Coffee Quirks and Perks

I often have to remind myself that I (as in ME for MY body) can only consume coffee in very small amounts. I don't drink it every day anymore. Nor do I think it is right or wrong. Mind you this is coming from the girl that did not used to be able to leave the house without at least a cup or two of brew. Or make a quick stop to the local coffee shop for a latte, a cappuccino, a tall drip coffee, whatever the desired fix of the day might have been. My boyfriend was always really aware of this fix that I needed to be met each day. I just saw it as normal.

There are plenty of perks and quirks about coffee that I will get into in a moment. But I started to notice my sensitivity to coffee while I was going to school for nutrition. I realized that about 1/4 to 1/2 way through a cup and I was heading straight for the bathroom. This realization wasn't a new one. For the longest time I thought this was how my body maintained its proper digestion. If your reading this right now thinking "that's NOT proper digestion?", you're not alone.

I remember sitting in class one day listening to the brilliant Dr. John Douillard speak. He is a teacher of Ayurvedic medicine, natural health, fitness, and has been teaching nutrition internationally for over twenty years. A brilliant man to say the least. But he was giving an example of one of his clients telling him, "Yes, I'm regular. I wake up, I have a cup of coffee, and then I hit the bathroom everyday." Except he had this shocked look on his face and tone in his voice. I'm sitting there thinking, that's ME! Wait... That is not normal?? Up until that point I kind of had it in my head that I was pretty regular. Turns out... not so regular.

He went on to mention that coffee on an empty stomach (even just before breakfast) passes through your small intestine and wipes out an enormous amount out the villi that line it. Villi are little finger-like hairs that help absorb nutrients, minerals and remove dangerous toxic fats. "If these [villi] are not functioning correctly, nutritional deficiencies - which are a hidden cause of weight gain - will become more prevalent." quote - John Douillard, PhD.

I started to question what coffee was really doing to my body, my digestion, heart rate, that jittery feeling, clammy hands, and now I was absorbing dangerous toxic fats? What? But... I really love coffee. I love the bitter taste with a little half and half. Not nonfat milk, not lo fat, not sugary processed or powdered creamers. But half and half. But I did not necessarily agree with how it was making my body feel or react. So I started drinking more tea and less coffee.

Now, you know it was the caffeine in coffee that my was making body react that way. Certainly caffeine has many quirks and perks. For example, some perks are alertness, mood elevation, concentration, exercise performance, reduced muscle pain, head ache treatment, and diabetes prevention to mention a few. Wow! Caffeine for LIFE!

Some quirks however, are cardiovascular problems, stress, emotional disturbance, blood sugar swings, GASTROINTESTINAL problems, nutritional deficiency, male and female health problems, aging and adrenal exhaustion. Ugh.

However, when I switched to tea I chose not go 100% decaf. I didn't want to shock my body and I enjoyed the boost of energy it gave me. But there is a lot less caffeine in tea than coffee. I prefer black tea or green which both contain caffeine. My body just does not have the same reaction afterward as it did or does when I drink coffee.

I started to become more regular. Solid stools and usually in the shape of a C or an S. I'm sure you are thinking I'm a little nuts for sharing this. But somebody has to break the news to you and I know you are wondering.

The point is, to stop and listen to your body. MY body responds better to tea than coffee. That doesn't mean that every now and again I don't indulge in a delicious cup of brewed coffee with a little h&h. I just have to remind myself that before I get down to the bottom of the barrel, I have to again STOP and listen to my body. And never on an empty stomach.

I was doing fine the first half of the cup this morning. Then I started to feel the surge of energy, a few jitters started creeping along, but I chose to ignore them and keep drinking. Minutes later I was on the toilet and the lightning bolts were not pretty. Ouch.

If this article finds you interested in learning more about proper digestion and understanding your body better, then hit me up for a free consultation. Visit my site at: fullerhealth.net and click on the Health History link on the right of the page. Hope to hear from you and your bowels soon.

Happy Digestion!

Rebekah
Holistic Health Counselor in Nutrition
Fuller Health
fullerhealth.net
rebekah@fullerhealth.net