Coffee – A Cultural Icon:
I am convinced after living in the Pacific Northwest for over 12 years that Oregonians love their coffee at least as much as the Viennese or natives of New Orleans. Although I am not a coffee drinker myself, I do love the smell of freshly ground coffee and enjoy the social, lively atmosphere of cafes and coffee houses. I understand for some people that the ritual of the coffee making and brewing is almost as important as the coffee itself.
As a nutritional therapist, I am concerned about helping people get sugar, chemicals, and all manner of processed foods out of their diet. So where do I stand on coffee? Before I take a stance on this beloved beverage, let’s look at the effects of coffee on the body.
Coffee – The Bad and the Ugly
Coffee is a narcotic beverage in the same alkaloid group as morphine, cocaine, and strychnine.The caffeine can combine with your stomach acid to form a more potent toxin called caffeine hydrochloride. As this toxin absorbs into your portal circulation and hits your liver, bile is released in an attempt to flush it from your system. This is what creates “bowel regularity” among coffee drinkers.
Heavy coffee use depletes the body of Thiamin or B1. This can result in fatigue, nervousness, aches and pains and headaches.
Regular use of coffee inhibits vitamins and minerals from being properly absorbed in the small intestine. Coffee causes excretion of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and trace minerals into the urine, causing a diuretic effect that also contributes to dehydration. These minerals are all essential to good health and specifically bone health.
Caffeine is a nervous system stimulant and causes the adrenal glands to secrete adrenaline, a hormone needed for a rapid fight or flight response. When coffee is over used, the adrenal glands can become exhausted. Exhausted adrenal glands create endocrine distress, blood sugar imbalances, and the inability to handle life’s day to day stress.
Over 208 acids in coffee contribute to indigestion and a wide variety of health issues including arthritis, allergies, skin irritation and general pain and inflammation throughout the body. Coffee breaks down into a by product called uric acid, and this acid is known to burden the kidneys, contributing to kidney stones and gout. Coffee contains naturally occurring carcinogens such as trichloroethylene (a solvent and degreasing agent) and nitrosamine, and many other compounds that are hard on the liver.
We must acknowledge that coffee is specifically contraindicated for those with high blood pressure, chronic headaches, insomnia, gout, heart disease, tinnitus, irritable bowel problems, acid indigestion, chronic fatigue syndrome, osteoporosis, liver disease, and autoimmune disease just to name a few.
Some Tips for Healthier Coffee Drinking:
Okay, you have probably figured out that it would be virtually impossible for me to endorse coffee as a healthful beverage. On the other hand, if I told my clients that they had to give up coffee entirely, some may never come back. So, here are 8 tips for the middle road:
#1 Choose Organic
Conventional coffee is heavily sprayed with pesticides.
#2 Get the Sugar Out
Use stevia or xylitol or just enjoy the sweet taste of some cream or coconut milk in your coffee as it will provide natural sweetener and some healthy fats.
#3 Avoid Coffee Concoctions
Ditch the flavored creamer concoctions as they are made with hydrogenated vegetable oils and corn syrup.
#4 Try Coffee Alternatives
Roobios tea (rich red tea from South Africa), teeccino (teeccino.com), Inka (inkacoffee.com/index2.htm), as well as green and black tea and yerba mate are great substitutes that are rich in nutrients and antioxidants. Trying these alternatives is a great way to cut down coffee usage to one cup per day or eliminate entirely over time.Sei Mee Tea is another alternative that exists made from brown rice(1-866-844-9448). Try Choffy-roasted cacao beans at http://www.drinkchoffy.com/ .
#5 Take Coffee Holidays
Everyone should know how they feel without coffee! You will only know the true state of your health when you are not propped up with caffeine. A coffee holiday would also be a good time to eliminate sugar and processed foods for a week to a month depending on your wellness goals.
#6 Reduce to One Cup of Naked Coffee Per Day
Naked coffee – this got your attention right? One cup a day does not mean a mega-grande French vanilla frappuccino with caramel and chocolate syrup. Keep it simple and enjoy the real taste of the unadulterated coffee. Drink your cup before noon to avoid sleep issues.
#7 Only Use Freshly Ground
Coffee beans will become rancid when exposed to light and oxygen. Grind your coffee fresh daily and store beans in the refrigerator or freezer.
#8 Eat Before or With Coffee
Coffee spikes blood sugar and decreases appetite. Your body needs fuel to run the day, so drink your cup of coffee with a protein rich, nutrient dense breakfast.
The ideal is that we can all function well and have abundant energy without caffeine or sugar to prop us up, however, if you must have your one cup of coffee per day ENJOY IT WITHOUT GUILT (assuming you are in decent health) and incorporate some of theabove tips.
©Ellen Syversen, Pathways for Health, LLC, pathwaysforhealth.net. (541) 912-8624. 2011.