One of the best reference books that I use for my business is my Nutritional Pathology book. I can look up any disease or disorder and get the best holistic recommendations to support the body. A big part of these recommendations is dietary and they vary depending on the condition. But there is one thing all the dietary recommendations have in common. It is to give up coffee, tea and caffeinated beverages. Caffeine is an artificial stimulant that dehydrates you. If you suffer from headaches or migraines, caffeine is the first thing off your list. And water is the first thing on it. There is actually something called a caffeine withdrawal headache. I don't know about you, but if you are actually having withdrawal symptoms from a beverage, that can't be a good thing. Coffee is also the worst thing to drink first thing in the morning. You are already dehydrated from your sleep and all the metabolic clean up that is done during the night. You want to flush out these metabolic toxins with a big glass of filtered, room temperature water. This will help to support your liver and kidneys and get things moving in the morning. When you are drinking your first glass of water in the morning you will be surprised how truly thirsty you are. I know you might be thinking...that's easy to say but I'm still not giving up my coffee. You are probably also thinking, what does she know about this coffee withdrawal thing. I would have agreed with you if I hadn't experienced it for myself. I had a long love affair with coffee. And no real history with headaches. But when I was caffeine free for the first few days, I experienced caffeine withdrawal headaches. Surprisingly, by giving up coffee, you have better mental clarity and more energy. This is probably the reason you started drinking coffee in the first place. And you'll sleep so much better, too. Giving up caffeine is also good to reduce your stress levels. Chronic stress causes adrenal fatigue and elevated cortisol levels. This leads to accumulating abdominal fat among other things. My article 'How to Deal with Chronic Stress' also covers the importance of giving up caffeine. Or if you have any inflammation issues stop drinking coffee. Caffeine is an inflammatory 'food'. It is also highly acidic. So, it's bad for your bone density as it affects your blood pH levels. You can drink all the herbal teas you can stomach hot or cold. You can start weaning yourself off caffeine with a good quality organic decaf. Or you can try mushroom teas which you can find at your local health food store. Or you can buy this product featured in the picture. Dandy Blend dandelion tea tastes and looks like instant coffee. It contains chicory root which also helps it taste like coffee. You can find it at a good health food store. It is expensive but in comparison to the price of coffee it is great value. Because you only need a teaspoon to make a full cup. Dandy Blend is non-GMO, gluten free, 100% caffeine free, no acidity and no bitterness. It contains over 50 trace minerals in each cup. Also, you won't experience caffeine withdrawal headaches when you switch to Dandy Blend. I heard about this product by watching a FMTV improved lifestyle seminar. I thought it sounded like a great alternative to health damaging caffeine. Give it a try, your body will thank you for it. |
Karen WarwickI am not a doctor but I am a RHN. Here is what I would do, if I were you. Archives
May 2022
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