Coffee

Coffee

Stop consuming liquids like coffee, sodas, “energy” drinks, caffeine, and alcohol because they all dehydrate your body. When you are suffering with a thyroid disorder, dehydration is the LAST thing that you want to do to your body!

Coffee often has lots of pesticides used in production & these remain in the beans, and the caffeine itself dedhydrates.

Diet plays a key role in producing methyl groups.
Too much caffeine, sugar, alcohol, and processed foods may prevent your body from absorbing methyl-­‐related nutrients.
Poor diet and excess sugar increases inflammation as well as homocysteine, C-­‐reactive protein, and uric acid.
Poor quality meats and vegetables are often deficient in B12 and folate are another reason why you want to eat organically.

The intestine has two circulatory systems attached to it. One system supplies the intestines with blood for maintenance of the intestinal tissues, and the other system is called the portal system. It is a critical body system that draws all of the absorbed nutrients from the intestines and sends them directly to the liver.
When you eat food, it does not go directly into the bloodstream. Nutrients are absorbed in the mouth, esophagus, and stomach and small intestine.
All the rest of the nutrients go into the portal system and then go to the liver, not the general bloodstream.
Here, the nutrients are further processed by the liver before entering the main bloodstream.
Coffee has a special affinity for the liver, and moving it there from the colon is very different than sending it to the liver by drinking it.
When coffee is ingested by mouth, it is digested mainly by the stomach acids, and most of its herbal medicine properties are destroyed.
Coffee taken by mouth is not good because you are dehydrating your body.
For every 8 oz. of coffee that you consume, it takes an additional 32 oz. of high quality water to re-­‐hydrate your body.
Plus, coffee is a heavily sprayed crop, and chemically laden tap water is most likely used to make the coffee.

Avoid strong coffees, as too much caffeine is not helpful for the body at all, and just acts as a CNS stimulant.
For this reason, the recent habit in the West of drinking very strong coffees such as cappuccinos, espressos, and lattes is extremely harmful. The habit derives from the old Turkish style of making coffee so strong it is almost like drinking mud. Those who do this are not healthy, and the caffeine and other toxins in the coffee build up in the liver and elsewhere, damaging health.
The nervous system eventually is ruined by this habit.

Coffee taken orally cannot have the same effect as a coffee enema.
Drinking coffee virtually ensures that one will reabsorb toxic bile because the dialysis (flushing effect) does not occur.
The coffee mixes with foods, diluting its effect, and most of the medicinal properties are destroyed in the stomach.
A small amount of the medicinal properties are absorbed directly in the mouth, but otherwise they are wasted.

There are many claims about coffee and cholesterol. Studies on how coffee increases cholesterol levels have been mixed. One thing is clear: Coffee may raise cholesterol, but this depends on how you brew it and how much you drink. If you’re sensitive to caffeine, coffee may also impact your health.

Several studies over the past decade have shown a link between coffee and cholesterol. According to one study, coffee oils (known as diterpenes) such as cafestol and kahweol are to blame. Coffee oils are naturally found in caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee.

Research indicates that cafestol affects the body’s ability to metabolize and regulate cholesterol. According to a meta-analysis of controlled studies on coffee and cholesterol, coffee oils may decrease bile acids and neutral sterols. This may lead to increased cholesterol. Researchers concluded that cafestol is the “most potent cholesterol-elevating compound identified in the human diet.”

If you have a genetic mutation that slows down coffee metabolism in your body, and you drink two or more cups of coffee a day, your risk of heart disease may be higher.

Why your coffee brew matters

Coffee oils are most potent in coffees where the grounds have the longest contact with the water during brewing.
A French press, which brews coffee by continually passing water through the grounds, has been shown to have greater concentrations of cafestol.
Brewing in an American-style coffee pot with a filter, on the other hand, has relatively low levels, as the beverage is only passed through the grounds once. Most of the cafestol is left behind in the filter no matter what the roast.
One study found that Turkish-style simmered coffee and Scandinavian-style boiled coffee had the highest amount of diterpenes.
Instant coffee and drip-brewed coffee had “negligible” amounts, and espresso had intermediate amounts.

Research has shown that drinking five cups of coffee daily from a French press brewing method can increase blood cholesterol levels by 6 to 8 percent.

Benefits of drinking coffee

Unless you’re drinking significant amounts of unfiltered or French press coffee on a daily basis, raised cholesterol levels shouldn’t be much of a concern — at least, not when it comes to coffee. On the contrary, coffee may be able to deliver numerous health benefits.

According to the Mayo Clinic, studies have found no significant connection between coffee and increased risks of heart disease and cancer. Earlier studies that found a link did not consider other high-risk behaviours common in coffee drinkers, such as smoking and lack of exercise. Research has, however, indicated a link between coffee consumption and decreased mortality rate.

Coffee has also been associated with protection against diseases such as type 2 diabetes, liver disease, Parkinson’s, and depression.

Warnings and risks

Caffeine is a stimulant. Too much can cause jitters, insomnia, headaches, upset stomach, and anxiety. Some people are particularly sensitive to the effects of caffeine. These people may want to limit how much coffee they drink, or switch to decaffeinated.

Caffeine may worsen some conditions, such as:
•insomnia
•anxiety
•depression
•high blood pressure
•heart problems such as arrhythmias
•kidney problems
•chronic stomach issues

There’s some evidence that women who drink large amounts of caffeine may have a higher risk of osteoporosis. Caffeine may interact with some medications or herbs. Use with caution if you take:
•quinolone antibiotics such as ciproflaxin and norfloxacin
•asthma medications such as theophylline
•depression medications
•anticoagulant medications
•stimulant drugs including decongestants
•echinacea
•weight loss pills containing caffeine
•pain relievers containing caffeine

Caffeine isn’t only found in coffee. It’s also in black tea, green tea, chocolate, energy drinks, and even one type of jerky.

Foods to Watch

Jan 262017
 

As usual there is lots of conflicting info about but these are what I can make sense of:
In general it is best not to completely eliminate anything if you are already used to eating / drinking it. Complete elimination will most likely create cravings and often result in a replacement which may or may not be better than the original.
eg fat replaced with sugar, dairy replaced with soy, red meat replaced with soy based processed foods.
Eat foods with as little processing as possible, ie whole grains, unprocessed meats rather than processed meats like sausages, cured bacon, crab meat, chicken nuggets etc.

Eliminate as much Sugar as possible- it is hidden in so many things we eat & drink, definitely don’t add sugar eg in coffee / tea, on cereals

Cut back on Coffee,it often has lots of pesticides used in production & these remain in the beans, and the caffeine itself is a problem, it dehydrates, prevents the absorption of Iron and raises cholesterol.

Drink Ginger Tea

Minimise alcohol intake– in general it is toxic to the body, so with every drink you are adding toxins to your body and hoping that the liver can remove them all.

Cut back on dairy foods if you have dairy intolerance, but don’t cut out completely as they are valuable source of calcium. watch for sugar in yogurts etc

Eat oily fish for omega 3 – salmon, sardines, mackerel etc preferably smaller fish rather than large ones like tuna- they eat the small ones & have accumulated mercury and other heavy metals from the small ones

Red meat in moderation- unprocessed – ie not cured bacon or salt dried. good for iron and other minerals. it is a good source of iron and zinc.

Processed White Iodised Salt contains anticaking agents along with  iodine which will be extracted by thyroid. For many this will be fine, but for those with a poorly functioning thyroid, adding more iodine to the body can actually damage it – use unprocessed sea salt or pink rock salt.

Vitamin D – get from regular sunlight exposure 10 min at a time
Vitamin C from real foods – Ascorbic acid is not vitamin C
Don’t have foods that are fortified with vitamins – fillers (rock) and artificial vitamins

Selenium – many soils are known to be deficient in selenium – seek out foods that contain selenium or consider supplements.
Potatoes – can be good for selenium when baked or lightly fried from raw- not deep fried. Boiling changes the structure & loses some of goodness
Lightly brown only- all foods chips, toast etc, the browner / blacker the surface the more carcinogens may be produced from the browning process.

Bread – whole grain – lots of salt and sugar in a lot of breads.
if you have any gluten sensitivity then cut back on bread and wheat based products, replace with rice base.

Can be good to have some carbs such as slice of bread 5 hours before sleep.

When taking pills / supplements try to take capsules rather than tablets as the tablets use fillers to hold them together and the fillers can contain toxins and block up liver / kidneys.

 

Healthy Eating Guide

Jan 242017
 

Healthy Eating Guide:

1/ Sugar, processed foods, cookies, candy, soda – remove wherever possible.

2/ Never get too hungry.
*Eat breakfast within an hour of waking up and if you’re a coffee drinker, have your morning cup with or after your meal, but not before or instead of it.
*Eat a modest sized meal every 3-4 hours.
*Eat a good quality protein and fat at every meal.
*Have an afternoon snack of some nuts, a protein shake or smoothie, a green drink, a hard-boiled egg, some hummus with vegetables.

3/ Good carbs are allowed. Whole grains and starchy vegetables (sweet potatoes, winter squash, even modest amounts of white potatoes baked or roasted as long as they are not covered in sour cream!)
*Generally, try to skip carbs at breakfast; or keep it to ½ a portion (1 piece of whole grain toast) and don’t ever start your day with sweetened carbs (cereals, granola, muffins, pancakes with maple syrup, even if they’re paleo pancakes).
A Good breakfast includes a high quality protein. Good choices: eggs, a protein shake, or oatmeal.
If you opt for oatmeal or another grain, add some nuts and good quality fat such as coconut oil or almond butter for more sustainable energy.
*At lunch have 1 portion of a whole grain or a starchy energy vegetable and at dinner have 1-2 portions. Examples include half a cup of cooked quinoa, red or pink or black rice, brown rice, and millet, a sweet potato, a portion of winter squash or baked or roasted white potatoes.
*Eating a healthy carbohydrate about 5 hours before bed has been shown to normalize cortisol, improve sleep, and help reduce excess weight. But don’t eat anything within 3 hours of bed, because that can do the opposite.

Oats types and recipes
dish.allrecipes.com/whats-the-difference-between-types-of-oats/
J.Oliver recipes for oat porridge

4/ Get enough sleep 7-8 hours.
*Get to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each day.
*Turn off all electronics ideally an hour before you try to go to sleep, because the blue light disrupts melatonin production, the counterbalance to cortisol which also helps us detox our brains and hormones while we sleep.
*Skip the alcohol in the evening – even a glass of good red wine has been shown to cause sleep disruptions, especially in women.

5/ Indulge now and then. Consider 2-3 squares of chocolate in the afternoon fair game!

6/ Worry less about being fat. And love your body more.

7/ Eat “Hari-hachi-bu” way, it is the Japanese concept of eating until one is only 80% full – eating enough to feel comfortably satisfied but stopping before you feel “full” – and way before you feel “stuffed.”

8/ Exercise 15-20 min a day (any form of movement, walking, dancing, yoga).

9/ Healing inflamation – Antioxidant rich foods include berries (fresh or frozen) and leafy green vegetables; supplements include resveratrol, NAC, and quercetin, as well as vitamin C.

10/ Nourishing adrenals (Sleep, relaxation, exercise, take adaptogens).

11/ Graze to prevent spikes in blood sugar (Grazing on healthy foods will keep blood sugar steady).

Eat slowly, when seated and relaxed.
Studies show that digestion cannot occur unless the body is relaxed. This means no eating on the run.
Its simple logic from our past history really, when active, under stress or in “Flight mode” the body does not want energy used for digesting food, it needs to be available for instant release to muscles should you need to take flight / run. So eating on the run never allows the digestion process to happen properly so the food effectively passes straight through without the nutrients being extracted.

Eating slowly allows the “Full” reflex time to react. Eating too fast for many people means that they are well past full by the time the Full reflex has kicked in.