Coffee (September 26, 2011)
Dear Ana,
Every morning I keep trying to give up my coffee and I just can’t seem to go through the whole day without caving in and having one small cup. How bad is coffee? Is it keeping me from moving forward with detoxification?
Thanks,
Marley
A: Hi Marley,
Thank you for your email. Here are the facts about coffee:
1. It is acidic. When we are trying to mobilize old toxic acidic waste using alkaline foods like green juice and raw fruit and vegetables it works against us by adding a daily dose of acidity.
2. Because it is a stimulant it is not recommended on any yeast or Candida cleansing eating regimes. If you are trying to cleanse intestinal yeast growth it will not help you.
3. All stimulants can contribute to adrenal fatigue, which I know many of my clients are dealing with. They stimulate a low-grade fight or flight response which overwhelms a delicate system in a world where we are in a constant state of panic already (traffic, scary movies, financial fear, etc).
4. It creates a false sense of energy that keeps us from getting in touch with our body’s natural rhythms and really listening to which substances drag us down and which substances elevate us. It would be hard to tell, for example, if you were needed to lighten your lunch meal because it was making you too tired if you’ve just had coffee.
If you are going to continue having coffee, please do it in the most intelligent way. We all must respect where we are on our transitional journey, and if coffee is still a part of your day, it’s ok. It is hardly the worst thing you can do, and there is a smart way to place a cup o’ Joe.
1. Keep it at least 30 minutes separate from your green juice so that it’s acidity does not lower the alkaline Ph of the vegetable juice.
2. If you must have something in your coffee, use stevia for sweetener, and only almond milk or heavy cream (NOT half and half) which has a lower casein content and will be less sticky and mucous-forming that less fatty cow dairy.
3. Try to balance your acidity. If you are having coffee, wine, and dark chocolate it may be too much if you. For example, I am not a wine drinker, and I will only have the occasional espresso if I know I am not touching dark chocolate or anything else acidic during my day.
4. Americano coffee is a great suggestion for a way to get a creamy espresso-based drink that needs no cream or almond milk. A little stevia and nutmeg makes it delicious without making it any heavier.
5. Lastly, remember that for every false high, there must be a low. Keep a careful watch on your day and if you are more likely to overeat or have an emotional binge in the late afternoon or evening it may be because you are very sensitive and the caffeine letdown is affecting you at that time. It can make you feel sad, irritable, depressed, and hopeless. Just start to notice the rhythms created by the stimulation and if they make things harder for you it may be time to gently give it up.
Coffee is one of the little extras, like wine and chocolate, that add a little acidity to the day without being too sticky in the tissue. It can have a place if you are not ready to say goodbye yet and would like to honor and respect where you are on your path. However, it certainly does not serve your body’s higher good.
