最近突然找到自己这些年来喝完咖啡不舒服的罪魁祸首：不是里面的咖啡因，而是加的糖！

记得二十多岁的时候在国内的外企工作，当时还没有咖啡店，流行雀巢速溶咖啡和咖啡伴侣，装在瓶子里，按那时的工资标准，挺贵的，好象要100元一套。我们办公室几个平时和外籍人员一起工作的年轻人喜欢喝，把咖啡和咖啡伴侣搅拌在一起，用开水冲开，再加一勺白糖，冒着热气放在办公桌上，现在还能回忆起那种诱人的滑滑的甜甜的香香的味道。

外籍人员来了，也是喝这种咖啡。不同的是，公司会为他们免费提供。记得听到过不止一位老外的称赞，说好喝，好喝！不知是不是出于客套。

只有一次从芬兰来了一位工程师，五十岁的模样，典型的高高大大的北欧身材，喝咖啡不喜欢加糖和伴侣，只喝苦咖啡。他说有的国家咖啡是招待客人用的，而在他们那里喝咖啡就象是平日里喝水，没有客人的时候家家也都会喝。果不其然，一大瓶咖啡放在他办公室没几天就空了。记得我们的办公室主任还挺舍不得地嘟囔过这件事。

我当时对这位北欧大叔喝咖啡不加糖印象深刻，心想那么苦的咖啡怎么能受得了。

到了加拿大，咖啡成了最普通的日常饮料。Tim Hortons成了我每天工作和学习的忠实伴侣。

这里的学校不考虑午休，上学的时候中午没时间或舍不得花钱买饭，就会去Tim Hortons买杯咖啡填饱肚子。Double Double是加拿大流行的喝法：两份奶油，两份糖。热热地喝下去，真的能顶半天都不饿。

后来工作了，办公楼下面就有咖啡店，每天第一件事就是到Tim Hortons买一杯咖啡端着上楼，放在办公桌上，然后才心安理得地打开电脑，开始一天的工作。

咖啡陪伴我熟悉了这个国家，熟悉了手头的工作，经历了一些事情，也认识了一些朋友。记得还曾经跟LG说，如果有一天由于某种原因又回国工作了，对这里最大的思念就是满大街飘着的咖啡的香气。

可突然有一天，我发现自己不能喝咖啡了。尤其是下午的时候，喝了咖啡坐地铁会有恐惧的感觉，心怦怦跳，坐立不安，想从火车上立刻跳下去。可火车在黑暗的地下通道里行驶，不到站不会为我停下来；下班的车厢里永远都是人挤人，每个人或戴着耳机，或低头扫着手机，没有人会注意我的感受。越是这样，越是焦虑，想喊，想拉紧急呼叫。

后来读了一些文章，也咨询了医生，说咖啡因是会让肌体产生焦虑的感觉，尤其是下午空腹的时候喝。于是乎不得不和心爱的咖啡告别，换成绿茶。办公室后来的同事都以为我从来不喝咖啡。

绿茶细细地品，也有它独特的香气，可我还是更喜欢咖啡的味道。周末购物的时候路过咖啡店，LG进去买咖啡，我还是每每经不起诱惑，也会要一杯。每次喝完到了晚上都会不舒服，头疼，疲劳，甚至睡不着觉。LG说我纯粹是心理作用。我也试着不去往那里想，可每次身体难受的时候就会意识到：原来今天又喝了咖啡！

哎，看来和咖啡的缘分是到头了，虽然我还是经不起咖啡香气的诱惑。

儿子喜欢健身，喝咖啡从来都是只加牛奶，不放糖。有时候我们从外面回来，给他捎杯咖啡，如果忘了，放了糖，他坚决不会去碰。

我最近几年也越来越不喜欢吃太甜的东西。有时候很想喝咖啡，就也不加糖。喝过几次，发现身体没有以前的反应。于是时不时上班的时候会去买一杯，感觉还行。虽然还是很回忆加糖的味道，但还是坚定地不去加糖。

今天跟LG谈这件事，顺便从网上搜了一下，糖虽然不是引发焦虑的原因，但血糖的急剧变化会造成身体的不适，增强焦虑感。当然咖啡因更是列在榜首，只不过每个人身体状况不一样，对不同的食物成分会产生不同的反应。

很高兴又能喝咖啡了，当然是每天一杯，不多喝。可惜的是只能喝苦咖啡了。慢慢地去从苦味中体会咖啡吧，就如同体味生活一样… …

关于糖和焦虑的文章很多。把这篇来自CalmClinic.com的文章贴在这里，跟有焦虑困扰的朋友分享：

Does Sugar Cause Anxiety?

Contrary to what you may have read online, sugar does not cause anxiety. Anxiety is a mental health issue, and it's very uncommon for a person's diet to "cause" anxiety. What sugar does do is create changes in your body that may make your anxiety symptoms worse, or cause feelings that trigger anxiety attacks.

Let’s explore the latter.

When you suffer from anxiety attacks, you tend to become hypersensitive to your body. You fear your anxiety attacks, and you notice every single time you feel tired, lightheaded, sick, etc. You notice each and every ache and pain, and you notice when you're not thinking clearly. Every time you notice any of these changes, your anxiety spikes as a result.

Sugar itself doesn't necessarily cause any of these sensations. But sugar does stimulate various sensations in your body. Glucose - and the insulin released to counter glucose - can cause fatigue, trouble thinking, blurry vision and general ill feelings. For those without anxiety, many of these symptoms go unnoticed. But for those with anxiety, each and every one makes you worry that a panic attack is coming, and that fear increases your likelihood of getting one. Furthermore, sugar consumption may leave you with a stomach ache, if you each too much of it. This experience of physical discomfort can also trigger or worsen your anxiety.

Symptoms of Sugar Rushes

Similarly, sugar rush and withdrawal do have a tendency to mimic some of the physical symptoms of anxiety, like shaking and nervousness. This is linked to the rush of energy that you get as the glucose is broken down in your bloodstream in order to release sharp spikes of energy. For most people, this only occurs after considerable sugar consumption, but depending on what you eat and how long you go before eating again, you may be at risk of over stimulating your body and worsening anxiety if you eat sugar. 

These symptoms are not causing anxiety, but if you already have anxiety, the added shaking and tension may make your anxiety worse.

Research Into Sugar and Anxiety

Animal research seems to confirm these ideas. A study in 2008 found that rats that went on a sugar binge and then were deprived of food seemed to have a dopamine imbalance that lead to increased anxiety.

Another study published in 2009 found that long term sugar use seemed more likely to impair memory and reduce the ability to fight anxiety, although the mechanisms of how this happened are unclear. These studies suggest that sugar may affect your ability to cope with anxiety. 

What to Do About Anxiety and Blood Sugar

The simple solution is to maintain a healthier diet. A healthier diet will be less prone to symptoms of sugar and insulin imbalances that often lead to panic and anxiety attacks. A healthier diet will also improve your body's ability to cope with stress, and potentially provide you with more energy that you can use to exercise or change your lifestyle in other ways.

What is a healthier diet?

It is a diet that is:

• Free of processed foods (pastas, white bread, microwave meals).
• High in vegetables and moderate quantities of fruit (which contain natural sugar).
• Foods of different colors (carrots, blueberries, kale, strawberries).
• Foods with little to no added sugar.
• Meals that are high in protein, fiber, minerals like magnesium, and fatty acids.

Cutting down on refined sugars is important for overall health, and while it won't have a significant impact on your anxiety, minor changes can add up over time. The healthier your body feels, the more you’ll feel good on the whole, and the easier it will be for you to manage your anxiety.