coffee - yes or no??

The great coffee debate – it's a hot conversation in the fitness world. There is so much conflicting information out there whether or not coffee is actually good for you or not. And with the millions of cups being consumed daily, I think it's something that needs to be addressed. I hear it all the time from people, I drink 2-3 cups a day and it doesn't affect me at all. That always makes me smile :) When it comes to the debate about if coffee is healthy or not, it's usually two totally different arguments. The camp who claims coffee is good for you is primarily focusing on all the positive stuff found in coffee such as antioxidants, and the camp who claims coffee is bad is usually basing that argument on the excessive caffeine content in coffee. So in reality, coffee has both positive and negative benefits. And the truth is that different people process coffee (or caffeine more specifically) differently making some people more sensitive to it than others. BUT, when you've been drinking 2-3 cups a day since the beginning of time you really have no idea how it is affecting you. So here's the challenge... If you're an avid coffee drinker I suggest you go 14 days without a cup of coffee and see how you feel. If you don't feel overly tired or get headaches or any other symptom of such, then chances are you are good at metabolizing coffee and you shouldn't be too concerned. Also, pay attention to how you are sleeping during that time off compared to when you were chugging it down daily. However, if you feel like you are going through a bit of a withdrawal during that 14 days then I would suggest that you keep the coffee intake on the lower end ongoing. Now if you're one of the lucky ones who can drink coffee and not be negatively affected, I suggest that you strive to always reach for the best quality available. Organic, fair-trade is always a good start because those coffee beans are much less processed. The lower the quality of the coffee the more acidic it generally is, which is not ideal for optimum human performance. Your best bet is to make your coffee at home using your favourite organic brand made just to your liking. Further to that, I generally suggest drinking espresso or Americanos because espresso beans are also usually less processed, and easier to mange the caffeine levels, compared to classic drip coffees. You will find lots of "information" out there arguing both sides of the debate whether coffee is good or bad for you. The reality is you have to pay close attention to what YOUR BODY tells you when you drink it.