Coffee - The Good, and bad and How to Use it to Improve Your Health - Feb 25, 2015

 

In this edition of "Finding Balance" we will be examining the favorite beverage of America.... Coffee.  There have been many studies out in the media today linking coffee to health benefits as well as health risks.  Before we do that we must understand some of the basics about how coffee and caffeine affect your physiology.  A great reference that discusses this topic in depth is Ray Peat PhD.

 

1. Coffee improves athletic performance and use energy and recovery from exercise.

2. Coffee blocks the absorption of toxic heavy metals from water such as cadmium.

3. Coffee improves overall long term metabolism by synergzing with progesterone and lowering the incidence of thyroid diseases including cancer.  

4. Coffee can be used to help improve symptoms of constipation.

 

There are other benefits but to keep this blog moving I can refer you to Ray Peat's link to learn more.  Some of the problems with coffee can be..

 

1. Caffeine stimulates the sympathetic nervous system and without the proper fuel and nutrients, can cause excessive spikes in cortisol and adrenaline levels breaking down muscle tissue.  

 

2. Caffeine is one of the most addictive drugs available and we can easily become tolerances and dependencies on it.  

 

3. Conventional coffee is one of the most highly sprayed for pesticides, herbicides and fungicides.

 

Here are some ideas on how we can use coffee to our geatest health benefit.

 

1. Look at the types of roasts, (Light, Medium and Dark).  The darker the roast the less caffeine in the coffee.  You can decrease your odds of caffeine dependence by having a lower starting amount of caffeine.  You can also wean off of stronger caffeine sources slowly instead of going cold turkey.

 

2. Make sure to add an organic source of sugar in the coffee.  Now most of you will be saying "What is he talking about?  Sugar is bad isn't it?"  Sugar gets a bad rap.  Orgainc sugars and natural forms of salt down regulate adrenaline response.  Anytime you put caffeine in the system you use up the bodies supply of sugar faster.  It's like stepping on the gas pedal of your car.  Without adequate levels of sugar, our adrenal glands secrete more cortisol and adrenaline to break down muscle tissue to produce the sugar it needs to match the demand that caffeine is asking the body.  

 

Adding sugar, I prefer an organic raw honey due to the fact that it is not just empty calories but adding enzymes and other vitamins and mineral, will stop the body from producing extra stress hormones that can give the body the jitters and stop the breakdown of muscle reducing your metabolism.

 

3. Grinding your organic coffee beans fresh will provide a coffee that has the highest level of vitamins minerals and nutrients.  Also the enzymatic activity of freshly ground coffee will give extra health benefits as well.

 

Remember coffee can be a positve or a negative for our health just like like any health tool we use.  By approaching the use of coffee on an individual basis instead of all good or bad approach, we can craft an effective plan to address our own individual health needs.  If you have any questions regarding your own health and wellness goals, please do not hesitate to contact us today!

 

In Good Health,

 

Aaron Wallace