Coffee Pot

 

Coffee pot

I still remember as students how sophisticated and grown up we felt when we sat down and chatted over bottomless coffee for the first time! A Mugg and Bean had just opened in the town where I was studying, and several cups later left you feeling bubbling and on top of the world…

Until you fell off “that world” and crashed! You were left with moodiness, restlessness, irritation, agitation, stomach pain and a migraine. This doesn’t sound like a very good deal to me! It sounds more like a hangover than anything else.

Try doing coffee for years on end, and then giving it up. I have heard numerous testimonies of people, and it sure points to addiction to me. You see, caffeine is a highly addictive substance. Once people are hooked, it is one of the hardest habits to kick. Not to mention the combination of sugar AND caffeine.

Yes, coffee does have its perks (hence the “Perculator”…!) It contains anti-oxidants and it helps with mental alertness. I would personally choose to get my anti-oxidants somewhere else, because the cons far outweigh the pros.

If you cannot function optimally without having coffee every single day, then you need to sit down and think about what is happening inside your body.

When coffee hits your bloodstream, it starts to stimulate your adrenal glands. Your body gets pumped with adrenalin, hence the mental alertness. You feel good, and you are ready to face the world again. Stressor hormones like Cortisol get released. For most men, this is the hormone which contributes to an extended waistline. Men are left with irritation, anxiousness and no patience. In women, it increases symptoms of PMS, and can contribute to feelings of depression and anxiety. Most people will grab a coffee again to feel better. This is all a vicious cycle and can eventually lead to adrenal fatigue.

People go to sleep at night. Caffeine withdrawal sets in, which is when your body is in detox mode and repairing starts. You struggle to wake up, because you are in a state of withdrawal and dehydration. What do most people do? Start the coffee pot!

Did you know that when a person drinks a lot of coffee they are sometimes called a “Coffee Pot?!”

Caffeine can inhibit calcium absorption in the body, so you have to be careful. Please don’t tell me that you will add more milk to your coffee to counter the malabsorption. Too much caffeine consumption can lead to water retention and cellulite.

Many women would rather have coffee during the course of their day than having a nutritious snack to get “energy” to keep going. Caffeine does give you a feeling of being full and satisfied, and many diets recommend coffee as part of their menu plan to help boost metabolism. You need to listen to your body and rest when you need to, have a smoothie or a glass of water.

What about people suffering from high blood pressure? Have you checked your caffeine consumption lately? It may be related. Caffeine also increases your heart rate, so take that into consideration.

Society has left most people stuck in a highly stressed, fast paced life, with high demands being placed on them. People have to grab coffee as a stimulant, in order to face the demands and pressure being placed on them. Performance far outweighs anything else these days. If you don’t perform, you might end up losing your job. So coffee has become a fashionable and social thing, especially being able to walk around with a take away coffee! That’s how they do it in the movies and it is enticing!

An average cup of brewed coffee has around 95mg of caffeine. Instant coffee has around 62mg of caffeine per cup where as decaf still contains a small amount of 2-7mg. Black tea, certain fizzy drinks, cocoa and green tea are some items that also contain a high amount of caffeine.

What are your options?

Weaning:

·    Switch to decaf for a month.

·    Then decaf every 2^nd or 3^rd day.

·    Then decaf over a weekend.

Cold turkey:

·    Stop coffee immediately and focus on repairing and normalizing body systems and functions.

·    Switch to rooibos and herbal teas, avoiding black tea as it contains caffeine.

·    Make sure that you are drinking enough water to stay hydrated and to help your body flush out toxins.

·    Have nutritious snacks and smoothies.

·    Switch to chicory “coffee”, barley  extract or carob as a warm drink. (See my previous blog titled “Carob”) Chicory almost tastes like Frisco instant coffee. You should be able to find these items at selected retail stores and health shops.

Carob powder-Dischem and health shops.

Chicory powder-Checkers and Dischem 

Barley extract- Dischem

 

Seriously reconsider before you reach for coffee the next time you have that craving. Take your unused coffee beans, put them in a pretty bowl on your table. Take a whiff every now and then to get a bit of that feel good factor. Are you dependent on caffeine?

 

Lizelle

 

Recipe:

“Coffee” milkshake

Frozen, chopped bananas (1 and a half/person)

Plant based milk for consistency

Vanilla

Chicory powder (1tsp/person)

Ice (optional)

-Blend until creamy and frothy.

-Replace chicory with carob powder for a chocolate milkshake.

 

*To freeze bananas, peel and chop the bananas into chunks. Place into a sealed Tupperware and into the freezer. It should be frozen in about 5 hrs.