Tea Time with Berta
Kicking it! For more than a year, I have refrained from writing about a subject every bit as controversial as that of the carnivore versus omnivore discussion I tackled a couple of weeks ago. If you missed that one, you might want to check it out at Carnivore or Herbivore. I'm reluctant to address this next issue because I have had plenty of experience with the anger it engenders in the most mild-mannered consumer. In what context does this anger arise? Actually, it occurs whenever I attend a social gathering! At some point, I get an uneasy feeling. When I turn around I find three or four pairs of hostile eyes turned my way in response to someone uttering the dreaded words: "Ask Berta." "Go ahead, Berta. Tell them" comes the self-satisfied voice. And so, a perfectly pleasant evening devolves into a kill-the-messenger debacle. As far as I'm concerned, polite society should extend the ban on talk of religion and politics to include the more toxic topics of meat and caffeine. Trust me when I tell you that those who run on Dunkin' to their favorite steakhouse nearly have a blowout when their choice of fuel is held to scrutiny. In fact, you, my dear reader, might be one who has defended to the death the utterly indefensible position that caffeine, especially, is an innocuous substance. This is not just my humble opinion; the dangers of caffeine are well documented, and you might want to read on to learn how it affects weight loss, among other things. There is so much to cover that it's hard to know where to begin. I guess the first point to make is that much of what has been said about caffeine is rubbish, yet we hear what we want to hear and some of you think you have heard that there are actually benefits to ingesting caffeine. I hope I can bring some of these misconceptions into the light! Caffeine is a drug. Period. It is also a highly addictive drug. As such, it is not good for you. Ever. Strong opinion? Yes, but that is why I write. I have a strong opinion on many topics, but this one really revs me up! Consider some facts about caffeine, and notice I said facts, not opinions. Coffee, black tea, and soda are very powerful stimulants that overstress the body. These drinks deplete the body of vitamin B1, biotin, inositol, vitamin C, calcium, potassium and zinc, making you thirstier, to boot! Caffeinated beverages over stimulate and weaken the kidneys, pancreas, liver, stomach, intestines, heart, nervous system, and glands-especially the adrenals. Caffeinated beverages also cause the body's ph level to become acidic, contributing to premature aging and other health issues as detailed in Acidic or Alkaline. Coffee, in particular, is laced with pesticides and free radicals that produce the hydrocarbons that weaken cell membranes. Studies show that coffee can cause depression and increase the symptoms of menopause and PMS. In many cases, coffee is wholly to blame for PMS! If you think I'm talking about problems experienced by people who daily drink coffee by the urn or soda by the case, you might want to think again. A single cup of coffee can create negative symptoms. Granted, like everything else, consistency is the key. In this case, if you drink one cup a day, you are drinking too much, but one cup a month is not something to lose sleep over. Decaffeinated coffee is better, as far as the amount of caffeine, but please keep in mind that while decaf contains only a bit of caffeine, it is chock full of the lovely pesticides and hydrocarbons that provide its heavenly flavor. Understand that the amounts of all of these substances vary depending on the origin of the coffee bean and the practices of the commercial brewer. A few years ago, the coffee brewed at a chain store was found to contain two, and sometimes three times the amount of caffeine as home brewed coffee. Their decaf contained about the same amount of caffeine as coffee brewed at home. Now that we know how much caffeine some of the corner coffee shops are serving up, let's address those "news" reports that suggest there are benefits to drinking caffeinated beverages like coffee and black tea. To say that these lies infuriate me would be to seriously minimize my ire. The most recent lie I heard was that coffee in moderation is good for you. They go so far as to suggest that you should enjoy your one to two cups every day so you get the benefit of the antioxidants. Girls and boys, if you're after antioxidants, try a couple of berries. More maddeningly, some "experts" suggest that were you to drink the coffee before hitting the gym, you would burn off more calories during your workout! Well, yes, I suppose that would make sense due to the effect the caffeine has on your system. Then again, doing a line or two of coke before your morning jog might be equally beneficial, though perhaps not as tasty. In addition to all of the other problems that arise from our addiction to caffeinated beverages, you should be aware that they can also prevent you from losing weight! Oh, yes, they can, and do, for the majority of my clients before they kick the habit. Let me explain how it works. When you wake in the morning your body is first going to crave whatever caffeinated beverage it hasn't had all night long. Remember that caffeine is a drug and the addicted body needs a regular hit. So, many awaken and grab the coffee before the toothpaste. Tea drinkers don't tend to be as aggressively addicted, probably because tea has less caffeine than coffee, but tea has negative effects if you drink it consistently. Okay, so having downed the first of many cups of the day, you experience that nice burst of drug-induced, false energy. This high will take you only so far, and at some point, a few hours into the day, you will begin to feel a little tired. Perhaps a bit of brain fog might set in. Know the feeling? Well, you might decide to remedy the fog by going for another cup of joe, or downgrade to tea or a soda. Not thinking anything of it, you then continue on your day, but once again, what goes up will inevitably come down, and that will occur at some point after lunch. Then what do you do? You can't keep drinking coffee because you know it will make you jittery and probably keep you up all night, so you need to get your body the fix it needs to remain in toxic balance. Therefore, between two o'clock and four you choose to fill the void with the next best quick-acting energizer: sugar, anyone? Ah, so that's why you crave something sweet in the afternoon or on your way home from work... Just so. Your body needs its fix and will continue to need it until you comply by downing that first shot in the morning. However, the morning is a long way off. Solution? A nibble of sugar or a white carb in front of the television will get you through to bedtime, so you can sleep in preparation for another day as prisoner of the vicious cycle of addiction. Sound familiar? Oh! Did I forget to mention that in order to "enjoy" your caffeine, most of you must sweeten it to make it palatable, thus causing your blood sugar levels to fluctuate erratically. This causes more fatigue and cravings, so you go for the gusto of more sugar and white carbs! So, why don't you give yourself a shot at stopping the madness? If you're thinking, "NO WAY! NOT MY COFFEE/DIET SODA/REGULAR SODA!" then please take a look at that strong response. Caffeine just might be the answer to that all consuming question: What's wrong with me? The answer might well be, that nothing is really wrong; you have just become a victim of a legally distributed drug that is packaged in irresistible ways. Do yourself a favor and just kick it! You might see that losing it is much easier than you thought. |
