bouncing around, possibly preventing you from falling asleep. And the older you are the longer it takes the brain and body to remove caffeine.

Our bodies get prepped for sleep by the hormone adenosine, this builds throughout the day making us feel tired, and then eventually ready for sleep. Caffeine artificially mutes this sleep signal so you feel more alert and wake. Many people use caffeine to extend their day and try to boost their productivity. However, when the caffeine finally wears off, you will feel even more tired than usual. So this creates a poor start to the next day....

We can live without coffee, but we can't live without water. Don't be fooled into thinking that the fluid in your cofee counts towards your daily fluid intake - only 1/4 of the caffeinated liquid hangs around for any time. Coffee (and tea) are diuretic, they stimulate the body to produce more urine and to poo. So only count water as your rehydrater of choice! Just try and have a cup of water for each cup of coffee consumed.

Why does coffee give us a buzz? It is a psychoactive drug, yep, I said drug, and it is actually addictive! It alters our perception, mood, consciousness and therefore our behaviour. That's why we like to start the day with a caffeine kick to 'clear the sludge.'

Because of its ability to give us a kick, it has some medicinal uses - for example, treating asthma as it increases heart and lung capacity, and raising heartbeat for people suffering from hypothermia.

So how much should we drink? The guidance from the boffins is 200 - 250mg a day. Remember, if you drink Coke or energy drinks, that also adds to your caffeine load.

If you buy a coffee then be aware that it is often a double shot....

If you are up to 8 - 10 (single shot) cups a day then that is considered 'excessive' and the effect on your body is that it is having to work way too hard to try and cope with all the caffeine, putting it under stress.

(If you are pregnant limit yourself to 2 cups of instant, or one real coffee, a day.)

Here's the bottom line on your Daily Dose:-

Small cup of instant coffee 59mg caffeine each 4 cups a day maximum

Cup of real coffee 112mg 2 cups (yes, I can hear you crying...)

Cup of decaff coffee 15 - 30mg

Cup of tea 49mg 4 - 5 cups

Cup of cocoa 42mg 5 cups

Dark chocolate 28g 35mg

Coke 340ml 46mg

Pro Plus 50mg

If you need to reduce your daily intake, be kind to yourself. Do it slowly, perhaps dropping one cup every 7 days - it is addictive, so you will notice a 'withdrawal' period if you try to go cold turkey. Substitute with decaff coffee if the taste is something you find you crave at certain times of day.

Ok, once you've picked yourself up from the floor and stopped sobbing, let's focus on the postives....

Caffeine increases fat breakdown, the paraxenthine causes an increase in the release of glycerol and fatty acids, which the body uses to fuel muscle activity. Hence the use of caffeine in sports drinks serves two purposes. (But, don't get carried away. Too much caffeine will still have an overall negative effect on your body's ability to keep everything functioning properly.)

Changing habits, especially around addictive foods, is hard. But don't be disheartened. There is plenty of help at hand. If you need support to break the habit, which has unfortunately literally become hard wired into your neurology and physiology, then please get in touch.

The take away? Make the most of those two cups of real coffee. Make each cup a happy mini event. I have my 2 coffees before 11am as I am a light sleeper. I love real coffee, so I bought a second hand coffee maker from EBay. I use my favourite cup, froth up some warm milk, and occasionally allow myself some chocolate sprinkles. I stop whatever I am doing so I can fully appreciate the joy of coffee....the aniticipation, the process of making it, the smell, the feel of the mug in my hands, of course that divine taste....Make you own Coffee Ceremony, don't just unthinkingly slug it down whilst you send out your emails. Then reward yourself for each cup you drop until you are down to healthy limits. You will feel calmer, sleep better and generally feel more Zen!