Is Coffee Good or Bad for you?

[anart]

I wonder if the coffee very subtly compromised my immune system (even though I felt great) and that is how I came down with my first colds in ... well, a long time!

I think that's definitely possible since it's a stimulant (which is why you felt great short term) and it does stress the adrenals.

I didn't do this particular experiment because knowing how I react to even the caffeine in chocolate, I knew it wouldn't work for me and I'm very sensitive to dairy, so I don't even care to try cream. After decades of joint pain due to dairy, I have no desire to go back - it's too nice to be able to tie my shoes pain free!

 

[pete02]

While I got satisfaction from drinking it, and didn't become too excitable like I used to when going over a certain threshold, I look back at the fact that I came down with not one but two bouts of flu-y sickness [...] I wonder if the coffee very subtly compromised my immune system (even though I felt great) and that is how I came down with my first colds in ... well, a long time! In fact, my symptoms could simply have been part of an allergic reaction to the coffee.

So that makes two who clearly got sick. And in my case, (stomach sickness) there's no doubt it's an infection rather than simply a reaction, given the way it's now progressing after the end of the experiment.

I tried a cup myself the other day and had the same reaction, my stomach couldn't handle it either. Even though it was nice to taste a good cup of java again it was definitely not worth what my tummy went thru. I do believe that it might have been the caffeine that did it to me because most of the tea I drink is Rooibos which is non caffeinated but even when I do drink tea that has caffeine in it I don't get any reactions close to what happened with coffee. So I think coffee is out for me.

 

[Miss.K]

I get so depressed and tired when I try, that I can only crawl up in bed and feel that life is not worth living without

That's probably how you know you have to stop drinking it (sorry! I know it's not easy, but your poor adrenals might need a chance to learn to stand on their own two feet again, so to speak?).

I'm sure you're right

I'm trying (I know I know there is no try, only do) to grow a backbone (and waiting for a time where I can take a week off for the cold turkey)
The last time I tried to stop, the junkie personallity took so much over that I doubled the dose for months instead.

Drugs are evil!

 

[Laura]

I'm trying (I know I know there is no try, only do) to grow a backbone (and waiting for a time where I can take a week off for the cold turkey)
The last time I tried to stop, the junkie personallity took so much over that I doubled the dose for months instead.

Drugs are evil!

Why don't you just start substituting a nice cup of black tea with a bit of xylitol for most of your cups of coffee for a week, until you are down to only one cup a day and the rest tea, and then on a Saturday, just cut out that last cup. You'll be fine by Monday.

The trick is to get a really nice, fine china teacup and saucer and a selection of really good teas and try them all to find the one you like best. Make it a nice experience to have a cup of tea and you'll soon wonder what you ever saw in coffee.

 

[Jacques]

The trick is to get a really nice, fine china teacup and saucer and a selection of really good teas and try them all to find the one you like best. Make it a nice experience to have a cup of tea and you'll soon wonder what you ever saw in coffee.

I totally agree with that.

I went yesterday to a tasting of black tea.

We had 9 different black teas to taste and to evaluate. It is totally awesome to see that with the same leaves, you can produce such a variety of taste.

Nevertheless, the one that I prefer for the moment is the oolong tea and more specifically the Gabacha Bao Zhong. Look at those wordeful leaves !

 

[Gawan]

I'm trying (I know I know there is no try, only do) to grow a backbone (and waiting for a time where I can take a week off for the cold turkey)
The last time I tried to stop, the junkie personallity took so much over that I doubled the dose for months instead.

Drugs are evil!

Why don't you just start substituting a nice cup of black tea with a bit of xylitol for most of your cups of coffee for a week, until you are down to only one cup a day and the rest tea, and then on a Saturday, just cut out that last cup. You'll be fine by Monday.

The trick is to get a really nice, fine china teacup and saucer and a selection of really good teas and try them all to find the one you like best. Make it a nice experience to have a cup of tea and you'll soon wonder what you ever saw in coffee.

Fwiw, there is also a protocol available how to eliminate coffe, it is originally from Mark Hyman and maybe of help.:

How to Eliminate Caffeine

As Laura wrote you could also use black tea instead of the suggested green tea in the protocol.

 

[Vulcan59]

I wonder if the coffee very subtly compromised my immune system (even though I felt great) and that is how I came down with my first colds in ... well, a long time! In fact, my symptoms could simply have been part of an allergic reaction to the coffee.

Had the same reaction as you Kniall. Just tried coffee a few days ago and wham, got hit by the flu bug. Hadn't happen in a long, long time, so I reckon it must have been the coffee which was the only thing different that I took about 2 days before the flu. Just to be sure, I'll try it again in a few weeks time and see how it goes. :/

 

[Miss.K]

I'm trying (I know I know there is no try, only do) to grow a backbone (and waiting for a time where I can take a week off for the cold turkey)
The last time I tried to stop, the junkie personallity took so much over that I doubled the dose for months instead.

Drugs are evil!

Why don't you just start substituting a nice cup of black tea with a bit of xylitol for most of your cups of coffee for a week, until you are down to only one cup a day and the rest tea, and then on a Saturday, just cut out that last cup. You'll be fine by Monday.

The trick is to get a really nice, fine china teacup and saucer and a selection of really good teas and try them all to find the one you like best. Make it a nice experience to have a cup of tea and you'll soon wonder what you ever saw in coffee.

Thank you, it is a very good suggestion, reading it right now I can feel a flood of resistance through my whole body, and I know it is the junkie talking, and that I should follow your advice. I feel so stupid that it is so difficult for me. I don't even dare to say I will do it, out of fear of resistance drowning me.

Thank you again for borthering with kindly telling me what is obvious

 

[Miss.K]

The trick is to get a really nice, fine china teacup and saucer and a selection of really good teas and try them all to find the one you like best. Make it a nice experience to have a cup of tea and you'll soon wonder what you ever saw in coffee.

I totally agree with that.

I went yesterday to a tasting of black tea.

We had 9 different black teas to taste and to evaluate. It is totally awesome to see that with the same leaves, you can produce such a variety of taste.

Nevertheless, the one that I prefer for the moment is the oolong tea and more specifically the Gabacha Bao Zhong. Look at those wordeful leaves !

Thank you, and yes it does look delisious, I have to stop being so stubbornly hanging on to my old self, embarrasing to be so scared, specially of something that is actually good.

 

[Miss.K]

Fwiw, there is also a protocol available how to eliminate coffe, it is originally from Mark Hyman and maybe of help.:

How to Eliminate Caffeine

As Laura wrote you could also use black tea instead of the suggested green tea in the protocol.

Thank you, I'll read it right away before I chicken out

 

[LQB]

I wonder if the coffee very subtly compromised my immune system (even though I felt great) and that is how I came down with my first colds in ... well, a long time! In fact, my symptoms could simply have been part of an allergic reaction to the coffee.

Had the same reaction as you Kniall. Just tried coffee a few days ago and wham, got hit by the flu bug. Hadn't happen in a long, long time, so I reckon it must have been the coffee which was the only thing different that I took about 2 days before the flu. Just to be sure, I'll try it again in a few weeks time and see how it goes. :/

I've had the scratchy back of the nose but no illness. What I have had though is increasing blah feeling and less of the initial stimulating with daily coffee. So I'm going back to black tea (and ghee) and putting coffee in the special treat category.

 

[Laura]

MissK, don't worry about chickening out and resistance and all that. Just go shopping for the beautiful cup and saucer. Maybe even a whole tea set with the pot and a bowl for the xylitol and a nice spoon, and start having a CHOICE.

Having a cup of tea can be "doing something nice for myself". Don't even try to cut out coffee at first. Just start having tea as a choice.

 

[Miss.K]

MissK, don't worry about chickening out and resistance and all that. Just go shopping for the beautiful cup and saucer. Maybe even a whole tea set with the pot and a bowl for the xylitol and a nice spoon, and start having a CHOICE.

Having a cup of tea can be "doing something nice for myself". Don't even try to cut out coffee at first. Just start having tea as a choice.

Thank you Laura
(your post made me cry)

 

[Gimpy]

MissK, don't worry about chickening out and resistance and all that. Just go shopping for the beautiful cup and saucer. Maybe even a whole tea set with the pot and a bowl for the xylitol and a nice spoon, and start having a CHOICE.

Having a cup of tea can be "doing something nice for myself". Don't even try to cut out coffee at first. Just start having tea as a choice.

This is a technique I can vouch for! :D I never thought a pretty tea set would make a difference, but it did. Now I hunt for tea shops everywhere, and even discovered one very close to home, an all organic bookstore tea shop, which I never would have found if not for stopping coffee. I did have to stop having afternoon tea, and switch to a decaf version, but on the whole, I don't miss coffee at all.

 

[Laura]

When I'm not having my tea as a sit-down break for chatting, I have a glass of iced tea next to me.

I never drink it after 5 p.m. though or it interferes with good sleep. Thankfully, after stopping the coffee experiment, I've now had two good nights of sleep. But I don't think the effects are all gone yet. May take a week.

Speaking of which, I've been sitting here working for several hours, so I think I'll go down and seek out some company for a cuppa!