DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a die-hard coffee drinker. When I was young, I drank like five or six cups a day. I had to cut back a few years ago because I noticed that my heart raced if I drank too much coffee. Now I feel like my tolerance is even lower. I love to drink it, but it doesn’t love me back. My doctor told me to cut back because he says it’s not good for my blood pressure. I can’t seem to stop, though. I feel like an idiot for being so attached to coffee, but I really enjoy it. Do you have any ideas on how to let go? -- Ending the Coffee Affair
DEAR ENDING THE COFFEE AFFAIR: According to the American Heart Association, many studies have been conducted to determine if coffee causes disease in the body. So far, the findings have been inclusive.
Neither the AHA or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend drinking high amounts of coffee, though, because it can have negative side effects. Among the side effects are rapid heart rate, high blood pressure and anxiety. Like most things, enjoying coffee in moderation is ideal. You can also go to decaffeinated coffee if your system is now too sensitive for caffeine. For more details on the side effects of too much coffee, go to: healthline.com/nutrition/caffeine-side-effects.
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)