Poor sleep, anxiety, and worsened menstrual cramps are common symptoms of an excess consumption of coffee. Notably, coffee is also one of the largest pesticide ridden crops on the planet if you are not sourcing organic coffee.
Although coffee drains dampness downward it also drys “jin ye” fluids which make the body overall more dry. These are our bodies’ lubricating substances which nourish the organs, and make the joints, skin, nails, and hair, strong and beautiful.
During the fall season the environment is extremely dry and it is beneficial to supplement this externally influencing factor via nourishing the yin energy.
This can be done by consuming moistening and yin nourishing herbs and foods. This prevents dry skin, dry coughs, dandruff, and muscle cramping which are all exacerbated and sometimes caused by coffee during the fall season due to it’s warming and drying nature.
Traditional Chinese medicine states that one cup of coffee will move internal stagnation within the blood and vessels, yet more than one cup will actually cause more stagnation, which only supports a cyclical cycle of pathological illness.
The kidneys are associated with will power and also hold the two adrenal glands. Excess coffee consumption will deplete the kidneys resulting in poor will power.
The #1 way to ensure that you are using coffee as a medicine is to take scheduled breaks. Have a few excellent substitutes in place for this.
My go to substitute as a coffee alternative is Gynostemma tea.
Gynostemma tea is perfect coffee substitute for the fall season because it travels to the yin channels of the body (heart, lung, kidney, spleen, liver), and nourishes the yin of the lungs which, due to the dry weather of the fall are prone to dry coughs.
Gynostemma is overall slightly cooling, and is highly anti-inflammatory to the tissues of the body including the digestive tract. Because the large intestine has a linked relationship to the lungs within Chinese medicine, both of which are associated with the fall season and metal element, an extra focus on balancing these organs during this season is highly indicated for internal harmony.
Because Gynostemma nourishes the body energetically as a food substance rather than a chemically stimulating substance, it supports the body to repair exhaustion on days off from coffee. This supports the repairing of adrenals through it’s linkage with the kidney channel.
I hope you appreciated this educational article; in order to pick up the cleanest sourced Gynostemma on the market or learn more about Gynostemma tea, just click here.
Talk soon,
Brandon.