talia wright, rncp - may 2013 newsletter

7/30/2019 Talia Wright, RNCP - May 2013 Newsletter

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MAY 2013

WWW.TALIAWRIGHT.COM TALIA WRIGHT, RNCP NUTRITIONAL [email protected]

COFFEE

Over 18,000 studies on coffee have been published in the past few

decades, here is a summary of their findings to help you decide

where you stand with the on-going coffee debate.

For clarification, when I speak of “coffee” I mean black, straight-u

coffee. Not with added sugar and cream (we will get to this).

All these facts are backed by studies, references available.

PROS

1. Coffee Can Help You Burn Fat and Improves Physical Performance

There’s a good reason why you will find caffeine in most

commercial fat burning supplements.

Caffeine, partly due to its stimulant effect on the central

nervous system, both raises metabolism and increases the

oxidation of fatty acids. Caffeine can also improve athleticperformance by several mechanisms, including by

mobilizing fatty acids from the fat tissues. In two separate

studies, caffeine was found to increase exercise

performance by 11-12% on average.

2. Coffee May Drastically Lower Your Risk of Type II Diabetes

Type II diabetes is a lifestyle-related disease that has reached epidemic proportions, having increase

10-fold in a few decades. In observational studies, coffee has been repeatedly associated with a

lower risk of diabetes. The reduction in risk ranges from 23% all the way up to 67% .

3. Coffee May Lower Your Risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

Not only can coffee make you smarter in the short term, it may also protect your brain in old age. In

recent studies, coffee drinkers have up to a 60% lower risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Coffee may

lower the risk of Parkinson’s disease by 32-60%.

4. Coffee May be Extremely Good For Your Liver

The liver is a remarkable organ that carries out hundreds of vital functions in the body. It is very

vulnerable to modern insults such as excess consumption of alcohol and sugar.

Multiple studies have shown that coffee can lower the risk of cirrhosis (liver failure) by as much as 80

the strongest effect for those who drank 4 or more cups per day. Coffee may also lower the risk of liv

cancer by around 40%.



MAY 2013

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5. Coffee is Loaded With Nutrients and Antioxidants

Many of the nutrients in the coffee beans do make it into the final drink, which actually contains a

decent amount of vitamins and minerals.

A cup of coffee contains :

• 6% of the RDA for Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5).

• 11% of the RDA for Riboflavin (Vitamin B2).

• 2% of the RDA for Niacin (B3) and Thiamine (B1).

• 3% of the RDA for Potassium and Manganese.

May not seem like much, but if you drink several cups of coffee per day then this quickly adds up. Bu

this isn’t all. Coffee also contains numerous antioxidants, including chlorogenic acid. 6. It protects your heart: Moderate coffee drinkers (1 to 3 cups/day) have lower

rates of stroke than non-coffee drinkers, an effect linked to coffee's antioxidants.

All those antioxidants may help suppress the damaging effect of inflammation o

arteries. Immediately after drinking it, coffee raises your blood pressure and hear

rate, but over the long term, it actually may lower blood pressure as coffee's

antioxidants activate nitric oxide, widening blood vessels.7. It helps your headaches: And not just the withdrawal headaches caused by

skipping your daily dose of caffeine. Studies show that 200 milligrams of caffeine-about the amount

16 ounces of brewed coffee-provides relief from headaches, including migraines.

CONS

1. Some people are super-sensitive to caffeine and get jittery or anxious after drinking coffee;

habitual coffee drinkers usually develop a tolerance to caffeine that eliminates this problem (but the

then need the caffeine to be alert and ward off withdrawal headaches).

2. Coffee can disturb sleep, especially as people age. Cutting someof the caffeine and drinking it earlier in the day can curb this effect.

3. Coffee is a stimulant: Coffee contains some caffeine, a mild but

harmful stimulant. Acutely, stimulants cause hyperactivity,

talkativeness, paranoia, restlessness and insomnia, muscle tremors,

memory lapses and mental confusion, and hallucinations. Stimulants

whip the adrenal glands into action. This eventually weakens the adrenals and perhaps the thyroid

gland, and this leads to more depletion of a person’s energy. In large enough amounts, or with

chronic use, caffeine from any source is associated with anxiety, irritability, tremors, dehydration, and

rebound fatigue and exhaustion. Stimulants also include: Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Ritalin and

Nicotine.4. Prevents rest and relaxation . Living on caffeine, as so many people do today,

prevents one from truly relaxing and resting. It can also lead to mental impairment

because the mind simply does not function quite as well on stimulants, although it

may indeed keep a person awake, which is helpful for school and work. Thus

caffeine in small amounts may be okay, but too often it is overdone, as it is socially

acceptable and readily and cheaply available today in coffee, teas, and sodas.

5. Toxic metals. Coffee contains some lead, cadmium, aluminum and perhaps

other toxic metals. A cup of coffee now and then is not going to add a lot of toxic



MAY 2013

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metals to the body. However, habitual use can add significant lead, according to

our experience with hair mineral testing. All the toxic metals are quite harmful, so it

makes little sense to add more to the body.

6. Rancid oils. Most ground coffee sold in stores contains oils that are somewhat

rancid. Rancid oils are somewhat toxic for the liver, and are also stimulants. This is

why even decaffeinated coffee will give a person a lift or a ‘high’.

7. Toxic chemical additives. Most decaffeinated coffee and some “coffee

blends” contain added chemicals that are used to remove the caffeine, add

flavor, or other reasons. If one wishes to drink

decaffeinated coffee, find a brand that claims to

use a water decaffeination process without

chemicals.

8. Disturbed digestion. Coffee, particularly if it is strong, is an irritan

to the stomach, and perhaps to other organs as well. This is the mo

common complaint about coffee, and the reason most people sto

drinking it.9. Dehydration. Drinking more than about one

cup of coffee always tends to dehydrate the

body. This is one of the effects of caffeine, apparently, and a serious one. Anyone

who drinks coffee must drink plenty of either spring water or carbon-filtered tap

water to avoid dehydration. 10. Coffee is acidic. Acidic foods can encourage disease, deplete oxygen,

damage mitochondria, damage to tissues and joints, encourage bacteria, viruses

and pathogens and overall weaken the immune system. (I have an excellent nutrition

package all about acid/alkaline available on my website)

BOTTOM LINE

Even though coffee in moderate amounts is good for you, drinking too much of it can still be harmfu

To make sure to preserve the health benefits, don’t put sugar or cream in your coffee! This is usually

what makes coffee bad for you. If you must add something, small amounts of honey or stevia for

sweeteners are your best bets and soy, almond or skim milk instead of cream.

This is only if you have to, adding anything to your coffee adds undesirable health effects such as

increased glucose levels and toxins. If it tends to affect your sleep, then don’t drink it after 2pm.

However…. At the end of the day, it does seem quite clear that coffee is NOT the villain it was made o

to be. If anything, organic, black coffee may be the healthiest beverage on the planet next to wate

and herbal tea.



MAY 2013

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RECIPES

Healthy Frozen Mochaccino

Ingredients

• 1 cup double-strength brewed coffee or espresso (see Tip)

• 1 cup low-fat milk • 2 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not

Dutch-process), plus more for sprinkling

• 2-3 tsp stevia or 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1-2 ice cubes, if needed

Directions

1. Freeze coffee in an ice cube tray until firm, at least 4 hours

overnight.

2. Combine the frozen coffee cubes, milk, cocoa, stevia or

maple syrup to taste and vanilla in a blender. Pulse until smooth, adding plain ice cubes if yo

want it thicker or a little water if you want it thinner. Divide between 2 glasses, dust with a littlcocoa powder, if desired, and serve immediately.

Smokey Black Bean Soup Ingredients

• 1 pound dried black beans (2 cups)

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 medium onions, finely chopped, 1/3 cup reserved for garn

• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

• 2 large stalks celery, chopped• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped

• 3 large cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon ground cumin

• 4 cups water

• 2 cups brewed coffee

• 1 ham hock (optional)

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more if needed

• 6 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt for garnish

• Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions

1. Pick over beans; rinse well. Place in a large bowl with cold water to cover by 2 inches. Let

soak for at least 6 hours or overnight. (Or use the quick-soak method: Cover the beans with 2

inches of water and bring to a boil; simmer 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand,

covered, for 1 hour.) Drain.

2. Heat oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add all but 1/3 cup of the

onions, bell pepper, celery, jalapeño and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the

vegetables are beginning to brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add cumin and cook, stirring, 1 minute

more. Add the beans, water, coffee, ham hock (if using) and bay leaf; cover and bring to a



MAY 2013

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boil, stirring occasionally. Skim off any foam that rises to the top, reduce the heat, cover and

simmer until the beans are very tender, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. If using, remove the ham hock

and set it aside to cool; remove the bay leaf. Stir in salt.

3. Puree about half of the soup in a blender or food processor until fairly smooth. (Use caution

when pureeing hot liquids.) Return the pureed soup to the pot and heat through. If desired,

cut meat off the ham hock, trim away any fat and chop the meat into small pieces; stir bac

into the soup.4. Serve the soup garnished with the reserved chopped onion, a dollop of sour cream (or yogu

and cilantro, if desired.

Mocha Protein Ice Pops Ingredients

• 2 cups strong brewed coffee, cooled

• 1 cup unsweetened almond or soy milk

• 2 scoops chocolate protein powder • 2 tbsp cocoa powder

• 1 tsp mint extract (optional for chocolate mint

flavour)

Directions

1. Blend together in blender

2. Pour into popsicle moulds and freeze

Variation:

If you do not have protein powder, you can double the

cocoa powder and sweeten with stevia, palm sugar or honey.

For more recipes, articles, information and a nutrition blog, visit my website

www.taliawright.com

www.taliawright.com [email protected]

talia wright, rncp - may 2013 newsletter

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