Caffeine, Cortisol & Cravings: How Your Morning Routine Might Be Making You Tired

In this episode, I dive into how your morning coffee habit might secretly be draining your energy and triggering cravings later in the day.

I share my own story of drinking multiple coffees just to “get through the day” and what happened when I learned to work with my body’s natural cortisol rhythm instead of against it.

You’ll learn why timing your caffeine matters, how too much coffee can spike stress hormones and crash your energy, and how to fix it with a few small tweaks to your routine.

We’ll cover:
 - The best time to drink coffee for all-day energy
 - Why skipping breakfast or “not feeling hungry” is actually a hormonal issue
 - How caffeine affects your sleep and cravings even hours later
 - Simple steps to build a calmer, more energized morning

If you’re tired of feeling tired and want to enjoy coffee without wrecking your energy, this episode is for you.

👉 Want help building routines that actually fit your life?
 Check out my coaching programs at personaltrainerturo.com

Transcript

Turo Virta: 1:01

Hey, it's Turo here, and welcome back to the fit me Turo fitness podcast today, we are talking about something almost everyone can relate to, and it's waking up feeling tired, reaching for coffee, getting that quick energy post and then only to press few hours later, or maybe craving sweets or feeling like you your brain just won't cooperate. And if that is you, this episode will help you to understand why that happens and how a few small changes in your morning routine can completely transform your energy focus and even your cravings throughout The day, when coffee was my alarm clock. So for years, I was one of those people who roll out from bed, because I originally I wanted to stay even in a longer, in a bit, and it was very hard to get out of the bed. And then I went straight for the coffee machine. And of course, I would wake up still have a sleep, thinking, once I get caffeine in me, I will feel human again. And sure enough, for about maybe hour or two, I would feel great. But late morning or early afternoon, latest, I would crash. I would feel tired, hungry, sometimes even moody, and I used to think that I just need more coffee, but it wasn't the coffee, it was when and how I was having it. So I want to explain about behind that morning fatigue. So because the coffee caffeine isn't the villain, it's more about how and when we use it. And here's the thing, your body already has its own natural coffee called cortisol, and it's your built in energy hormone highest in the morning, and then it's getting kind of lower throughout the day. And that's your biological rhythm, the cortisol curve. And when everything is running smoothly, cortisol wakes you up, naturally, gives you mental clarity, and then slowly drops as the day goes on, so you can relax and follow fall asleep at night, but when you slam or drink that your caffeine first thing in the morning, before You have eaten or hydrated, you are basically shouting open so pain it it works by blocking added adenosine. It's it's a chemical that makes you feel sleepy so but it also spikes cortisol and adrenaline even higher. So instead of letting your body wake up on its own, you are forcing it into a high alert, and that's why so many people feel wired in the morning and then completely crash around two to 3pm so your body burns through that temporary Stress energy and then you are getting that foggy snack hunting and a low motivation feeling. So this is what I see, that so many people are struggling, that you are having maybe, maybe multiple coffees. You are kind of fighting through today and that. But there is a there is a quick fix. What I'm talking about, talk about what happens when you go back for your for cup number two or three. So because most people don't drink multiple coffees because they love coffee, it's because they are trying to survive the crash from the first one. And here is what actually happens hormonally. And these are super interesting things that I recently learned because, because there is, there is, if you really listen, pay attention what I'm telling you, start to understand that there is, it's, it's actually there is a science behind why these things are happening. And if this is you, I highly recommend the recommendations I'm telling later, so pay attention what I'm going to say. So here is what actually happens hormonally. So cortisol stays artificially elevated, so over time is naturally being alert late at night, and then adrenaline, it keeps your body in that Fight or flight mode. You feel anxious, you feel restless, and your diet system slows down. So then insulin sensitivity sensitivity drops, which means your body doesn't process carbs as effectively, and that, again, is leading to more cravings later in the day. So then the next step is that your sleep quality get gets actually worse. So even you fall asleep, your sleep, your deep sleep, is reduced. So it affects that, because this is often what especially people who are not tracking their sleep, or even if you are tracking but you don't understand what it actually means, what those if you watch your sleep tracker, what is the data is telling you So it you might see, used you don't get enough deep sleep as you might feel like that. You feel okay. And then you started kind of that cycle over and over again. So you have your coffee, you feel okay. You are wired because of your coffee caffeine in the morning, and that your tray. You are Days are passing So, but that is the here is the here is the kind of wild part. So even if you drink your last coffee at 3pm caffeine has a half life of around six hours. So that means by 9pm half of that caffeine is the in your system, and that's why you might fall asleep but wake up feeling like you you didn't really rest and and then another hidden effect is that What caffeine does to hunger hormones, so when cortisol and the body temporarily suppresses appetite, so which you might think that that might be a good thing. So that's why, and that's why so many people are skipping their breakfast and say that I'm just not hungry in the morning, I only need coffee, but what's really happening is that caffeine plants hunger early in the day, and then khaleen That that is your hunger hormone searches later, usually in the afternoon or evening, and that's when people start cravings, treats, snacks or glass of Wine, not because they lack willpower, but because their hormones are catching up. So it's your body saying that you don't feel me when I needed it. Now I'm asking for a quick energy so if you ever notice that your afternoons feel like a battle with your cravings, or you are over eating dinner, it usually, it's usually discipline problem. It's a morning written problem. So here is how I help my clients reset that written so the first thing in the morning is to hydrate the offer yourself. So it means that you are drinking glass of water before caffeine, and then you delay that first coffee for 60 to 90 minutes to let natural cortisol do its job, so you are not getting that coffee in first thing in the morning. So just that 60 to 90 minute delay having before having your coffee. And then Step number three is that to eat 25 to 30 grams of protein before 10am so this is like, especially like, I like to say that it's, it could be first thing in the morning, but I like to call it because there are many people who are not just naturally enjoying like it could be the reasons that you are not hungry, you don't feel hungry, you just can't eat your breakfast. But when you get that protein in before 10am it stabilizes blood sugar and sets your hormones for the day, and then I would highly recommend to try to cap caffeine afternoon. So think it's your Think, think of it as your energy window. So after that, switch to herbal tea, like a decaf, like without caffeine or water, and use the caffeine very intense intentionally, like one or two cups can improve your focus and performance, but when you when you rely on it to get through the day, it's a sign your system needs recovery, not more stimulation. And for example, when my client Ingrid tried this, she was skeptical. She thought that she needed three coffees to in two weeks of delaying caffeine and eating breakfast first, she said she felt calmer, her sleep improved, and her cravings almost disappeared, so she's, she didn't quit caffeine. She just started using it more strategically. And and that is, that is kind of science behind and I hope it makes, kind of, it kind of makes, makes sense. So then I want to talk a little bit about the breakfast mistake that fuels those cravings. So because I want to, it's not only about caffeine, it's also about food, because that caffeine isn't the only culprit. So most people start their day with something sweet or carb heavy, like cereals that maybe. And what is the problem that spikes your blood sugar quickly, but then it drops and you get that kind of mid morning hunger or craving for more sugar. And if you want stable energy and fewer cravings, you must try to have protein first. And that comes that rule, having that 25 to 30 grams of protein before 10am and you might think options like Greek, you could with berries and seeds, eggs with veggies or even protein shake If you are short on time like that's when my client, Samia, made this change, and because she wasn't really paying attention for her breakfast or FOR HER protein intake, and she found a delicious receipt for Greek yogurt and with some berries or seasonal fruits, like what I personally love, because she wasn't trying to stop nagging snacking, because she just finally gave her body what it needed in the morning. And they were, it was, it's, it's just that it have happened. Some is not the only one. There are so many clients I have worked with who are saying that, you know this is it was not even my intention to stop snacking. You You might know that you have this kind of issue, that you are always snacking, but you are not even trying to will power it and stop it. It's just those cravings are just disappearing automatically when you are trying this. And obviously it's not probably happening within the first day, but give it a little bit time, maybe week, maybe two, and you start to see that it actually affects how your cravings are going to be. So this is, this is like, your situation. But I want to tell a little bit about morning routine, like how you could do it, and I know that if you are, if you have a newborn baby, or you know how it might look, I'm not asking you to do some 45 minute meditation, because it's really realistically not possible. But what is what? Just try to understand which part of this you could implement, because these are something some, some things you can implement right away, regardless how chaotic your mornings are. But that just don't think it like that. Did have to be perfect, but if you are able to implement even a couple of these things, you will start to recognize huge changes for your cravings, for your energy, and how your day is going. So step number one is always like I already mentioned, is to wake up and hydrate one big glass of water, and ideally, if you want to, I, personally, I like love to squeeze a bit bit of lemon of it. But it's not some magical solution that will help. It's just I enjoy it taste more when there is a lemon, you get some important vitamins, stuff like that. So this is just my own personal example what I do. And then the second thing is to get daylight exposure before 10am so this is, and especially now when, like, this episode is coming out, it's we are end of October, daylight might be very challenging or impossible to get before 10am but even even a bright light, like if you have a chance that don't be just in a dark, dark room, just get some light. Even it's a, it's a, it's not natural light. If you don't get sunlight, it's some, even some bright light, artificial light, is better than just stay in a dark room. But because the reason behind this, why it's why good night of sleep, it's starting in early morning, because it's that when you get that bright light. I like to use bright light because daylight exposure is not always possible, but it tells to your body that it's time to awake. And also, for your Archer, written of today, that it tells that okay, you are awake at this time of the day, and it also means that you are getting tired later on the day, but if you you're you don't get the daylight or light early in the morning. It gets later in the night, and your body doesn't understand that now I'm awake already, like whatever you starts, that rhythm starts when you get that light exposure. So that's why it's so important to get that daylight early in the day, and ideally before 10am and and the most ideal, ideal case, it's right after you wake up. Then step number three is that having that protein rich breakfast and 25 to 30 grams of protein is before 10am and and this is, this is, if you are not sure how much protein you are getting look products like us. For many people, it's shocking, like they think that, you know, I'm eating some breakfast, I'm eating breakfast, I'm eating protein, but eating some protein, or eating, actually, the 25 to 30 grams of protein, that's those are two different things. So for example, was clients I have worked with, they tell me they I, you know, I eat first with my toast or whatever, and but one egg has maybe seven grams of protein, so you are still far from that protein goal. What you should have, you should have, and, or maybe your breakfast is just one egg. Maybe you have some little bit cheese, little bit some ham or something on your toast, but you might get, if it's slice of cheese, slice of ham or some other meat, you might have 1015, grams of protein total for your breakfast, and that is, again, it's half what you should be getting. And like I said, there are different ways, either increasing amounts of your protein sources, trying to add some new things if you can't answer. But easy for me, easiest way always how to increase your protein intake is to look what you are already having. Then asking first question, what you should ask yourself is that, can I have more? If your protein sources is, for example, ham on your toast. Ask, could you have instead of one slice? Could you have two or three? And if the answer is that, no, I don't Turo, I'm sorry I can't have I don't want to have 10 slices of ham to get my 25 grams of protein. Then go for next question and ask yourself that, what else I could be adding, but easiest way is to always look what you are already having and asking if you could have more what you already have, because it's not that doesn't feel that sense, doesn't feel that big. And then step number four is the delay that caffeine by about 60 to 90 minutes. So if you wake up 6am try to not have it before seven, 730 and that is that is going to be a game changer. And then step number five, move your particle. Stretch. Stretching helps your nervous system wake up naturally. So those are kind of simple five steps. What you could be doing for your morning routine, and when I started doing these steps, I didn't need any more multiple cups of coffee, my focus improved. I felt calmer, and my sleep even got better, because caffeine timing affects to your whole 24 hour written. And so if there is something, one thing you can take from this episode, it is this that you don't need to quit caffeine. You just need to respect your hormones. So start, start small. Delay that caffeine for 60 Minutes. Eat protein early and get sunlight before screens. So try this for one and know this focus and cravings are improving, and because they all start improving naturally. And this is a kind of kind of short episode. And if you find this episode helpful, share it with a friend who is always tired no matter how much coffee they drink. We all know that person, and if you want more help building simple science backed habits like this, check out my balanced lifestyle blueprint. The link is in the show notes, and until next time, remember consistency, beats, always perfection, small, daily choices build unstoppable energy. So thank you for listening and talk to you next time.