Coffee wake up

[nadien alexandra]

coffee is a really big thing in my family.
everyone starts their day off with it.

I've stopped drinking coffee. Was never a huge coffee drinker to begin with.

I've done the research, but I just wanted some of your great insider opinions and to know what YOU'VE read on the subject.

What's so bad about it?
Why should one avoid it?
How will it affect ones health?

THANKS!

[christinajade]

I'm sure you are going to get a number of different answers. I personally am 90% raw and I like coffee. I have maybe and literally 1 to cups per day. Not a whole mug full, a literal cup. :) I think you are going to have some people say it is good and some will say it is bad. The truth is..unless you are the one doing the studies, I would rely on what you think on the coffee thing. I personally, don't think there is anything wrong with it in moderation, at least for my body. :D

[klomasius]

Coffee was one of the last things I gave up, anecdotally this seems to be a common thing.

Coffee is up there with highly processed sugars and fats in the health stakes, it's highly acidifying and therefore can contribute to ill health by creating a non alkaline environment in the body.

The caffeine in coffee is effective in giving a fast energy hit, and is often why people have it in the mornings to wake up. The main problem with this is that it's a reactive energy boost rather than a sustained, long lasting one, and many people experience the peak, then dive into an energy trough, which often leads them to reach for another cup, acidifying themselves even further.

Most raw fooders start to experience immediate energy and 'awakeness' after becoming high or 100% raw, this means that the effects of coffee are overshadowed by energy effects of healthy foods, especially greens in the form of juices or smoothies.

You might want to ask yourself why you have the coffee. Is it for enjoyment? Is it for the energy benefit? Both? Once you've figured this out you can begin to search for alternatives, this might even start at cooked coffee alternatives like Caro etc.

Energy wise, having a green smoothie in the morning, or with/for dinner at night, helps heaps with energy levels throughout the day. Blended/juiced greens with or for the evening meal seem to give a great alterness and energy boost for many the morning after.

If it's the taste, or the social aspect of the coffee, consider coffee subs, herbal teas, hot water etc. as a starting point to moving away from coffee.

In the end, don't sweat it, I never did. If you are eating mostly raw and having a cup of coffee a day, you aren't going to die! And you'll still most likely be more healthy and have more energy than most. :)

[Aleesha Sattva]

a few threads we've had on the subject:

here (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=32290)

and here (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=19410)

and here (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=782)

and of course... here! (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=54333)