Coffee

COFFEE is one of the healthiest drinks on this Earth and like tea is enjoyed often in each ones own particular way, whether a latte, expresso, americano or other, with a certain milk, a certain coffee bean, sweetner and the way its prepared – so many variations 🙂

COFFEE hmmm – I love the ritual – the smell as the packet opens and ohhh when it percolates – the sound & aroma it makes bubbling up through the stem of the coffee pot & of course the taste. It gives us a mental boost, antioxidants, stimulates our nervous systems to charge up, increasing our breathing and reduces the risk of certain diseases like type 2 diabetes as caffeine helps process sugar better, heart disease, liver and endometrial cancers as coffee encourages healthy liver enzyme levels and decreases the breakage of DNA strands, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s and depression. It also increases healthy gut bacteria which fights off pathogens, lowers the risk of colon cancer and reduces inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. So a superfuel all when in a balanced amount. Too much can cause unwelcome side effects like nervousness, anxious anxiety, the jitters, racing heart palpations, light headedness and sweatiness. This is caffeine sensitivity or overload, as the kidneys and adrenals are overactivated.

If you experience any of the below symptoms you might also want to think about reducing intake with coffee alternatives or stopping for a week or two to clean out by drinking lots of water to flush, especially if you have difficulties metabolising coffee which shows up in these symptoms.

• People who are sensitive to caffeine
• People with high blood pressure
• People with high chloresterol
• People with a sensitive bladder
• People with anxiety or other mental health conditions
• People with insomnia or other sleep issues
• People with digestive problems such as hearburn or IBS
• People who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, or who are breastfeeding – as caffeine can be irritable to a newborns gut as well as mums
• People who are taking medications that may interact with caffeine eg. other stimulants or drugs for people with diabetes
• People who may be at increased risk of bone fracture, as caffeine could slightly reduce calcium absorption
• People with dry skin, cracked heals, itchy
• People with dehydrated tight muscular tissues

I often notice the skin of the feet when massaging clients – the feet are a good way of diagnosing through skin colouring, texture, postural misalignments & the state of organs and body systems via the foot reflex points.

Alternatives to Caffeine/Coffee found in health food stores & some supermarkets :

1. Roobios Tea
2. Herbal Teas
3. Matcha Tea/Coffee
4. Chicory / Dandelion Coffee
5. Lions Mane Mushroom Coffee by Cheerful Buddha
6. Dirteaworld.com
7. WholeEarthfoods.com – No Caff
8. Spacegoods.com
9. Healf.com – Exhale Coffee

Decaffeinated Coffee – Decaf has most of the same health benefits as regular coffee, even more antioxidants, but none of the side effects caffeine can cause for some.

But the better decaf coffees are the Swiss Water Processed Brands natural, chemical-free decaffeination method that removes caffeine like Kicking Horse Coffee or Volcanica 99.9% caffeine free

If you are doing a week cleanse from caffeine along with organic decaf coffee or other alternatives you might like to try drinking 500ml-1litre water first thing in the morning to flush followed by a cup of warm water with ½ squeezed lemon & squidge of honey (can add ginger slices which helps clean out the liver gently, being mindful to brush teeth to save enamel) & 2-3Litres water during the day. In appreciation of the wholesome coffee bean here are some recipes to try –