Tagged "Coffee"


Gave Up Coffee this New Year? Here's 5 Natural Ways to Deal with the Fallout

Posted by Amina AlTai on

Giving up coffee is like giving up air for most of us. Ironically, it debuts on plenty of New Year's resolution lists. In all corners of the globe, the clock strikes midnight and we all run to our coffee canisters, toss the grinds in the trash and vow never to imbibe in the rich, dark goodness of a latte ever again.  And then we wake up feeling groggy and hungover and curse the day we ever made such a silly decision.  What now?!  How will we ever accomplish our 600 tasks in a day without our life force?  Easy.

1.  Start your day with a big glass of water:  Most of the time when we're tired, it's actually a symptom of dehydration.  Being thirsty is way worse for us than a little dry mouth.  In fact, not having enough water can actually cause our brain to shrink and us to perceive tasks as harder than usual.  So, when life feels challenging at 7am it's not for your lack of java, it might just be that you're dehydrated.

2. Add a little lemon water to your life: One of the many reasons my coaches love coffee so much is that it keeps them "regular."  And we all know that a life backed up is no life at all. So, I recommend swapping a morning cup of joe for warm water with lemon.  The benefits are endless: It fires up your digestive juices, supports liver detoxification and bowel movements.

3. Adaptogens change the game: You've probably heard about adaptogens before: They're magical substances that help your body adapt to stress.  Coffee, a known stimulant, taxes our adrenals while adaptogens support them, while acting as natural fatigue fighters. Ashwaganda, rhodiola, Asian ginseng and cordyceps are my go-tos and can be taken as powders or in pill form.

4. Eat energy-supportive foods: When we're struggling a bit with fatigue we naturally want to reach for sugar for a quick energy boost.  But that is actually counterintuitive. Sugar will provide a temporary rush of energy followed by a big crash.  When you're feeling a little sluggish, reach for foods like walnuts or coconut chips; they're rich in healthy fats to support your body and brain.

5. Squat what your momma gave ya: A side effect of giving up coffee, especially if you've become dependent, is a caffeine withdrawal headaches.  That's because coffee helps to dilate constricted blood vessels.  So when you stop drinking it, your vessels go back to being tight and constricted which causes pain.  Instead of reaching for a jar of aspirin, do some squats or go for a nice jog.  Both support blood flow and can counter the effects of constricted blood vessels.  

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This Daily Beverage Could be Making You Sick

Posted by Amina AlTai on

For many of us, life without it feels almost impossible.  It's the first thing we reach for every morning and it's very aroma gives us life.  But it can actually be a major hazard to our health.  We're talking about coffee.  Did you know it can be chock full of toxic molds that are reportedly linked to illnesses such as cardiomyopathy, cancer, hypertension and even brain damage when consumed in high doses?!  Sounds extreme, but its the truth.

There is a very little control and insight into coffee bean processing and bean sourcing which can lead to contamination with mycotoxins.  Mycotoxins are hazardous compounds produced by the molds that grow on our beloved beans.  And it's said compounds that can be making you feel sick, foggy brained, flu-like etc.  The opposite of why you're drinking it, right?  And we're not making this up!  One study found that 91.7% of green coffee beans were moldy while another study showed 52% of green coffee beans were.  

So what can we do about it?

 

  1. Switch to warm water and lemon:  It's a natural flu fighter and liver detoxifier!
  2. Avoid cheap blends:  Blends usually use the cheapest beans from multiple areas which are subject to less screaming.  
  3. Say "no way" to decaf: Decaf is also on the bottom of the totem pole in terms of quality so again, the screening.  Caffeine also acts as a natural anti-insect and antifungal defense mechanism for the plant so no caffeine means more mold and fungus.  No thanks.  

4. Look for coffee that is labeled "mycotoxin free":  Certain brands take this issue seriously, and go through an extensive screening process to make sure their beans are as high quality and contaminant free as possible.  They generally use Arabica Beans (which are the least likely to grow mold).  Bulletproof Certified Clean Coffee is a great option, but I recently stumbled across (and am now pretty fond of) Isagenix Micotoxin Free Coffee.  Admittedly, I'm not a big drinker of this particular beverage, but this was smooth, nutty and some of the best coffee I've ever tasted.  Not to mention it's also has green tea extract and it organic.  So this is the stuff that's definitely going into my weekly latte!

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