Strategic Coffee Drinking: Timing for Energy, Focus, and Sleep | Ep 40

Do you want to learn how to time your coffee for peak focus, better sleep, and long-lasting energy?

In this episode, I’m sharing how to do it smarter.

As someone who's taught nutrition at GWU’s School of Medicine and written the book Eat to Lead, I get asked a lot about coffee. Questions like:
– Should I switch to tea for antioxidants?
– How much is too much?
– Is coffee actually making me feel happier?

I’ll answer all of those questions and more—including how coffee works with your brain chemistry, genetics, and natural energy rhythms. We’ll talk about something I call strategic coffee drinking—a way to use coffee intentionally so you stay sharp, energetic, and clear-minded all day, without overdoing it, causing the jitters or wrecking your sleep.

At the end, for the nutri-curious, I’ll also share a short physiology lesson on how caffeine keeps you awake, sharpens your mind, and even influences your mood.

☕ This episode is sponsored by Dry Brew Coffee—my favorite travel-friendly caffeine hack. You’ll hear more about it in the episode, and you can get 20% off your first order at ⁠http://www.drybrew.com/discount/lucigabel20

or simply go to DryBrew.com and use code lucigabel20.

Whether you’re a leader, entrepreneur, or just someone who loves their daily brew, this episode will help you upgrade your coffee routine into a real performance tool.

☕ Ready to level up your latte? Let’s go.

After you listen, let me know if you have a favorite coffee trick—I'd love to hear from you!

Topics covered in this episode:coffee, caffeine, strategic coffee drinking, focus, sleep, energy, mood, caffeine and brain chemistry, coffee and performance, caffeine timing, leadership energy, Luci Gabel, Eat to Lead

Sources:

1. National Coffee Association USA. “More Americans Drink Coffee Each Day Than Any Other Beverage.” NCAUSA.org
2. Drive Research. “Coffee Survey: 3 in 4 Americans Drink Coffee Every Day.” ⁠driveresearch.com⁠
3. Liang, N. & Kitts, D.D. (2014). “Antioxidant Property of Coffee Components: Assessment of Methods That Define Mechanisms of Action.” Molecules, 19(11), 19180–19208. PubMed Central
4. Examine. “Caffeine — Research Breakdown.” examine.com
5. Examine. “Do Different Genotypes Influence the Effect of Caffeine?” examine.com
6. Evans, J., Richards, J.R., & Battisti, A.S. (2024). “Caffeine.” In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing. NCBI Bookshelf
7. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research. (2001). Caffeine for the sustainment of mental task performance: Formulations for military operations (Chapter 2, Pharmacology of Caffeine). Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK223808/
8. Wierzejska, R. E., & Gielecińska, I. (2024). Evaluation of the caffeine content in servings of popular coffees in terms of its safe intake—Can we drink 3–5 cups of coffee per day, as experts advise? Nutrients, 16(15), 2385. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16152385
9. EFSA NDA Panel (EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies). (2014). Scientific opinion on the substantiation of a health claim related to caffeine and increased alertness pursuant to Article 13(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. EFSA Journal, 12(2), 3574. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2014.3574 
10. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central. Retrieved June 2025, from https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-search?component=1057
11. Freedman, N. D., Park, Y., Abnet, C. C., Hollenbeck, A. R., & Sinha, R. (2012). Association of coffee drinking with total and cause-specific mortality. New England Journal of Medicine