Up until last December I was drinking coffee every morning and afternoon. I love it. I don’t over drink it (as that can cause health problems) but I do love my early morning cup of black gold!
So, what has changed? Last December I had serious abdominal surgery. Surgeons removed some bad bits of my colon, and more bits of it were sewn up, while others separated as it had become ‘stuck’ together. This happened because of a car accident a few years ago. It didn’t just happen, so don’t panic – it’s not going to happen to you tonight!
Any way, fast forward almost five months later and I’m still struggling to ‘safely‘ consume any amount of coffee. I’ll explain a little more shortly, but as for the moment I am enjoying my early morning and afternoon cups of tea. I live in the UK, so I am drinking the PG Tips brand.
I have to say though, I am getting tired of the ‘tips’. Ouch, if my dad heard that he would turn over in his grave. He lived and died for his tea.
I’m sure he loved his tea more than he did my sisters and me. Even when we used to go abroad to Spain or Greece for Summer holidays when we were kids, he would still head for a cup of tea before a cold drink in almost 40°C.
My mother used to think he was mad, but that’s a story for a different time.
So What is the Deal With Coffee and Me?
It’s simple. Caffeine can have an adverse effect on your digestive system causing it to work abnormally. It makes your bowel go into a kind of spasm (which is happening to me) and can cause abnormal bowel movements. You can read more about it here in my article titled Coffee and the Digestive System.
An odd title you may think, however because of it’s natural ability to cause bowel movements it can actually help with constipation.
So right now I am just drinking a cup of coffee every other afternoon after lunch, and sticking to coffee first thing in the morning. The affect is worse on an empty stomach, or if you are on a diet as I discovered a few years ago.
If you calorie and carbohydrate levels are low and you drink too much coffee, the effect is accentuated. So be careful if you are on a diet or if you are having odd bowel movements as it could be the coffee.
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