As one of the most popular drinks in America, coffee far too often gets too much credit and too much blame. Are we relying too much on coffee and do we actually need it?
Often times you won’t make it too far into the day before you hear something to the effect of, “don’t talk to me, I haven’t had my coffee.”
It drives me crazy that people have become so dependent on a third party substance. Many people depend on coffee and blame lack of performance or focus on not having it.
Ultimately, these people are selling themselves short. They’re basically saying that they, by themselves, are not enough. They need this third party substance to be a better version of themselves. They need it to get things done.
Perhaps, I’m looking too far into this but I have seen some serious dependency on this new “black gold.” Take a look at some of these images and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
(Disclaimer: these images do not belong to NickLaToof.com or any of it’s affiliates)
I am huge on maximizing potential. In the gym, I push my clients farther than they know they’re capable of. Many times I will have weight on a bar or sled that my client will think is far too heavy.
“I’ll never be able to do that,” they say.
I then watch as the push it with relative ease. We increase the weight twice more and again, I watch as they struggle but yet complete the task, often with a considerable increased difficulty level.
Why do we sell ourselves so short? We have no idea of our true capability and will never find out if we don’t push ourselves to get there. Each day is an opportunity to get 1% closer to our goals.
We all view the world from our own perspectives. I, too, have my own unique perception on things. I view things as tools. Tools that I use to manipulate and control to get my desired outcome. I run the tools; they do not run me.
Below is one of these said tools.
(Drinking your coffee out of a mug that looks like a kettle bell has been shown to be up to 15% more anabolic than your standard coffee mug. To get your very own, check out Caveman Coffee. I have no affiliation and haven’t even tried their coffee. The mug, however, works and looks great.)
Coffee is a tool in the tool belt. It’s a great pic-me-up for a long day ahead. It serves as a great pre-workout. It’s awesome at suppressing appetite. It taste delicious and is just an awesome thing to be enjoyed. But, as they say, too much of a good thing can be bad.
This article is in no way to bash coffee and/or coffee drinkers. I am one myself, no doubt. Heck, I’ve lived in Coffee County in middle Tennessee for the past 6 months. I love coffee; it’s a very effective tool. When abused, however, the tool becomes exponentially less effective.
Physically, caffeine and its effects are addictive. It can create severe withdrawal symptoms when the craving is not met, similar to cigarettes and other drugs.
Mentally though is were we need to be the most careful. Our mind is the most valuable asset we posses. If you believe, deep down, that you are capable of doing something, it’s only a matter of time before that thought becomes your reality.
We must realize that we have everything we need to be better than the person we saw in the mirror yesterday. There is no time to complain about the hand you were dealt. You cannot control all of life’s circumstances but you can, 100%, control how you respond to them.
Positively or negatively. Aggressively or passively.
There are no magical ingredients in coffee or any other 3rd party substances to help you maximize your potential. You’re the same capable person with or without it. You don’t need it. Yet, you can use it in a way that benefits you. It’s a tool in the tool belt. One you can pull out when necessary. When you don’t need it, leave it on the shelf. It is not a crutch to lean on, but yet another tool to help you become the person you’ve always wanted to be.
Stay #Relentless
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3 Comments
Logan · October 24, 2016 at 10:05 am
Is a caffeine tolerance truly possible? If so what are the best steps after I start getting those diminishing returns and more sleep is not an option. Is there any merit to bulletproof coffee and other natural additives.
Nick LaToof · October 24, 2016 at 10:28 am
Logan,
It is possible to get accustomed to daily caffeine intake where you don’t get the same affect, as you once did.
When this becomes the issue, I think it’s imperative to back off on the consumption. You must not let your body rely on it’s use.
I typically limit my coffee intake to 2-4 days per week and only when I really want it or could use it.
Of course, if it becomes part of your routine, I don’t see too much trouble with drinking 8 oz of coffee on the daily.
Just know that, after a while, it won’t have that same “pick-me-up” it once did. When that happens many people resort to drinking more. Then, more soon becomes more and more until your drinking pots of coffee with no affect. Dangerous place to be.
Bulletproof coffee does show some signs of effectiveness. I’ve used it personally and enjoy drinking it.
However, I can’t definitively say that bulletproof coffee better than regular coffee, from an energy or alertness standpoint, even in a fully ketogenic state.
The thesis here is to keep coffee in the arsenal and use it when necessary. We live in a very abusive society and I think that really dampens the effectiveness of many things. It also depreciates things.
Personally, I love a good cup of coffee but truth be told, I wouldn’t enjoy it as much if I drank it everyday.
I do have an article that’ll go deeper into the physiological affects of caffeine to tag along with this article. When that article will be complete, is another story. But hey, it’s the thought that counts, right?
Thanks for the question Logan! I hope I answered it for you!
Logan · November 8, 2016 at 5:58 am
Awesome man thanks for the response!
Comments are closed.