Honoré De Balzac. Bro. 50 Cups of Coffee a Day??
This might just be the best coffee article in the world...
The origin of coffee began with a pack of goats in Ethiopia in the 9th century.
One day, a herder from the Kaffa region named Kaldi noticed his goats were acting weird after eating the red berries of an unknown shrub. They were baahing, acting silly, and doing totally bizarre things.
Kaldi decided to try the plant himself, probably to see what was going on with his goats, but he ended up discovering something much more amazing. These red berries gave him energy like nothing he'd ever had before. He quickly ran to his village to tell the local monks. They were skeptical, "Kaldi, your goats are high, and you're bringing us red berries?" But their skepticism turned into curiosity, so they boiled the red berries in water and made a drink out of it. The monks were shocked. Not only did this drink taste amazing, but it also gave them tons of energy and helped them stay up at night to meditate.
This is the story of Coffea.
This plant, with its energizing qualities, made its way throughout Africa, eventually landing in Europe, where shops were built just for coffee. This is how the coffee clubs started. Some predict that coffee was a large factor in the monumental achievements of the Renaissance Period.
This stuff was so good that many famous artists and writers got hooked on it.
I heard a story about a Renaissance guy who built up such a high tolerance that drinking coffee just didn't cut it anymore.
To feel the effects, he'd take tea bags, fill them with coffee grounds, and painfully swallow them one by one until he got high. Total junkie romantic artist vibes.
Another Renaissance big shot, Honoré De Balzac, would drink 50 cups a day. He described the effects of this miracle drink beautifully.
"Coffee slips into the stomach, and you immediately feel a general commotion. Ideas begin to move like the battalions of the Grand Army on the field of battle, and the battle takes place. Memories come at a gallop, carried by the wind.” - Honoré De Balzac
So, why are we here today? Why am I talking about goats and crazy writers?
We're talking about coffee - a superfood, a nootropic, and a dangerous weapon when hot.
In this article, you'll discover why coffee is hailed as the world's greatest superfood and a powerful performance-enhancing drug. By the end, you'll have a simple coffee routine to follow, outlining what to do before, after, and while drinking coffee to boost its effects. You'll also learn about key nootropics you can combine with coffee for an extra cognitive boost.
So, come on, grab your cup, get your joe, and let's get started.
What Comes to Mind When You Think of Coffee?
You probably think of energy. Maybe you think of an increased heart rate or having to pee more often. Some of you might dislike the taste. Others might be tea lovers. I love you all.
For many of us, one thing stands out: caffeine.
The Power of Caffeine
Caffeine is one of the world’s greatest cognitive enhancers. It's a natural compound found in:
Coffee
Cocoa beans
Tea leaves
Guarana berries
Kola nut
Caffeine is actually a plant defense mechanism. It acts as a natural insecticide to keep herbivores away.
When we consume caffeine, it stimulates our brain and central nervous system. This results in the release of dopamine, adrenaline, and cortisol, creating a powerful effect.
In small doses, caffeine makes us feel fantastic. That’s why it’s the most popular drink in the world, right after water.
Health Benefits of Coffee
Every cup of coffee reminds me of the potential it holds. Caffeine enhances my senses, making music sound better and ideas flow more easily. Plus, coffee contains longevity-boosting chemicals called polyphenols.
There are polyphenols in coffee like chlorogenic acid, diterpenes and trigonellin that have amazing health benefits including
Nitric oxide production: This helps blood flow and lowers the risk of heart disease.
Antioxidants: Coffee is the highest source of antioxidants consumed by Americans daily.
Neuroprotective effects: Coffee may lower the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Coffee gives you the best of both worlds. It’s an awesome way to get healthy polyphenols while also getting a potent brain-boosting nootropic.
Is Coffee the limitless drug?
Nootropic? What you talking about, Jacky?
A nootropic is a substance that enhances memory or cognitive functions.
Some of the OG nootropics include
L Theanine - Taking 50mg has been found to increase alpha-waves in the brain, which are linked to creativity.
Bacopa Monnieri - Bacopa monnieri is shown to speed up information processing, reduce reaction times and improve memory.
Rhodiola Rosea - Rhodiola rosea supplements can improve mood and decrease feelings of burnout in both anxious and highly stressed individuals
Nicotine - Nicotine (not cigarettes) has been found to improve motor function. Chewing nicotine gum is linked to better handwriting speed and fluidity.
Noopept - Noopept speeds up how quickly the brain forms and retrieves memories by boosting levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a compound that promotes the growth of brain cells.
And caffeine. Saved best for last. Backed by over 10,000 papers published of scientific research, this delightful brew boosts cognitive and athletic performance like a shot of espresso to the heart. It sharpens your reaction times, heightens alertness, and sharpens focus—an elixir for both body and mind. Unlike some nootropics that take weeks to work, caffeine delivers its jolt of vitality instantly.
Caffeine is him, and her and all the cosmos combined. I don’t know how many people would go to a noopept party, but a caffeine party??? Yeeaaa
But there are issues with too much caffeine like…
frequent urination
dehydration
rapid heartbeat (palpitations)
anxiety and irritability
trembling hands
first feeling energetic but then having an even greater feeling of tiredness.
There also is an addiction component. A strong one.
One of my friends, a middle aged greek lady, talked about how she tried to go a couple days without coffee after drinking it every day for years. She made it all the way through day one but was having such gnarly withdrawals she ended up drinking a whole mug just before bed!
It also can impair hormonal function. Guys if you still want a hard on in front of your lover, drinking too much probably isn’t the best idea. Ladies if you want to relax in bed, drinking too much before is not ideal either.
Chronic caffiene consumption also taxes your andreal glands due to excess prodcution of cortisol and andrealine. If you keep on turning the on switch for the adnreal glands eventually they will downregulate in order to return to homeostatis. Poor adrenal function has been linked to all types of things like chronic fatigue, muscle weakness, sleep problems, and hormone issues like lowered testosterone, and much more.
The worst side effect of coffee is it’s deleterious impact on sleep. Caffeine blocks the adenosine receptors aka the sleepy-time molecule, from signaling your body it’s time to sleep.
One last debbie downer. Most coffee is filled with mold and pesticides
Just like a lot of large storage crops including wheat, cacoa and corn, coffee can contain mold toxins due to poor storage and farming practices. Many people think that the mold is killed during the roasting process but mycotoxins persist on the plant.
Some of these mold toxins include ochratoxin and aflatoxin, which are also found in things like grains, beans, wheat, etc.
Studies have demonstrated that OTA could induce nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, immunotoxicity, teratogenicity, genotoxicity, and carcinogenicity. As for AFB1, it can lead to hepatocellular carcinoma, teratogenicity, endocrine problems, infertility, immune suppression, and malabsorption of nutrients. In 1993, OTA and AFB1 were classified as Group 2B and Group I carcinogens for humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). - NIH Study
It also is the one of the highest pesticide sprayed crops. One pesticide that is commonly used in farming practices is endosulfan can affect the central nervous system and damage the liver, kidneys, and reproductive organ
Ok enough debbie downer. Let’s get back to the good stuff.
Let’s now create a blue print that maximizes coffees longevity enahncing performance inducing properties. Ill also provide you with companies who make A1 coffee free of mold and pesticides.
Next stop!! Balzac’s house!!!
Your Coffee Blueprint☕
1. Drink Organic and Mycotoxin free Coffee
Organic coffee is easy to find but mycotoxin free coffee is not.
It’s imperative that you find companies that use third party testing to ensure there are no mold or mycotoxins in their beans. Thankfully a few companies do just that.
When there is no mold, this allows the polyphenols to flourish in the coffee. So we are avoiding toxins and getting longevity boosting properties. Win Win.
Here are my 2 favorite organic and mold free coffees.
Kion Coffee: I love drinking their medium roast for a deep flow state.
Kaizen Coffee: A coffee nootropic blend that im digging. More on that below.
2. Wait 1.5 Hours before your first cup⌛⌛⌛
Your body naturally produces a surge of cortisol (a stress hormone that acts as a natural stimulant) when you first wake up, so drinking coffee too early can interfere with this process, stessing you out too much and leading to a crash. Waiting 1.5hrs allows your cortisol levels to naturally decline before caffeine kicks in, providing a more sustained energy boost throughout the morning
3. Get morning sun before your first cup🌞🌞🌞
While you wait for your precious joe, you can wake up your body naturally with the sun.
Morning sunlight helps regulate your body's natural circadian rhythm, leading to:
Better sleep patterns
Improved mood by stimulating serotonin production
Essential vitamin D for bone health and immune function
More dopamine, testosterone and all the muscle gains.
If you want to learn more about the all of the crazy ways sunlight benefits our bodies check out my podcast with
Move Before the Coffee🏃🏃🏃
Exercising before your coffee can:
Boost your metabolism
Increase alertness and focus throughout the day
Improve mood by releasing endorphins
You get the metabolism benefits from both the workout and the coffee, plus all the other mood-boosting, focus-enhancing benefits. WIN WIN!
Do a Breathwork Session Before 🌬️🌬️🌬️
I like doing breathwork before drinking my first cup to deliver loads of oxygen into my bloodstream.
This practice can lower cortisol and stress, helping you become more present in the morning. It’s a life hack, a work hack, any hack! Breathwork allows me to experience life the way it truly is: a magical place.
Here is my favorite youtube channel for breathwork: Breathe with Sandy
Hydrate with minerals beforehand💧💧💧
Coffee is a diuretic, which means it makes you urinate more frequently.
To ensure you are loaded up on minerals and hydrated, drink some spring water with electrolytes before your coffee. This will actually give you more energy and help caffeine work as the performance-enhancing drug it is. Here is my favorite mineral and electrolyte powder.
Show gratitude to the coffee bean🧘🧘🧘
Gratitude makes everything better. After my podcast with Tanmeet Sethi, I now understand the science behind it. Gratitude provides you with many amazing benefits, including:
Gratitude provides you with a myriad of amazing benefits including:
increased happiness and positive mood
more satisfaction with life
less materialistic
less likely to experience burnout
better physical health
better sleep
less fatigue
lower levels of cellular inflammation
greater resiliency
And a ton more. Check out my podcast with
here.
Biohack Your Coffee
It ain't a biohack without the biohacks! Here are some of my favorite nootropic stacks with coffee:
L-Theanine + Coffee
L-theanine is even more effective when taken with caffeine. They are often used together in performance-enhancing supplements. Both are naturally found in tea.
The ratio is 200mg L-theanine to 100mg of caffeine.
Kaizen Coffee
This is organic, mold-free coffee with zero jitters. It also contains a ton of cool nootropics that enhance brain function and health. Plus, it has minerals—it's an all-in-one drink I enjoy almost every day. Check it out today.
Nootopia
If you love caffeine but are sensitive to coffee, check out Nootopia.
They off personalized nootropic formulations so you can stay sharp each morning. Check them out here
Consider Magnesium After Coffee
Taking magnesium after your coffee can help with:
Relaxation
Replenishing some of the minerals lost from caffeine
Inducing peristalsis to help you poop in the morning
Check out my favorite mangisum, which has 7 forms of mangeisum, here.
LOVE YOU GUYS THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING
I’m grateful to my partners who create amazing health & wellness products.
Disclaimer. I am not a doctor. This is just some random stuff I learned on the internet. Pretend it’s a story. Ok bye.