to be thinking about drinking coffee...

Why is coffee a ‘bad habit’?
Excessive caffeine won’t be good but actually a modest amount of real coffee is good for you. See link below from a v reputable source: Zoe.

If you like and enjoy coffee, have some.
If you are concerned about the cause of feeling slow to get started, investigate that.

God knows why anyone attentive to their health would prefer something like Red Bull.

https://zoe.com/learn/health-benefits-of-coffee?utm_source=google_pmax&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=20382344316&utm_adgroup=&utm_term=&utm_content=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI77j1rO-JgwMVlJZQBh0MaAKcEAAYASAAEgIV2vD_BwE

Coffee is what gets me out of bed in the morning- the thought of that first lovely cup!

I’m pregnant and been missing my morning coffees!!! Definitely give it a go :) I just have (or used to have) one cup in the morning to wake me up.

Not sure if that's a serious question - but it's not advisable ! Red bull is something I keep in the car as an emergency to keep me awake on a long journey.

Everything I read about caffeine is that if you manage to kick it, eventually you get more energy, so if you aren't a coffee drinker already, I wouldn't necessarily start at 53. I am mainly a tea drinker and when I do drink coffee I tend to have a slump later . Pepsi max is my hit for energy - I think that's quite addictive though and has all sorts of artificial things in.

I have a cake deficiency that needs correcting. 😉

In all seriousness, that's a bit miserable from your friend. I also have a nutritionist friend who recognises we all have our little treats/vices.

OP, why not just give it a go and see how you feel? It's not harmful.

My best friend is a nutritionist and she always says that you are not suffering from a deficiency of XYZ, in your case coffee, so adding it doesn’t help.

There is something else going on with your body and it’s not a coffee deficiency.

Coffee and caffeine is not harmful in moderation. In fact, there may even be health benefits of caffeine.
It may give you a boost, it may not. Human body develops resistance to caffeine pretty quickly so the effect may wear off within a week or two.
Red Bull is also probably fine but I am generally of the belief that one shouldn't drink their calories (and it is more expensive than a cup of coffee).
Finally, if you drink tea, you already consume caffeine

I've read that one or two coffees a day can be good for you. I usually start with a tea or two, then have a coffee mid morning - and then back to tea, with decaf tea or herbals after about 5pm.

Lots of coffee and especially later in the day probably is 'bad habit' territory.

Tea has about half the amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee. So if you're drinking two cups of tea in the morning it's probably the same :)

Loads of responses on this thread are so weird 😆

Have a coffee and enjoy it! For me it's not the energy it gives, it's just pleasurable to have a hot drink that tastes good.

I think it would be a nice treat for you now and again. Well done for never drinking it, I'm 35 and have been drinking it often for the last 10 years!

Well don't go over the top like the occasional idiot who makes the news by chugging a ridiculous amount in a short space of time and ODing on caffeine (I've known people who drink only coffee most days and have never done this, so fuck knows what these people are doing?!) but no reason not to give it a go! Research suggests coffee is actually quite good for the liver and reduces the risk of developing certain diseases.

I never found that coffee gave me energy or made me feel less tired, I just liked the taste. Since I had covid I can no longer stand it.

Good coffee is my greatest daily pleasure and I highly recommend it.

And there are health benefits

I am a huge coffee addict and I would not be happy at all if I had to go without for a day (so my pregnancies were great fun 😆). I would say if you're not a coffee drinker already, don't do it.

What are your existing morning habits? I'd try something like cold water with lemon juice and ginger, eggs on toast, a multivitamin and a 10 minute stretch. Do that every day for a few weeks and see if that makes any difference!

I know people say it only gives you expensive urine but personally, taking vitamins has made a huge difference to me. I don't care if they're just placebos 🤣

More than likely you are just a bit burnout out and run down by the weather and time of year and general life exhaustions. I'd try natural things like getting outside first thing in the morning for a walk or some fresh air. More exercise during the day. Better sleep. Make sure you're otherwise healthy.

Coffee is just stimulant. Yes, will wake you up a bit initially, but you crash and get sleepier after than you would if you didn't have any at all. I'm a coffee drinker and I enjoy it, but if you've never had it til now, I see no reason to start. I actually gave up caffeine for several years at one point and I felt alert and energised every morning just like I'd had a coffee, because I wasn't dependent on a stimulant and my body naturally woke up. If you aren't do that, I'd look to figure out why, rather than just adding something to perk you up temporarily.

Do you drink tea? Or anything else with caffeine like Coke?

if not you might want to start with tea- going from no caffeine whatsoever straight to coffee might be a bit much and make you jittery.

I have one in the morning and then switch to tea. Helps me wake up. I did used to drink a lot more but too much left me a bit dependent on it and I got headaches when I didn’t have caffeine. Also not great for your teeth.

I’m a raging caffeine addict since my teens and I’m in my 40’s ,In my defence there’s some good research suggesting it helps reduce the risk of certain kinds of dementia and it’s good for the liver.
I have an extremely full on life and deal with a lot of stress and have a chronic illness (not lifestyle related)
Ive never had a gym membership, dont exercise except for gardening and playing with kids in the pool in summer, I eat crap at will and I like wine. I’m a size 12 and dont have any wrinkles. It can’t be that awful.

Red Bull is much worse, I'm sure! Coffee or tea is fine, and a warm drink on a cold morning is quite soothing too.

Oh, and yes, I can take or leave coffee (it goes in phases) but the one thing I can never do is have coffee within an hour of not being near a toilet - my bladder very much protests.

On the other hand, my digestive system seems to quite like the morning boost - if you know what I mean.

I do like coffee a little later in the morning but wouldn't have one first thing - too strong for the taste buds after just emerging from sleep (as I like it black).

For me there's nothing beats starting the day and getting the old cogs whirring again than a nice cup of tea! How about trying that?

I think it would be better to deal with the tiredness - I take a swath of supplements, and I feel dramatically better for them, but unfortunately I don't know which ones are the ones making the difference 😭