What? Isabel drinks coffee?

Not only does Isabel drink coffee. She LOVES coffee.

Yes, I must confess. I drink organic coffee every morning (sweetened with stevia and cinnamon) and I love every minute of it.

Now, I’m not here to tell you that coffee is good for you. If I did, I would be telling only the good side of the story and I’m no politician. I am here to give you the good and the bad and tell you how you can incorporate your favorite coffee or tea into your healthy meal plan.

The Ugly Side of Caffeine

Most coffee and tea contains a lot of caffeine. This is usually the
primary reason people make coffee their drink of choice in the
morning. Caffeine is a drug like any other and comes with a long
list of side effects. Have you ever tried not having your coffee in
the morning? Yeah, pass the Excedrin, right? The headache that
comes on when you try and kick this habit can be brutal (just like
with other drugs) and creating a dependency and addiction like this
is harmful to the body.

Second, coffee is extremely acidic. Our bodies function at optimum
levels when they are slightly more alkaline (the opposite of
acidic). It is best for us to greatly reduce any foods that will
drive our body’s pH to be more acidic and eat more foods that are
alkaline (like fruits and veggies). An acidic body pH is like a
magnet for all kinds of illnesses. Also, an alkaline body has a much
stronger immune system, making illness much less likely.

Last but not least, the caffeine in coffee and tea is abuse to your
adrenal glands. Your adrenals release your “fight or flight”
hormones basically giving you a nice “boost” when needed.
Unfortunately, people who drink coffee all day long are
consistently beating on their adrenals. This is the equivalent of
whipping a tired horse even when he is exhausted. Eventually he
will not move at all.

The Pretty Side of Caffeine

Coffee tastes oh so yummy and makes me feel great in the morning.
(What? Is that not a good enough reason to drink it?)

Many studies have shown that coffee can help in the prevention and
treatment of diseases and illnesses as varied as Alzheimer’s
disease, diabetes, liver disease, skin cancer, Parkinsons’s disease
and more. Although, I don’t believe coffee would be the cure all to
any of these diseases, many ancient cultures did rely on the coffee
bean to cure a long list of ailments. Not to mention, small doses
of caffeine can increase performance and mental focus.

Green tea is also a great drink to include with a long list of
benefits. If nothing else, green tea is a wonderful source of
antioxidants which are important in cancer prevention. Green tea
has even been found to raise metabolism and aid in fat burning.
Before you go take a green tea bath, its effects are really minor
when compared to the effects of sound nutrition and exercise plans.
Now that I’ve said that, don’t think you can eat junk food and just
wash it down with green tea!

What is a coffee and tea drinker to do?

1. Limit your coffee and tea intake to 2 – 8 oz cups per day. No,
not 2 of each, 2 total. Any more than that is considered as a heavy
addict. (I know. I’ve been there).

2. If you are currently dependent on a lot of caffeine each day,
replace 1 or 2 cups of coffee with green tea instead. Green tea has
much less caffeine than coffee and will help combat the ugly detox
symptoms.

3. Do not jack up your coffee with sugar, milk, syrup and whip
cream (So I guess that means no Starbucks, huh?). Use stevia or
xylitol to sweeten and avoid all the empty, harmful calories. A
teaspoon of half and half won’t hurt either. Please oh please, do
not use any of those flavored creamers. They are closer to
someone’s chemistry experiment than they are to real food.

4. Make sure to make your food choices healthy. Avoiding other
acidic foods like sugar, artificial sweeteners and processed foods
will lighten the acid load on the body.

5. Make sure the coffee you drink is organic. Conventional coffee
is filled with pesticides and chemicals and should be avoided at
all costs.

Am I going to give up my coffee? Probably not (well, maybe someday
when I decide to have a few little ones) but for now I keep it in
moderation and enjoy my morning Java.

In health and happiness,

Isabel De Los Rios
www.TheDietSolutionProgram.com