Coffee and Caffeine
Caffeine is the most widely used drug in the world. Coffee and caffeine are far less dangerous than fruit juice or soda, it is still wise to limit, and if possible, eliminate its use.
This is becoming increasingly clear for women, as coffee should NEVER be consumed during pregnancy. It also appears that coffee consumption is associated with increased estrogen levels, which means an increase for breast and endometrial cancer.
Coffee has been previously associated with increased risk of stroke and rheumatoid arthritis.
One can use a product called Water Joe that is basically bottled water with caffeine added to help you wean off of the coffee. If you stop coffee cold turkey you will likely develop a severe headache from going through caffeine withdrawal.
Tips to Reduce the harmful effects of Coffee.
If you simply MUST drink coffee here are a few tips to help reduce the chances of harmful effects:
- Use organic coffee - Coffee is a heavily sprayed crop, so drinking organic coffee might reduce or eliminate the exposure to toxic herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers. The only drawback is that the countries where coffee is produced probably have less control and monitoring for compliance to organic practices. You will also be helping to protect the health of the people working in the coffee fields, as you will be helping to reduce their toxic exposure as well.
- "Swiss Water Process" decaf - If you are going to drink decaffeinated coffee, be sure that it is one that uses a non-chemical based method of decaffeination. The "Swiss Water Process" is a patented method and is the best choice. Most of the major brands are chemically decaffeinated, even if it says "Naturally ecaffeinated" right on the container. If you are unsure of the methods, contact the manufacturer.
- Avoid sugar and/or milk - These are actually much worse for you than the coffee itself. Don't compound the detrimental health effects by adding milk or sugar to your coffee.
- Unbleached filters - If you use a "drip" coffee maker, be sure to use non-bleached filters. The bright white ones, which most people use, are chlorine bleached and some of this chlorine will be extracted from the filter during the brewing process.
How to Wean Yourself Off Coffee
If you try to stop drinking coffee "cold turkey" you will likely experience symptoms of withdrawal that can include severe headache, fatigue and depression. This can be avoided by cutting down the amount you drink gradually over a period of days or even weeks. It's also important to drink plenty of water during the process in order to keep your body well hydrated.
If you find that you miss your morning coffee-drinking ritual, replace it with a new tradition that will also boost your health and energy. Vegetable juice makes a great coffee replacement . Both options will give you the energy boost that you're looking for in the morning without the negative effects of caffeine.
While you're in the process of weaning yourself off coffee, here are some tips to reduce the chance of harmful effects until you can completely eliminate it:
Use organic coffee
As mentioned above, coffee is a heavily sprayed crop, so drinking organic coffee might reduce or eliminate your exposure to toxic herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers. It will also help the people working in the coffee fields, as they will be exposed to fewer pesticides as well.
Try "Swiss Water Process" decaf
If you are going to drink decaffeinated coffee, be sure that it uses a non-chemical based method of decaffeination. The "Swiss Water Process" is a patented method and is the best choice. Most of the major brands are chemically decaffeinated, even if it says "naturally decaffeinated" right on the container. If you are unsure of the methods, contact the manufacturer.
Avoid sugar and milk
These are actually much worse for you than the coffee itself. Don't compound the detrimental health effects by adding milk or sugar to your coffee.
Only use unbleached filters
If you use a "drip" coffee maker, be sure to use non-bleached filters. The bright white ones, which most people use, are chlorine bleached and some of this chlorine will be extracted from the filter during the brewing process.
Water is the best fluid for us
Another reason to avoid coffee. One should wonder what additional subtle biochemical complications that one can not readily observe that are also occurring when consuming foods we were not designed to eat.
Anything other than water, especially taken over a long time, is likely to cause complications. As far as other fluids go, coffee is not one of the more harmful from my experience. However, if you are going to drink coffee it is very important that you only consume organic brands. Most coffee is not grown in this country and most foreign countries do not have bans on pesticides. So restrict your brands to the organic variety.
If you are seeking optimum health, however, you should stop your coffee. It is a drug and the last thing any of us needs is another addiction.
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