What I’m about to say, I’ve said many times before; that’s because it’s something that I absolutely believe to be true: I’m not sure how many topics, especially as they relate to one’s health, are more polarizing than coffee (most specifically, the caffeine that’s in it). While on one hand, science reveals that coffee can help to strengthen your heart, reduce your risk for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, boost your energy levels, improve your blood sugar levels, and even increase your longevity, there are also numerous reports that too much of a good thing can prove to be problematic on a few levels too.
Take an article that I recently read, for example. It basically stated that you’re better off starting off your mornings with water instead of coffee because extra hydration will help to prevent your body from receiving “mixed messages” as far as your stress hormone (cortisol) is concerned. As a result, you can end up with more energy and productivity than caffeine alone can provide.
That’s not all, though. If you happen to be someone who can’t see starting your day without a big ole’ cup of java in your hands, here are 10 solid reasons why you might want to rethink that — or at least take the “less is more approach” to coffee overall.
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1. Less Nutrition Absorption
You might’ve read somewhere that the majority of Americans do not get the nutrients that they need from their diet alone. In fact, most don’t get nearly enough vitamin D and E from the foods that they eat, half need more vitamin C and one-third are lacking in the vitamin A and magnesium departments. That’s why I thought it was important to start all of this off by sharing that caffeine consumption can make it harder for your body to fully absorb nutrients; especially when it comes to calcium, magnesium, and B vitamins.
Does this mean not to drink coffee at all? No. What it does mean is if you think that you can’t get through the day without it, you should consider what it may be potentially robbing you of in the process (especially if you drink more than a couple of cups a day).
2. Also, Less Iron Absorption
If you’re someone who is anemic (or borderline anemic), this is something that you definitely should keep in mind. Did you know that coffee also has the ability to significantly reduce how much iron your system is able to absorb? For instance, one study revealed that drinking coffee with a hamburger meal can decrease how much iron you’re able to get from the burger by almost 40 freakin’ percent. It’s mostly due to the polyphenols (plant compounds) that are able to inhibit how your body digests the mineral.
Again, does this mean that you can have no java at all? Some health experts say that it’s more about paying attention to when you drink it. For example, one study said that consuming coffee an hour before a meal will have very little of an iron effect at all. My two cents? If you do have low iron, speak with your doctor first. Better to be safe than sorry…right?
3. More Belly Fat (Maybe)
Did you know that approximately 65 percent of Americans consume coffee? Not only that but apparently a lot of one’s genetic make-up helps to determine if coffee is good for them or not (you can read more about that here). Maybe that’s why some people can drink coffee and not gain an inch while others will and pack on the pounds. Honestly, a lot of the weight surrounding coffee consumption has more to do with what you put in your coffee cup — sugar, cream, etc.— than anything else.
Still, it’s important to keep in mind that since caffeine has the ability to raise your cortisol (natural stress hormone) levels and cortisol has been linked to added abdominal fat (especially in women) — let’s just say that if you’re trying to get a six-pack, coffee is not the most effective way to make that happen; not by a long shot.
4. (Potentially) More Fragile Bones
Another mineral that isn’t the biggest fan of coffee is calcium. Some research indicates that consuming caffeine can actually interfere with how your body processes calcium. For instance, if you happen to drink a lot of coffee, whenever you urinate, it can actually cause a lot of the calcium that’s stored in your body to leave your system; that can ultimately lead to weaker bones, especially as you age. So, how much is too much? Reportedly, five Red Bulls or 3-4 eight-ounce cups of coffee a day is definitely pushing the limit.
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5. Hormonal Imbalance
If there’s one thing that all women should want to be hypervigilant about, it’s making sure that their hormones remain as balanced as possible. Well, one thing that doesn’t really care about that goal is caffeine. Again, not only does it tend to increase your cortisol (stress) levels, but it also can throw off your blood sugar (if you’re not careful), make your endocrine system (the system that’s in charge of your hormones) sluggish and it can create erratic sleep patterns which can ultimately result in a suppression of how your hormones are produced. Out of all of the reasons in this article to pay attention to how much coffee you drink, this is one that definitely should not be ignored.
6. Asthma Medication Drama
I bet most of you would never guess that some studies reveal that drinking coffee can reduce asthma symptoms (for some people) by as much as almost 30 percent. A part of the reason is that, since caffeine is a stimulant, it can (temporarily) help to reduce what causes respiratory muscle fatigue which can result in asthma attacks. At the same time, make sure to not consume caffeine four hours or less prior to a lung test (it can affect the results).
Also, some studies say that caffeine can make it more difficult for your body to absorb any asthma-related medication that you may be on. So, if you do take something for asthma and coffee is totally your thing, let your doctor know — just to be on the safe side.
7. More Hot Flashes
If you happen to be in a latter stage of perimenopause or very close to menopause, it’s common to experience hot flashes. Long story short, they’re what happen when your hormones are all over the place which can throw your “body’s thermostat”, known as your hypothalamus off, making it highly sensitive to temperature. Although things like spicy foods, alcohol, hot weather, stress, and even tight clothes can trigger a hot flash, so can caffeine. So, if you’ve got hot flashes going on and you can’t seem to catch a break, you might want to push that coffee cup back; see how that makes you feel.
8. Possible Pregnancy Problems
You might’ve heard somewhere that it’s okay to have caffeine while you’re pregnant, so long as it’s consumed in extreme moderation. However, there is more and more intel that says you really should consider going without it altogether since caffeine is connected to things like an uptick in miscarriage, stillbirths, low birth weight in newborns, and sometimes, even certain types of cancer. You don’t want to take a chance on this one. At the very least, go the decaf route (and even do that sparingly) until the little one is born.
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9. Dehydration
Every time that I read that 75 percent of Americans are not just dehydrated but chronically dehydrated, it trips me out. And since coffee is a diuretic, this means that it pulls water out of your system because it causes you to urinate more. To be fair on this one, though, so long as you limit your coffee intake to less than five cups a day, it shouldn’t have too much (more) a dehydration effect on you (to be sure, keep a glass of water nearby).
10. Insomnia
And finally, one more time for the cheap seats: coffee is a stimulant. That’s why, it makes all the sense in the world that too much caffeine can wreak total havoc on your quality of rest and sleep. In fact, some research indicates that even having caffeine as early as six hours prior to your bedtime can cut down your sleep by an hour. This is why you should have no more than 3-4 cups of coffee a day (max) and avoid drinking it after around lunchtime. Otherwise, you could end up sleep deprived and that comes with potential health-related issues like anxiety, depression, obesity, heart attacks, and strokes.
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So what if you do want to lighten up on your coffee intake yet you know that you still need more energy in the morning? Some healthier alternatives include matcha tea, yaupon tea, chicory coffee, mushroom coffee, black tea, chai tea, and golden milk. Since all of these come with less caffeine and their own pretty impressive health benefits, why not give one or all of ‘em a shot?
Hey, you just might like it. What’s been scientifically proven is your system will. Drink up!
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Featured image by Tom Werner/Getty Images
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So, we handpicked one hundred It Girls who embody that palpable It Factor moving through us as young Black women, the kind of motion lighting up the world both IRL and across the internet.
It Girl 100 became xoNecole’s most successful program, with the hashtag organically reaching more than forty million impressions on Instagram in just twenty-four hours. Yes, it caught on like wildfire because we celebrated some of the most brilliant and influential GenZennial women of color setting trends and shaping culture. But more than that, it resonated because the women we celebrated felt seen.
Many were already known in their industries for keeping this generation fly and lit, but rarely received recognition or flowers. It Girl 100 became a safe space to be uplifted, and for us as Black women to bask in what felt like an era of our brilliance, beauty, and boundless influence on full display.
And then, almost overnight, it was as if the rug was pulled from under us as Black women, as the It Girls of the world.
Our much-needed, much-deserved season of ease and soft living quickly metamorphosed into a time of self-preservation and survival. Our motion and economic progression seemed strategically slowed, our light under siege.
The air feels heavier now. The headlines colder. Our Black girl magic is being picked apart and politicized for simply existing.
With that climate shift, as we prepare to launch our second annual It Girl 100 honoree list, our team has had to dig deep on the purpose and intention behind this year’s list. Knowing the spirit of It Girl 100 is about motion, sauce, strides, and progression, how do we celebrate amid uncertainty and collective grief when the juice feels like it is being squeezed out of us?
As we wrestled with that question, we were reminded that this tension isn’t new. Black women have always had to find joy in the midst of struggle, to create light even in the darkest corners. We have carried the weight of scrutiny for generations, expected to be strong, to serve, to smile through the sting. But this moment feels different. It feels deeply personal.
We are living at the intersection of liberation and backlash. We are learning to take off our capes, to say no when we are tired, to embrace softness without apology.
And somehow, the world has found new ways to punish us for it.
In lifestyle, women like Kayla Nicole and Ayesha Curry have been ridiculed for daring to choose themselves. Tracee Ellis Ross was labeled bitter for speaking her truth about love. Meghan Markle, still, cannot breathe without critique.
In politics, Kamala Harris, Letitia James, and Jasmine Crockett are dragged through the mud for standing tall in rooms not built for them.
In sports, Angel Reese, Coco Gauff, and Taylor Townsend have been reminded that even excellence will not shield you from racism or judgment.
In business, visionaries like Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye and Melissa Butler are fighting to keep their dreams alive in an economy that too often forgets us first.
Even our icons, Beyoncé, Serena, and SZA, have faced criticism simply for evolving beyond the boxes society tried to keep them in.
From everyday women to cultural phenoms, the pattern is the same. Our light is being tested.
And yet, somehow, through it all, we are still showing up as that girl, and that deserves to be celebrated.
Because while the world debates our worth, we keep raising our value. And that proof is all around us.
This year alone, Naomi Osaka returned from motherhood and mental health challenges to reach the semifinals of the US Open. A’ja Wilson claimed another MVP, reminding us that beauty and dominance can coexist. Brandy and Monica are snatching our edges on tour. Kahlana Barfield Brown sold out her new line in the face of a retailer that had been canceled. And Melissa Butler’s company, The Lip Bar, is projecting a forty percent surge in sales.
We are no longer defining strength by how much pain we can endure. We are defining it by the unbreakable light we continue to radiate.
We are the women walking our daily steps and also continuing to run solid businesses. We are growing in love, taking solo trips, laughing until it hurts, raising babies and ideas, drinking our green juice, and praying our peace back into existence.
We are rediscovering the joy of rest and realizing that softness is not weakness, it is strategy.
And through it all, we continue to lift one another. Emma Grede is creating seats at the table. Valeisha Butterfield has started a fund for jobless Black women. Arian Simone is leading in media with fearless conviction. We are pouring into each other in ways the world rarely sees but always feels.
So yes, we are in the midst of societal warfare. Yes, we are being tested. Yes, we are facing economic strain, political targeting, and public scrutiny. But even war cannot dim a light that is divinely ours.
And we are still shining.
And we are still softening.
And we are still creating.
And we are still It.
That is the quiet magic of Black womanhood, our ability to hold both truth and triumph in the same breath, to say yes, and to life’s contradictions.
It is no coincidence that this year, as SheaMoisture embraces the message “Yes, And,” they stand beside us as partners in celebrating this class of It Girls. Because that phrase, those two simple words, capture the very essence of this moment.
Yes, we are tired. And we are still rising.
Yes, we are questioned. And we are the answer.
Yes, we are bruised. And we are still beautiful.
This year’s It Girl 100 is more than a list. It is a love letter to every Black woman who dares to live out loud in a world that would rather she whisper. This year’s class is living proof of “Yes, And,” women who are finding ways to thrive and to heal, to build and to rest, to lead and to love, all at once.
It is proof that our joy is not naive, our success not accidental. It is the reminder that our light has never needed permission.
So without further ado, we celebrate the It Girl 100 Class of 2025–2026.
We celebrate the millions of us who keep doing it with grace, grit, and glory.
Because despite it all, we still shine.
Because we are still her.
Because we are still IT, girl.
Meet all 100 women shaping culture in the It Girl 100 Class of 2025. View the complete list of honorees here.
Featured image by xoStaff
Then there were those who gave up their zip code altogether and found a permanent home in the skies. After years spent recruiting students for a university, Lisa-Gaye Shakespeare became a full-time travel influencer and founded her travel company, Shakespeare Agency. And she's not alone.
These stories mirror the experiences of women across the world. For millions, the pandemic induced a seismic shift in priorities and desires. Corporate careers that were once hailed as the ultimate “I made it” moment in one's career were pushed to the back burner as women quit their jobs in search of a more self-fulfilling purpose.
xoNecole spoke to these three Black women who used the pandemic as a springboard to make their wildest dreams a reality, the lessons they learned, and posed the question of whether they’ll ever return to cubicle life.
Answers have been edited for context and length.
xoNecole: How did the pandemic lead to you leaving the cubicle?
Randi: I was becoming stagnant. I was working in mortgage and banking but I felt like my personality was too big for that job! From there, I transitioned to radio but was laid off during the pandemic. That’s what made me go full throttle with entrepreneurship.
Gabrielle: I moved around a lot for work. Five times over a span of seven years. I knew I needed a break because I had experienced so much. So, I just quit one day. Effective immediately. I didn’t know what I was going to do, I just knew I needed a break and to just regroup.
Lisa-Gaye: I was working in recruiting at a university and my dream job just kind of fell into my lap! But, I never got to fully enjoy it before the world shut down in March [2020] and I was laid off. On top of that, I was stuck in Miami because Jamaica had closed its borders due to the pandemic before I was able to return.
Randi O
xoN: Tell us about your journey after leaving Corporate America.
Randi: I do it all now! I have a podcast, I’m an on-air talent, I act, and I own a public relations company that focuses on social media engagement. It’s all from my network. When you go out and start a business, you can’t just say, “Okay I’m done with Corporate America,” and “Let me do my own thing.” If you don’t build community, if you don’t build a network it's going to be very hard to sustain.
Gabrielle: I realized in New York, there was not a lot to do for Black lesbians and queer folks. We don’t really have dedicated bars and spaces so I started doing events and it took off. I started focusing on my brand, Raw Honey. I opened a co-working space, and I was able to host an NYC Pride event in front of 100,000 people. I hit the ground running with Raw Honey. My events were all women coming to find community and come together with other lesbians and queer folks. I found my purpose in that.
Lisa-Gaye: After being laid off, I wrote out all of my passions and that’s how I came up with [my company] Shakespeare Agency. It was all of the things that I loved to do under one umbrella. The pandemic pulled that out of me. I had a very large social media following, so I pitched to hotels that I would feature them on my blog and social media. This reignited my passion for travel. I took the rest of the year to refocus my brand to focus solely on being a content creator within the travel space.
Gabrielle
xoN: What have you learned about yourself during your time as an entrepreneur?
Randi: [I learned] the importance of my network and community that I created. When I was laid off I was still keeping those relationships with people that I used to work with. So it was easy for me to transition into social media management and I didn’t have to start from scratch.
Gabrielle: The biggest thing I learned about myself was my own personal identity as a Black lesbian and how much I had assimilated into straight and corporate culture and not being myself. Now, I feel comfortable and confident being my authentic self. Now, I'm not sacrificing anything else for my career. I have a full life. I have friends. I have a social life. And when you are happy and have a full quality of life, I feel like [I] can have more longevity in my career.
Lisa-Gaye: [I'm doing] the best that I've ever done. The discipline that I’m building within myself. Nobody is saying, ‘Oh you have to be at work at this time.’ There’s no boss saying, ‘Why are you late?’ But, if I’m laying in bed at 10 a.m. then it's me saying [to myself], 'Okay, Lisa, get up, it's time for you to start working!’ That’s all on me.
xoNecole: What mistakes do you want to help people avoid when leaving Corporate America?
Randi: You have to learn about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. You have a fast season and a slow season and I started to learn that when you're self-employed the latter season hits hard. Don't get caught up on the lows, just keep going and don't stop. I’m glad I did.
Gabrielle: I think everyone should quit their job and just figure it out for a second. You will discover so much about yourself when you take a second to just focus on you. Your skill set will always be there. You can’t be afraid of what will happen when you bet on yourself.
Lisa-Gaye: When it comes to being an influencer the field is saturated and a lot of people suffer from imposter syndrome. There is nothing wrong with being an imposter but find out how to make it yours, how to make it better. If you go to the store, you see 10 million different brands of bread! But you are choosing the brand that you like because you like that particular flavor.
So be an imposter, but be the best imposter of yourself and add your own flair, your own flavor. Make the better bread. The bread that you want.
Lisa-Gaye Shakespeare
xoNecole: Will you ever return to your 9 to 5?
Randi: I wouldn’t go back to Corporate America. But I don’t mind working under someone. A lot of people try to get into this business saying, “I can't work under anyone.” That’s not necessarily the reason to start a business because you're always going to answer to somebody. Clients, brands, there’s always someone else involved.
Gabrielle: I went back! I really needed a break and I gave myself that. But, I realized I’m a corporate girl, [and] I enjoy the work that I do. I’m good at it and I really missed that side of myself. I have different sides of me and my whole identity is not Raw Honey or my queerness. A big side of me is business and that’s why I love having my career. Now I feel like my best self.
Lisa-Gaye: I really don’t. For right now, I love working for myself. It's gratifying, it's challenging, it's exciting. It’s a big deal for me to say I own my own business. That I am my own boss, and I'm a Black woman doing it.
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Featured image courtesy of Lisa-Gaye Shakespeare
Originally published on February 6, 2023