question re: coffee

[joya]

Is coffee detrimental... or is it only the fact that it isn't raw, that it is discouraged on the raw diet?

TIA
joy

[Revvell]

I'm thinking just because you're asking the question you don't want to give it up which says to me, yes, it's detrimental, it's addicting.

Suggestion: there are LOTS of threads on here asking that question. You might wish to do a search for them because a lot of people gave a lot of really great responses (and still will).

Revvell (http://letstalkraw.com)

[joya]

thanks. I did a search for "coffee" but so many threads came up that finding an answer to my specific question feels like looking for a needle in a hay stack!

I'm okay giving up coffee. I have before, and currently am not even addicted. (I know I'm addicted when I get headaches when I don't have it. And yes, I've been addicted to it off and on throughout my life.)

I ask because I have heard of the beneficial effects of (fresh-brewed) coffee... and I just didn't know if coffee while on a raw diet would somehow be more "toxic" to a purer system. ?

[Dimond]

There's nothing beneficial about consuming coffee regardless of the diet. Once raw, you'll have a more obvious reaction to the toxins in caffeine, just like with alcohol, SAD, etc.

[AutumnBreezColordLeavz]

If you are not willing to do it cold turkey this is my suggestion.
Teeccino is not raw but it is not harmful. And it taste pretty good. I was just telling cherrypie about this stuff yesterday. This is how I stopped drinking coffee.
You can cut the amount of coffee in half and mix it with the Teeccino, gradually drinking more Teeccino and less and less to no coffee.

Besides the drug of caffeine in the coffee, it has other effects on the body.

Coffee and Weight Loss: What You Should Know!

Is coffee drinking sabotaging your weight loss efforts? By drinking coffee or other caffeinated beverages throughout the day, you may be causing yourself to eat more often, and consume more calories than you really need. Here are the top 5 reasons why kicking the caffeine habit will help you make great strides towards your weight loss goals.

Coffee Triggers Food Cravings
Caffeine and other ingredients found in coffee, including decaffeinated coffee, have been shown to increase stress. Caffeine elevates the stress hormone, cortisol. This stress hormone creates an emergency “fight or flight” reaction in the body including increased heart rate, blood pressure, and a sense of “emergency alert”. This alerts the body to increase its energy stores which results in food cravings specifically for sweets. Limiting caffeine can help control food cravings throughout the day.

Caffeine Stimulates Appetite
Caffeine can trigger a condition called hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar with symptoms including dizziness and light-headedness. The body’s reaction to hypoglycemia results in food cravings and increased appetite. People often crave higher calorie foods resulting in increased caloric intake, further interfering with the body’s ability to maintain a healthy weight. The more caffeine you drink, the more you may feel that urge to eat. By limiting your caffeine intake, you can help take better control of your appetite.

Caffeine Increases Stress
Coffee and caffeine intake aggravate stress including physical, mental, and emotional stress. Additionally, caffeine has been found to interfere with our “feel good” brain messenger called GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid). This brain messenger plays an important role in mood and stress management. A lack of GABA can trigger stress or emotional eating, which leads to weight gain. How often have you grabbed a pint of ice cream or bag of cookies when feeling bad? Quitting caffeine can help you get a handle on emotional eating by reducing stress hormones and allowing GABA to do its job of making us feel better.

Stress Hormones Increase Body Fat
Studies show that prolonged elevated cortisol levels increase the deposit of fat in the deep belly area. Abdominal fat is associated with increased health risks like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Decreasing caffeine along with regular exercise are great steps you can take towards a firmer belly and healthier body.

Caffeine Increases Insulin Resistance
Research shows that caffeine contributes to insulin resistance, a condition that reduces the body’s ability to use insulin effectively. When our bodies’ become resistant to insulin, glucose and insulin build up in the blood, endangering our health and increasing our risk of developing Type II Diabetes. Drinking coffee can also cause insomnia and sleep deprivation, both of which have been found to increase insulin resistance. Kicking the caffeine habit can help to lower your risk of insulin resistance and help you to manage your weight more effectively.

Try using Teecino: http://www.teeccino.com/Default.aspx
In small amounts mixed with your coffee and gradually more teeccino and eventually no coffee.

[Revvell]

I'm okay giving up coffee. I have before, and currently am not even addicted. (I know I'm addicted when I get headaches when I don't have it. And yes, I've been addicted to it off and on throughout my life.)

Anything that's addicting is not beneficial. Getting headaches when stopping something tells you right there, it's not beneficial.


I ask because I have heard of the beneficial effects of (fresh-brewed) coffee... and I just didn't know if coffee while on a raw diet would somehow be more "toxic" to a purer system. ?

It is toxic to any system. The only "benefits" one might receive is in the fantasy of the coffee marketers.

Revvell (http://LetsTalkRaw.com)

[SheLovesToEat]

Is coffee detrimental... or is it only the fact that it isn't raw, that it is discouraged on the raw diet?

TIA
joy

everyone has their own way of doing raw. some of us love coffee and tea.
i think its an individual thing really. if you are basically raw and you add bits and bobs ( an english expression LOL) to your diet i think you are still going to get the benifits of raw.
if coffee was the poision that some people believe it is....alot of us would be dead.
everything in moderation is the key to enjoying life.
except LOADS and LOADS of good raw veg LOL.

alot of raw people i have met will have a bit of coffee from time to time...but like i said... it depends on the individual.... so the choice is yours.

[joya]

There's nothing beneficial about consuming coffee regardless of the diet.

That's a pretty strong statement. I can't say I know for sure one way or the other... but have definitely read reports extolling the benefits of coffee. Of course, depends on the source, and studies can be biased/manipulated.


Anything that's addicting is not beneficial. Getting headaches when stopping something tells you right there, it's not beneficial.

Revvell (http://LetsTalkRaw.com)

I value your input, Revvell, but I must respectfully disagree -- ANYTHING can become addictive. Raw food, hot yoga, oil pulling, etc.

Also, getting headaches when stopping something doesn't nessecarily mean it's not beneficial. What about water? ;)

I'm not trying to argue or justify anything here... just thinking logically.




It is toxic to any system. The only "benefits" one might receive is in the fantasy of the coffee marketers. Revvell (http://LetsTalkRaw.com)

I don't necessarily think that coffee (fresh-brewed) is toxic... Good point though... the dairy association says how great milk is for us (does the body good - ha!)... perhaps the coffee business is the same way. When I have time I'll dive deeper into where these reports come from. Food for thought. thanks.

Bottom line: I think I'll listen to my body on this. I've already stopped drinking coffee daily. Keep up with the raw as much as possible... and see what happens.

thanks all!

btw, thanks for the Teeccino suggestion, Autumn. I've tried it before, but just not a fan of it. Not drinking coffee isn't the problem... was just wondering if it would be REALLY horrible for my newly-cleansed system.

cheers.

[joya]

everyone has their own way of doing raw. some of us love coffee and tea.
i think its an individual thing really. if you are basically raw and you add bits and bobs ( an english expression LOL) to your diet i think you are still going to get the benifits of raw.
if coffee was the poision that some people believe it is....alot of us would be dead.
everything in moderation is the key to enjoying life.
except LOADS and LOADS of good raw veg LOL.

alot of raw people i have met will have a bit of coffee from time to time...but like i said... it depends on the individual.... so the choice is yours.

Yeah, that's kinda where I'm at with it too. :)

Bits and bobs...

[mel_s12]

I don't drink coffee.. but I know that Cafe Gratitude makes cold pressed coffee from non-roasted beans (organic and fair trade of course). This might be something to think about. One time I experimented and made a little bit of cold pressed coffee and mixed it with almond milk and agave and crushed ice to make myself a frappuccino. It was pretty darn tasty.

But yeah, the SAD roasted and hot coffee is filled with pesticides, is highly acidic, and is addicting.

[HolyGuacamole]

Well... It sounds like you had your mind made up even before you posted and you'll interpret any responses in a way that confirms the conclusion you've already reached, however I will throw my two cents in.

Coffee is HIGHLY acid-forming, which is massively detrimental to good health, not to mention it thrashes your poor adrenals (see "Increases Stress" in ABCL's post) which is no small thing. Personally I love the taste of it, but I don't drink or use it, and I know I am better off for it.

Also, if we are in fact being logical, trying to compare coffee and yoga is just not a fair comparison.
Coffee is inherently addictive. It's not a healthy practice to which it's possible to become psychologically dependent, it is, by nature, chemically, physically addictive. It's not something healthy that so fills you with natural endorphins that you want to do it all the time. It's an addictive substance.
Comparing coffee and yoga (unassailably healthful) or water (biologically required) or raw food or oil pulling is really reaching.

And no, almost all coffee is not raw, so it would obviously not be encouraged on a raw diet for that reason alone, however there are beyond that lots of other real, legitimate reasons not to drink coffee, raw or not.

At the end of the day, though, yeah, it's personal choice. You put whatever you want into your body. You're the only one who has to be comfortable with it.

[jurence]

Caffeine is an addictive stimulant. You are going to face a LOT of headaches/muscle aches if you don't go off of it slowly. This is NOT cold turkey drug imo.

[Eva]

Caffeine is an addictive stimulant. You are going to face a LOT of headaches/muscle aches if you don't go off of it slowly. This is NOT cold turkey drug imo.

I thought I would need to go to the hospital when I quit coffee! I am so glad to be happy and free from anxiety. My husband also stopped drinking coffee regularly (although he has it on occasion when he feels like it), and he said he had no idea how bad it made him feel until he quit drinking it. He's like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with and without coffee!

That just can't be healthy.

Some will disagree -- but I do think that having a little something every once in a GREAT while is OK for some people. But the last time I had coffee, I had a really fast heartbeat, couldn't sleep, and had smell underarms because my body was doing all sorts of crazy stuff to get rid of it. Yuck.

[magglepie]

For me, giving up coffee was the best thing I ever did. When I was drinking coffee there were some days where I was drinking eight to ten glasses a day and afterwards would always be more tired and lethargic than before. Once I quit drinking coffee (and it took a while to get it all out of my system) and started filling my body with better foods, I felt better! I have more energy and I sleep better now than I ever did when I was drinking coffee! So from one coffee drinker to another, i ask you to take to heart what the people here are telling you and stop drinking coffee! I promis you will feel so much better for it.

[MelissaO]

But the last time I had coffee, I had a really fast heartbeat, couldn't sleep, and had smell underarms because my body was doing all sorts of crazy stuff to get rid of it. Yuck.

LOL Eva you crack me up sometimes.

Personally I do not drink coffee, it dehyrates me, make me very nervous and upsets my stomach. I tried it out when I was working at my last stressfull job and it made me feel hung over when I drank it. Natural juices or water does not make me feel that way so I am happy with them.


My husband is a SAD eater and loves his coffee - so much the doctor told him he had to reduce the intake because he was having heart palpitations. He is addicted to it - swears that he can not make it through the day without his 4 cups (and that is the reduced amount).

[SheLovesToEat]

thats what i mean about raw being an individual thing. you have to do whats right for you.
as you see there are lots of opinions here.

if you are one that cant tolerate coffee then its a good idea not to drink it
but if you like it and are ok with it.
i say why not?

it all comes down to what YOUR body feels best with.
experiment with things and do whats right for you.
whats not good for some may be ok for you....and vice versa.

i think the world is full of good things to enjoy..and as a raw foodist you can
pick and choose what you want in your diet.

i use to be very anal about raw but i have since been trying alot of things out
to get the right balance and i have found that a basic raw vegan diet
is great foundation to build on.
i love the feeling of raw... with the ZIP and compliment of other things like coffee.

as i said before its what YOU want to make of it.
you can never go wrong with a good solid living foods diet but how you craft it beyond that is up to you and how your body feels.

its all different for each and every one of us.

[appifanie]

If you are not willing to do it cold turkey this is my suggestion.
Teeccino is not raw but it is not harmful. And it taste pretty good. I was just telling cherrypie about this stuff yesterday. This is how I stopped drinking coffee.
You can cut the amount of coffee in half and mix it with the Teeccino, gradually drinking more Teeccino and less and less to no coffee.

Besides the drug of caffeine in the coffee, it has other effects on the body.

Coffee and Weight Loss: What You Should Know!

Is coffee drinking sabotaging your weight loss efforts? By drinking coffee or other caffeinated beverages throughout the day, you may be causing yourself to eat more often, and consume more calories than you really need. Here are the top 5 reasons why kicking the caffeine habit will help you make great strides towards your weight loss goals.

Coffee Triggers Food Cravings
Caffeine and other ingredients found in coffee, including decaffeinated coffee, have been shown to increase stress. Caffeine elevates the stress hormone, cortisol. This stress hormone creates an emergency “fight or flight” reaction in the body including increased heart rate, blood pressure, and a sense of “emergency alert”. This alerts the body to increase its energy stores which results in food cravings specifically for sweets. Limiting caffeine can help control food cravings throughout the day.

Caffeine Stimulates Appetite
Caffeine can trigger a condition called hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar with symptoms including dizziness and light-headedness. The body’s reaction to hypoglycemia results in food cravings and increased appetite. People often crave higher calorie foods resulting in increased caloric intake, further interfering with the body’s ability to maintain a healthy weight. The more caffeine you drink, the more you may feel that urge to eat. By limiting your caffeine intake, you can help take better control of your appetite.

Caffeine Increases Stress
Coffee and caffeine intake aggravate stress including physical, mental, and emotional stress. Additionally, caffeine has been found to interfere with our “feel good” brain messenger called GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid). This brain messenger plays an important role in mood and stress management. A lack of GABA can trigger stress or emotional eating, which leads to weight gain. How often have you grabbed a pint of ice cream or bag of cookies when feeling bad? Quitting caffeine can help you get a handle on emotional eating by reducing stress hormones and allowing GABA to do its job of making us feel better.

Stress Hormones Increase Body Fat
Studies show that prolonged elevated cortisol levels increase the deposit of fat in the deep belly area. Abdominal fat is associated with increased health risks like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Decreasing caffeine along with regular exercise are great steps you can take towards a firmer belly and healthier body.

Caffeine Increases Insulin Resistance
Research shows that caffeine contributes to insulin resistance, a condition that reduces the body’s ability to use insulin effectively. When our bodies’ become resistant to insulin, glucose and insulin build up in the blood, endangering our health and increasing our risk of developing Type II Diabetes. Drinking coffee can also cause insomnia and sleep deprivation, both of which have been found to increase insulin resistance. Kicking the caffeine habit can help to lower your risk of insulin resistance and help you to manage your weight more effectively.

Try using Teecino: http://www.teeccino.com/Default.aspx
In small amounts mixed with your coffee and gradually more teeccino and eventually no coffee.

ooh - link for where you got that info from so i can bookmark it? :)

[Hedi]

Have to throw my .02 in here: there have been times when my inhaler has run out (!) and a small cup of coffee has literally opened up my airways. Tea didn't do it, but super-strong coffee did. However, this effect decreased greatly when I was drinking coffee daily. Giving away my coffemaker helped with my dependence on the drink as a pick-me-up (although, as mentioned in an earlier post, I'm still waiting for the green energy to kick in!).