FEELING GREAT: A cup of coffee at the right time of day can be good for you

You know the one: that time when the kids are possibly still asleep, the house is quiet and the hassles that might await you at work are still distant.

It’s at this time that many people savour their most enjoyable cup of coffee of the entire day.

Why is that cup so enjoyable? Not just because it’s likely to be enjoyed in peace, as you sit calmly and collect your thoughts for the day that awaits - there’s more to it than that.

Coffee has a genuine calming effect that is capable of leaving you feel less light-headed on a morning, and here’s how it works.

When just the right amount of caffeine is added to your body, it slows down the supply of blood to your brain.

It does so by tightening up blood vessels which are trying to rush blood to your brain when you first get up and out of bed. It’s the reason you may feel a little light-headed, disoriented, or not quite yourself, until you’ve had a cup.

Now, a lovely cup of coffee is a huge part of my day (latte, grande, extra hot, no foam is how I specifically like it).

And you know what? I often write these newspaper articles, blog posts or emails to clients, or do some of my most important work of the day with a fresh cup of coffee in hand, first thing in the morning.

It’s true - if I can sit in my favourite coffee shop with a good book in one hand and a fresh latte made to my liking in the other, I find it to be one of the most positive and stimulating situations I can put myself in.

Something to make a note of: to make the most of any caffeine hit, try to pay attention to exactly when you want it to happen - and then enjoy it.

Because it genuinely is a scientifically-proven stimulant that is going to make you feel nice and more alert – when drunk in the right quantity.

And what I mean by that is this: think about the second cup of coffee you might drink, later in the day, possibly after a stressful commute to work, having read and replied to a dozen unnecessary or unwelcome emails and had your first run-in with the boss.

The caffeine hit second time round just isn’t quite the same, is it?

And if you want to know more Healthy Habits - we have three copies of my book to give away to start the year off - please call 01429 866771 or visit paulgoughphysio.com.