First Try Friday: Adaptogen Coffee

Coffee has been a part of my life for, gosh, nearly half of my life. However, over the years, I have cut back on caffeine, only consuming it before noon for the most part. Coffee and caffeine can sometimes lead to anxiety, irritability, and sleeplessness in some, but others may report no undesirable side effects. Just another example of how different one person can be from the next on a molecular level.

Happy CoffeeUndesirable side effects are nothing new for us in the chronic illness community. The medications some of us have to take can be accompanied by some uncomfortable side effects that may require an additional medication or two. It seems like a laundry list of potential symptoms that could occur, with some of them worse than the initial symptoms for which you are taking the medication. It becomes a vicious cycle.

Due to what seems like playing a medication shell game, I have started to look for non-traditional approaches to health. It started first with cannabis a few years ago when we lived in New Mexico. I got my medical card and started using cannabis for pain relief. Then I realized that it is also good for helping me sleep. I even made a spreadsheet outlining some of the benefits for the various strains available at the medical dispensary at the time. I think of cannabis as a medicine, looking at my symptoms and matching them up with various strains to bring relief.

My foray into alternative health practices also extend to yoga, essential oils, and acupuncture. Mainstream medicine doesn’t currently have the answer to my chronic conditions, so why not look elsewhere because we know where the answer isn’t. My fiance brought home an adaptogen coffee that I can add to my current coffee. It is supposed to help in calming my stress response, providing calm energy for the day. Who wouldn’t want that?! It’ll be interesting to see how it helps my body and mind over the next couple of days.

Do you take any adaptogens? What tips do you have for calming down your personal stress response? Have you had any horror stories when taking supplements and/or medication?


Location: Durango, CO, USA

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