There are all sorts of inspiring coffee quotes on social media every day. Our favorites? 

• Today I will do amazing things. But first, coffee. 
• Life happens. Coffee helps. 
• You can’t please everyone. You’re not coffee. 
• Spilling coffee is the adult equivalent of losing your balloon. 

But here’s the thing: We’re not into coffee. We prefer acupuncture for our dose of energy, resilience, and joy. 

Why don’t we love coffee as much as the rest of the world? Here are a few reasons: 

1. Coffee contributes to low energy. While caffeine stimulates the body’s adrenal systems – including the kidney qi – and charges our energy levels temporarily, extended periods of adrenal stimulation overworks our organs and ultimately leave us feeling exhausted. 
2. Coffee interferes with our rest and detoxification opportunities. It’s highly addictive and stays in our systems for six to eight hours. If you consume it late in the day, it will interrupt your body’s natural sleep pattern and leave you even more tired the next morning, which naturally leads to more coffee consumption. This is not a healthy cycle. 
3. Its acidity can be damaging to our digestive systems as it eats at the stomach lining. Remember: Cancer cells need an acidic environment to survive, and slightly alkaline internal climates tend to be more resistant to inflammation and cancer. 
4. Gaining weight? Coffee could be the culprit as it disrupts our optimal balance and hormones. 

But our biggest reason for avoiding coffee is that it interferes with the benefits of acupuncture. One of the first assessments we perform when a patient arrives for treatment is to check their tongue and pulse; coffee increases heart rates and stains the tongue, so our accuracy is thwarted. 

For those patients accessing acupuncture for pain relief, even a trace amount of caffeine can block the adenosine effect. Caffeine closes the door to certain functions of acupuncture especially as it relates to pain management. 

In addition, coffee is a stimulant that increases sympathetic nerve activity that pushes your body into a fight-or-flight mode. Since we work to achieve a rest-and-digest state of being, we don’t want coffee to prohibit our progress. 

Our recommendation is to avoid caffeine at least two hours before any acupuncture appointment and try to cut back on coffee consumption as much as possible. 

It’s easy to schedule your convenient acupuncture appointment right here. And if you’re in need of some inspiration, here’s our favorite amended quote: Today I will do amazing things. But first, acupuncture. (A close second? You can’t please everyone. You’re not acupuncture.)