If you are among the 80% of adults who consume a daily form of caffeine, then you’ll know that familiar feeling of the coffee pulsing through you (that ‘awake’ sensation), as the caffeine binds to your adenosine receptors.

Adenosine is a naturally occurring chemical which is produced in your brain throughout the day and is one of the reasons you feel tired or get the dreaded ‘3 o’clock slump’.

Our new working from home arrangements likely means 24/7 pantry access, no co-workers to silently shame us if we chug coffee all day long, and — thanks to technology – no requirement to physically move from one meeting to the next.

So, if you’re drinking all this coffee and consuming all this caffeine, are there long-term effects?

Excess caffeine consumption can adversely affect (and increase) blood sugar levels. Elevated blood sugar levels also spike insulin levels.

Insulin is an anabolic or storage hormone — and one thing this hormone is very good at storing is fat in your midsection.

Keeping insulin levels elevated can make your cells less sensitive to its 'signal' —- this is called insulin resistance.

To lose weight and keep it off, you want your cells to be the complete opposite — insulin sensitive. Don’t get us wrong, we’re not saying to give up coffee! We’re just saying be aware of how much you're CONSUMING and consider challenging yourself, and potentially forming a new habit, as we all design new working from home routines.

Four alternatives to coffee:

  1. Coconut water: if you haven't tried it, give it a chance! It's naturally sweet, contains bioactive enzymes and is chock-full of rehydrating electrolytes, which makes it a good replacement for that 3pm coffee slump.
  2. Herbal tea: an easy coffee replacement as the 'habit' (drinking something hot) isn't being sacrificed. Try peppermint to aid digestion or green or ginseng to give you that afternoon lift without crazy levels of caffeine.
  3. Water: a lot of us reach for that afternoon coffee (or sweet snack) when our body is actually craving water! Next time you're 'hungry' try chugging a glass of water, waiting 10 mins, then see if the hunger is still there!
  4. B vitamins: mood swings, poor concentration and fatigue can be sometimes due to low vitamin B levels in your body. Foods high in vitamin B include grains, dark green leafy veggies, eggs, seeds and legumes. Or pop into the vitamin aisle — whatever you can manage!

By Fiona Bulbrook