# Step 1

Drink a mixture of 1/2 tsp. of baking soda stirred well and dissolved in a 1/2 glass of water to relieve the rumble of acid indigestion or heartburn. Drink the mixture quickly and repeat two hours later, if needed. Adults under 60 can safely do this up to seven times in one 24-hour period.

# Step 2

Eat a banana. Bananas soothe the stomach and counteract the acids that can cause an upset stomach. They are also easily digested and can help ease diarrhea.

# Step 3

Drink strong ginger ale or tea, or chew on a piece of candied ginger to relieve nausea. In China, ginger has been used to treat upset stomachs for over 2,000 years.

# Step 4

Drink peppermint tea. The peppermint calms stomach muscles.

# Step 5

Relax. Take a warm bath, lie down and listen to calming music or curl up with a good book. Let go of stress in a way that works for you.

# Step 6

Avoid foods and drinks that may cause upset stomach or gas. Some of these are coffee, onions, milk, cauliflower, chocolate, fried foods and baked beans.

Sorry coffee lovers — downing a few cups of coffee throughout the day may spark alertness, but it’s unlikely to protect the aging brain from mental decline or dementia, according to researchers from Finland.

Some studies have suggested that coffee has a protective effect on brain function in old age, while others have not shown this association.

One of the latest studies on the topic, which appears in the September issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found no association between coffee consumption and declining cognition or dementia scores in either men or women.

Dr. Venla S. Laitala, at the University of Helsinki, and colleagues assessed the coffee drinking habits, as well as other social, demographic, and health data, of a large population of twin pairs who were 50 years old on average.

At this point in time, 75 percent of the men and 83 percent of the women drank more than 3 cups of coffee a day. Only 4 of men and about 1 percent of women reported no daily coffee consumption.

When the group was just over 74 years on average, the investigators conducted telephone interviews in 2,606 of the study participants (48 percent women) to specifically screen for declining cognition and dementia.

They found that each year of increasing age was associated with declines in thinking abilities, regardless of gender.

However, in this study, middle-age coffee consumption was not protective against “cognitive decline or preventive against dementia,” Laitala told Reuters Health in an email correspondence.

As expected, heart disease, diabetes and dissatisfaction with life were significantly associated with lower cognitive performance, the researchers report.

Therefore, Laitala’s team suggests further investigations concentrate on the role heart disease, diabetes, and life satisfaction play in altered and age-related thinking and analytic abilities.

1. Do something!

Scientists are starting to think that regular aerobic exercise may be the single most important thing you can do for the long-term health of your brain. While the heart and lungs respond loudly to a sprint on the treadmill, the brain is quietly getting fitter with each step, too. For mental fitness, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity every other day.

2. Eat, eat, eat

Too much or too little energy throws a kink in the brain’s delicate machinery. A low glycemic diet — high fiber, with moderate amounts of fat and protein — is broken down more slowly in the body than high glycemic foods, such as sweets and white starches. A steady pace of digestion in the gut gives a more reliable flow of energy to the brain, likely optimizing the organ’s long-term health and performance.

3. Watch that diet

While overindulging can make the brain sluggish and lead to long-term detriments to your brain, too few calories can also impair brain function. Extreme dieting can cause some diehards to feel stretches of calm — a feeling that may underlie the addiction of anorexia — but many studies have also linked dieting with distraction, confusion and memory impairment.

4. Take care of your body

Largely preventable diseases — such as Type II diabetes, obesity and hypertension — all affect your brain, too. System-wide health concerns have been linked to an increased risk of cognitive decline and memory impairments. Keeping your circulatory system in working order, by, say, avoiding cigarettes and saturated fat, lessens the onslaught of age-related damage to the brain.

5. Get your beauty rest

When we rest and dream, memories are sifted through, some discarded, others consolidated and saved. When we don’t sleep, a recent study found, proteins build up on synapses, possibly making it hard to think and learn new things. Furthermore, chronically sleeping poorly (in contrast to not enough) is linked to cognitive decline in old age, although the relationship may not be causal.

6. Enjoy your coffee

Growing evidence suggests a caffeine habit may protect the brain. According to large longitudinal studies, two to four perk-me-ups a day may stave off normal cognitive decline and decrease the incidence of Alzheimer’s by 30 to 60 percent. It is unclear whether the benefits come from caffeine or the antioxidants found in coffee and tea, but that latte may improve cognition this afternoon and several decades from now.

7. Eat fish

Some theories credit the introduction of fish into the human diet with the evolution of our tremendous cognitive prowess. Essential fatty acids, such as Omega 3s, are critical to brain function and are proving beneficial for treating such brain-sapping ailments as depression. Studies on the efficacy of Omega 3 supplements, however, have had mixed results, so get doses from food sources, such as flax seeds, fatty fish and grass-fed animals.

8. Chill out

Stress takes a toll on the brain by washing harmful chemicals over the hippocampus and other brain areas involved in memory. Some scientists suspect that living a balanced lifestyle and pursuing relaxing activities such as yoga, socializing and crafting may delay memory impairment by reducing stress.

9. Skip the supplements

Supplements have been getting a bad rap recently, with even the familiar multivitamin now looking like a waste of money — or worse. Brain pills, such as ginkgo and melatonin, likely belong in the trash as well. Despite their “natural” origins, they are not free of potential side effects, such as high blood pressure, digestion trouble, fertility problems and depression. And among healthy individuals, ginkgo offers no brain benefits beyond that of a placebo. (In some cases, the placebo worked better.)

10. Tease Your Brain

Whether crossword puzzles, sudokus and other brain teasers actually keep your brain in shape, has not been well-established. However, lack of education is a strong predictor of cognitive decline. The more you’ve tried to learn, the better you’ll be at mental sit-ups in old age. The key may be tackling something new; the challenge of the unknown is likely more beneficial than putting together the same jigsaw puzzle over and over again.

If the bowel, liver, or the skin is not functioning properly the blood will be more toxic and will cause more acid than the kidneys are designed to handle. Many with gout will attest to this fact.

Probably what causes the most abuse to the kidneys are:

COFFEE, TEA AND SODA. Some people think that it’s the caffeine in these drinks that is hard on the kidneys and joints. Caffeine is not good for you, but it is the tannic acid that damages the kidneys. Another real offender is artificial colored sugar water. Carbonation is also very hard on the kidneys.

DON’T DRINK COFFEE, TEA, SODA, AND ARTIFICIAL COLORED DRINKS.  CUT OUT ALL MILK PRODUCTS AND LIMIT RED MEATS.

Do drink good water, juices and herbal teas.

Want a drug that could lower your risk of diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and colon cancer? That could lift your mood and treat headaches? That could lower your risk of cavities?

If it sounds too good to be true, think again.

Coffee, the much maligned but undoubtedly beloved beverage, just made headlines for possibly cutting the risk of the latest disease epidemic, type 2 diabetes. And the real news seems to be that the more you drink, the better.
Reducing Disease Risk

After analyzing data on 126,000 people for as long as 18 years, Harvard researchers calculate that compared with not partaking in America’s favorite morning drink, downing one to three cups of caffeinated coffee daily can reduce diabetes risk by single digits. But having six cups or more each day slashed men’s risk by 54% and women’s by 30% over java avoiders.

Though the scientists give the customary “more research is needed” before they recommend you do overtime at Starbuck’s to specifically prevent diabetes, their findings are very similar to those in a less-publicized Dutch study. And perhaps more importantly, it’s the latest of hundreds of studies suggesting that coffee may be something of a health food — especially in higher amounts.

In recent decades, some 19,000 studies have been done examining coffee’s impact on health. And for the most part, their results are as pleasing as a gulp of freshly brewed Breakfast Blend for the 108 million Americans who routinely enjoy this traditionally morning — and increasingly daylong — ritual. In practical terms, regular coffee drinkers include the majority of U.S. adults and a growing number of children.

“Overall, the research shows that coffee is far more healthful than it is harmful,” says Tomas DePaulis, PhD, research scientist at Vanderbilt University’s Institute for Coffee Studies, which conducts its own medical research and tracks coffee studies from around the world. “For most people, very little bad comes from drinking it, but a lot of good.”

Consider this: At least six studies indicate that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson’s, with three showing the more they drink, the lower the risk. Other research shows that compared to not drinking coffee, at least two cups daily can translate to a 25% reduced risk of colon cancer, an 80% drop in liver cirrhosis risk, and nearly half the risk of gallstones.

Coffee even offsets some of the damage caused by other vices, some research indicates. “People who smoke and are heavy drinkers have less heart disease and liver damage when they regularly consume large amounts of coffee compared to those who don’t,” says DePaulis.

There’s also some evidence that coffee may help manage asthma and even control attacks when medication is unavailable, stop a headache, boost mood, and even prevent cavities.

Is it the caffeine? The oodles of antioxidants in coffee beans, some of which become especially potent during the roasting process? Even other mysterious properties that warrant this intensive study?

Actually, yes.

Some of coffee’s reported benefits are a direct result of its higher caffeine content: An eight ounce cup of drip-brewed coffee contains about 85 mg — about three and a half times more than the same serving of tea or cola or one ounce of chocolate.

“The evidence is very strong that regular coffee consumption reduces risk of Parkinson’s disease and for that, it’s directly related to caffeine,” DePaulis tells WebMD. “In fact, Parkinson’s drugs are now being developed that contain a derivative of caffeine based on this evidence.”

Caffeine is also what helps in treating asthma and headaches. Though not widely publicized, a single dose of pain reliever such as Anacin or Excedrin contains up to 120 milligrams — what’s in a hefty mug o’ Joe.
Boost to Athleticism

It’s also caffeine — and not coffee, per se — that makes java a powerful aid in enhancing athletic endurance and performance, says physiologist and longtime coffee researcher Terry Graham, PhD, of the University of Guelph in Canada. So powerful, in fact, that until recently, caffeine in coffee or other forms was deemed a “controlled” substance by the Olympic Games Committee, meaning that it could be consumed only in small, designated amounts by competing athletes.

“What caffeine likely does is stimulate the brain and nervous system to do things differently,” he tells WebMD. “That may include signaling you to ignore fatigue or recruit extra units of muscle for intense athletic performance. Caffeine may even have a direct effect on muscles themselves, causing them to produce a stronger contraction. But what’s amazing about it is that unlike some performance-enhancing manipulation some athletes do that are specific for strength or sprinting or endurance, studies show that caffeine positively enhances all of these things.”

How does this brew affect growing minds and bodies? Very nicely, it seems, says DePaulis. Coffee, as you probably know, makes you more alert, which can boost concentration. But claims that it improves a child’s academic performance can be exaggerated. Coffee-drinking kids may do better on school tests because they’re more awake, but most task-to-task lab studies suggest that coffee doesn’t really improve mental performance, says DePaulis.

But it helps kids’ minds in another way. “There recently was a study from Brazil finding that children who drink coffee with milk each day are less likely to have depression than other children,” he tells WebMD. “In fact, no studies show that coffee in reasonable amounts is in any way harmful to children.”

On the flip side, it’s clear that coffee isn’t for everyone. Its legendary jolt in excess doses — that is, more than whatever your individual body can tolerate — can increase nervousness, hand trembling, and cause rapid heartbeat. Coffee may also raise cholesterol levels in some people and may contribute to artery clogging. But most recent large studies show no significant adverse effects on most healthy people, although pregnant women, heart patients, and those at risk for osteoporosis may still be advised to limit or avoid coffee.

The bottom line:    “People who already drink a lot of coffee don’t have to feel ‘guilty’ as long as coffee does not affect their daily life,” says Hu. “They may actually benefit from coffee habits in the long run.”

In other words, consume enough caffeine — whether it’s from coffee or another source — and you will likely run faster, last longer and be stronger. What’s enough? As little as one cup can offer some benefit, but the real impact comes from at least two mugs, says Graham. By comparison, it’d take at least eight glasses of cola to get the same effect, which isn’t exactly conducive for running a marathon.

But the harder you exercise, the more benefit you may get from coffee. “Unfortunately, where you see the enhancing effects from caffeine is in hard-working athletes, who are able to work longer and somewhat harder,” says Graham, who has studied the effects of caffeine and coffee for nearly two decades. “If you a recreational athlete who is working out to reduce weight or just feel better, you’re not pushing yourself hard enough to get an athletic benefit from coffee or other caffeinated products.”

But you can get other benefits from coffee that have nothing to do with caffeine. “Coffee is loaded with antioxidants, including a group of compounds called quinines that when administered to lab rats, increases their insulin sensitivity” he tells WebMD. This increased sensitivity improves the body’s response to insulin.

That may explain why in that new Harvard study, those drinking decaf coffee but not tea beverages also showed a reduced diabetes risk, though it was half as much as those drinking caffeinated coffee.

“We don’t know exactly why coffee is beneficial for diabetes,” lead researcher Frank Hu, MD, tells WebMD. “It is possible that both caffeine and other compounds play important roles. Coffee has large amounts of antioxidants such as chlorogenic acid and tocopherols, and minerals such as magnesium. All these components have been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism.”

Meanwhile, Italian researchers credit another compound called trigonelline, which gives coffee its aroma and bitter taste, for having both antibacterial and anti-adhesive properties to help prevent dental cavities from forming. There are other theories for other conditions.

• Miscarriage
  There may be as much as a 30 percent increase in early miscarriage of normal pregnancies for women who drink one to two cups of coffee a day.  One study has shown this goes up to 40 percent with four cups.  There’s also concern about caffeine consumption while trying to conceive.  Some studies have shown infertility rates double for women who drink more than two and a half cups of coffee a day.
• Cancer, coffee and smoking
  No cancer correlation to caffeine has been found, except that women who smoke often do so at the same time that they drink their coffee.  There is no increase in breast cancer from caffeine, although some women find breast tenderness is worsened with increased caffeine consumption.
• Osteoporosis
  There is no conclusive link between caffeine and osteoporosis, but if caffeinated beverages (without milk) preclude milk or calcium-containing fluid consumption, the lack of calcium intake will correlate with osteoporosis risk.
• Hypertension
  Caffeine can raise blood pressure for a few minutes, and in some cases hours.  However coffee consumption does not seem to cause ongoing hypertensive disorder.  If you already have hypertension, however, a cup of coffee may temporarily raise your blood pressure and this could ultimately increase your more immediate risk of stroke.
• Heart disease
  Caffeine can cause palpitations, irregular or fast heartbeat, and if you have an existing abnormal heart rate or heart disease, this could be a problem.  One study found an increased risk of cardiac arrest in nonsmokers who consumed six or more cups of coffee a day.  But in general we can’t blame heart disease or heart attacks on reasonable caffeine consumption.
• Headaches
  Caffeine can increase the effectiveness of headache medications (and many of the over-the-counter headache medications in fact combine caffeine with either aspirin or a Tylenol-like component).  But these combined products can actually cause rebound headaches.  To avoid this “take a pill feel better, then worse” cycle, over-the-counter medications with caffeine shouldn’t be used for more than two days at a time.
• PMS
  Caffeine acts as a diuretic and should decrease discomfort and bloat.  But it can also cause a fall in blood sugar, which increases symptoms of PMS.  There can be a three-fold increase in PMS if we drink more than three to four cups of coffee a day.
• Bladder conditions
  Caffeine speeds the kidneys’ processing of fluid, so we have to go more frequently.  It can also irritate the bladder, leading to certain forms of incontinence.
• Caffeine and sleep
  Caffeine stimulates the brain and also affects levels of melatonin, which promotes sleep.  It takes four to seven hours to metabolize caffeine.  The older we are, the longer it takes.  And if you are on birth control pills or estrogen, the half life of caffeine may be doubled.  So an afternoon cup of coffee can cause late night insomnia.
• Caffeine and anxiety
  High doses increase the level of brain chemicals associated with anxiety.
• Caffeine and heartburn
  Even decaffeinated coffee can increase stomach acid production and affect the closing of the valve between the stomach and esophagus, leading to reflux and heartburn.  If you do have this problem, you not only need to decaffeinate, but you need to de-decaffeinate, i.e. no types of coffee at all.

The bottom line
In summary, caffeine does make us feel better, more alert; we sometimes exercise better, even think better.  But we should not be consuming it, especially more than one to two cups per day, if we have:

• Irregular heartbeats or palpitations
• Severe PMS
• Sleep problems
• Bladder problems
• Anxiety and/or panic attacks

We all know what caffeine can do for our moods in the morning, but it’s also increasingly celebrated in the dermatological community for its impact on the skin.

For years, caffeine’s ability to quickly and effectively constrict blood vessels has made it a valued topical ingredient, particularly in products designed to minimize facial flushing. For that reason, caffeine can be a tremendous boon to those who suffer from rosacea, which is essentially caused by frequently dilated blood vessels that lose their ability to contract. La Roche Posay Rosaliac products, for example, are a great anti-inflammatory option for anyone who suffers from rosacea or facial redness. Topix Replenix CF Anti-Photoaging Complex SPF 45 is another excellent, well-rounded product that offers a blend of powerful antioxidants, caffeine, and sunscreen.

Caffeine’s blood vessel-constricting benefits also make it a go-to ingredient in many eye creams (like MD Formulations Moisture Defense Antioxidant Eye Crème, for example), as it can quickly minimize redness and puffiness.

In addition to its anti-inflammatory benefits, though, caffeine is starting to get attention because it may prevent skin cancer as discussed in the February issue of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. Consumption of caffeine has been shown to be associated with lower incidences of nonmelanoma skin cancers in several epidemiological studies (Jacobsen et al., 1986; Hakim et al., 2000; Abel et al., 2007; Rees et al., 2007).

One study of over 93,000 women showed that drinking coffee decreased their risk of skin cancer. Other research suggests that both oral and topical caffeine may offer powerful anticarcinogenic benefits. I personally use Replenix CF cream with caffeine twice a day.

So whether you drink it iced or hot, or apply it topically, caffeine seems to have a benefit for the skin. Just a couple words of caution, though: Caffeine is dehydrating, so be sure to follow your coffee or tea with plenty of water. And if you’re prone to facial flushing, hot beverages can cause redness; consider enjoying your caffeinated beverages over ice.

For some people, consuming lots of coffee each day can be bad for their hearts, for others 3 cups a day may be good for their hearts, it depends on their genetic make-up.

According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), 4,000 people were monitored in Costa Rica by researchers from the University of Toronto, Canada. 2,014 of them had had a heart attack (non-fatal) during the period 1994-2004. The others had not had a heart attack during that period.

If your genetic profile means your body breaks down caffeine slowly, your chances of suffering a heart attack are 64% higher.

The researchers wanted to find out whether caffeine alone may be associated with cardiovascular disease risks, as opposed to other chemicals present in coffee.

Depending on your genetic profile, controlling the action of cytochrome (CYP1A2), an enzyme which metabolises caffeine, can vary. CYP1A2 must be activated in order to break down (metabolise) the caffeine. People with a slow variation of a gene are slower at activating CYP1A2.

The volunteers were asked about their coffee consumption. They also underwent genetic tests to determine which variation of the gene they had, slow or fast.

They found that those carrying the slow form of the gene had:

– 36% higher risk of heart attack if they drank 2-3 cups of coffee a day (compared to people who only drank up to one cup and had the slow form of the gene)

– 64% higher risk of heart attack if they drank 4 or more cups of coffee a day

The risk was clearer for people under 50.

Surprisingly, those who had the fast gene actually lowered their heart attack risk if they consumed up to 3 cups of coffee a day.

If you just drink one cup of coffee a day your risk of heart attack is not altered, whether you have the slow or fast gene, according to this study. The researchers stressed that other lifestyle factors influence your risk of heart attack much more than coffee, such as smoking, what you eat and how much exercise you do.

So, if this study is anything to go by, it is perhaps better to stick to one cup a day until you know what your genetic profile is.

According to the 2008 Coffee statistics report, coffee is the most popular beverage worldwide with over 400 billion cups consumed each year. The U.S. imports more than $4 billion worth of coffee per year, and Americans consume some 400 million cups of coffee per day, as nearly 52 percent of Americans over the age of 18 drink coffee daily.

The statistic equates to more than one cup of coffee a day for a person in America. Now I don’t know about you, but most kids under five, like me, do not drink coffee. So the average is probably closer to 2 cups a day for most adults.

I really admire Starbucks for their innovative marketing that has massive numbers of intelligent adults paying double or triple prices for a base commodity. Really brilliant strategy, but with the U.S. economy in the tank, this strategy is clearly failing.

The fact that Americans are dumping their habit of buying overpriced coffee comes as no surprise at this point in time. With the dollar in free fall, increased unemployment, and rising gas and food prices, most people have started to realize the importance of financial restraint, and planning further than their next paycheck.

However, aside from the sad fact that yet another 12,000 Americans will be standing in the unemployment line, reducing your coffee consumption in general is not such a bad thing health wise.

Coffee Controversies

Although coffee is one of the most heavily researched commodities and studies have spanned decades, there is still much controversy surrounding its effects on health. Study after study is performed–often with conflicting results–and it seems there is always a new study out to discount the last one.

For example, one 2004 study found that drinking coffee disrupted short-term word recall. This was promptly followed up by research published the following year, showing that the equivalent of two cups of coffee could improve short-term memory, prioritizing information efficiently, planning new tasks, and dealing with stored information.

Should You Drink Coffee?

It appears that drinking coffee may interfere with your body’s ability to keep homocysteine and cholesterol levels in check, most likely by inhibiting the action of the vitamins folate, B12 or B6. Coffee has been previously associated with increased risk of stroke and rheumatoid arthritis. Studies have also shown that caffeine in coffee can raise blood pressure and levels of stress hormones, and if consumed in large quantities it can lead to heart palpitations, jitters and nervousness.

With that said, coffee is clearly not the healthiest liquid to drink – your best choice is pure water — but coffee is still far less dangerous than fruit juice or soda.

While I do believe that eliminating, or at the very least limiting, coffee should be one of your goals, if you are in the midst of other dietary changes, such as those outlined in my nutrition plan eliminating coffee can be put toward the bottom of the list. You’ll definitely want to eliminate soda and fruit juice from your beverage list first.

There are, however, some important facets of coffee that you should know before you have your next morning cup.

The Dangers of Caffeine During Pregnancy

Pregnant women should NEVER drink coffee. Caffeine is a stimulant drug that easily passes through the placenta to your developing fetus and is also transferred through breast milk.

During pregnancy and in infants, the half-life of caffeine is increased, which means that it will stay in your body, and your infant’s body, longer. Moreover, fetuses have no ability to detoxify caffeine.

Research suggests that drinking more than 300 mg of coffee daily, or the equivalent of two to three 8-ounce cups, may increase the risk of miscarriage, birth defects such as cleft palate, and low birth weight. But as I mentioned above, I don’t believe that ANY amount coffee is safe when you’re pregnant.

Even with moderate caffeine intake, when the woman experiences no effects, studies have found changes in both the mother’s and the fetal heart rate and blood pressure. Preliminary studies also suggest that drinking four cups of coffee or more per day may put the infant at an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Caffeine may also make it more difficult for women to maintain necessary levels of iron and calcium, which are especially important during pregnancy.

Coffee also has the issue of pesticide contamination, which is particularly harmful during pregnancy.

There Probably Are Pesticides in Your Java

Coffee is usually not grown in the United States and we therefore have no control over how many pesticides are sprayed on coffee crops. And coffee is a heavily sprayed crop, so drinking coffee is likely to expose you to a dose of pesticides with each cup.

Pesticides have been associated with a number of health problems such as:

• Prostate cancer and other cancers
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Miscarriages

Aside from any pesticide residues that make it into your brew, there’s also the issue of whether buying coffees grown with the help of potentially harmful chemicals contributes to the destruction of the environment and threatens the health of poor coffee farm workers.

If you choose to drink coffee, drinking organic coffee will hopefully reduce or eliminate your exposure to toxic herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers, and would be a more environmentally conscientious choice. The only drawback is that many of the 45 countries where coffee is produced have less control and monitoring for compliance to organic practices.

Avoid Coffee if You Have Certain Health Issues

Since coffee is a stimulant it will only worsen symptoms of insomnia and anxiety, and should definitely be avoided if you’re already suffering from either. People with panic or anxiety disorders may find that they are especially sensitive to caffeine and may find that even a small amount of the stimulant exacerbates their symptoms.

Similarly, the caffeine will linger in your body for hours after you drink it, so it might keep you up at night even if you drink it long before bedtime.

For those with high blood pressure, a general rule is that the more caffeine you drink in a day, the higher your blood pressure will be. So if you are already at the higher end of the scales, drinking coffee will only increase your blood pressure further.

Also Protein Nutritional Types do not do well with caffeine and should only consume coffee or tea in small quantities, and not in the late afternoon or evening, as it will likely keep them up.  (However this can be a good thing if you are using coffee as a drug for jet lag).

How to Wean Yourself off Coffee

If you try to stop drinking coffee “cold turkey” you will likely experience symptoms of withdrawal. According to one study, the more caffeine you use, the worse your withdrawal symptoms will be. This is because even small amounts of caffeine, such as one standard cup of coffee a day, can create an addiction. For those who consume it regularly, cutting even the smallest amount of caffeine could result in a range of withdrawal symptoms such as:

• Headache
• Fatigue or drowsiness
• Depression and irritability
• Lack of concentration
• Flu-like symptoms such as nausea and muscle pain

This can be avoided by cutting down the amount you drink gradually over a period of days, or even weeks. It’s also important to drink plenty of water during the process in order to keep your body well hydrated.

If you find that you miss your morning coffee-drinking ritual, replace it with a new tradition that will also boost your health and energy. Vegetable juice makes a great coffee replacement. It will give you the energy boost that you’re looking for in the morning without the negative effects of caffeine.

The concerns raised by those apprehensive about the use of pesticides and agricultural chemicals in coffee growing are twofold. First is the health issue for the consumer: whether harmful chemical residues may reach our systems when we drink coffee. Second are the related environmental and social issues: whether buying coffees that may be grown with the help of potentially harmful chemicals contributes to the destruction of the environment and threatens the health of the rural poor who raise coffee.

Agricultural Chemicals and Consumer Health. The consumer health issue is simplest to address. Coffee is not eaten raw like lettuce or apples. The bean is the seed of a fruit. The flesh of this fruit is discarded. Along the way the seed is soaked, fermented, and subject to a thorough drying process. Later it is roasted at temperatures exceeding 400°F, and finally broken apart and soaked in near boiling water. This savage history concludes when we consume only the water in which the previously soaked, fermented, dried, roasted, and infused seed was immersed. Given this history of relentless attrition, it hardly seems possible that much if any of the small amounts of pesticide/fungicide residue permitted by law in green coffee ever make it into the cup.

Chemical Free Alternatives. In brief, coffee drinkers concerned about the impact of agricultural chemicals on environment and society or those unwilling to accept my reassurances on the consumer health issue have essentially three alternatives:

* Buy a traditional coffee, grown as coffee was grown from its inception, before agricultural chemicals were invented. All Yemen, almost all Ethiopia, and most Sumatra Mandheling coffees are grown in such a state of innocence, and all are among the world’s finest.

* Buy a certified organic coffee. Certified organic coffees are coffees whose growing conditions and processing have been thoroughly monitored by independent agencies and found to be free of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, chemical fertilizers, and other potentially harmful chemicals. The monitoring agencies visit the farm and verify that no chemicals have been used on the farm for several years, and then follow every step of the processing, preparing, transporting, storage, and roasting. Such careful monitoring is of course expensive, which is one reason certified organic coffees cost more than similar uncertified coffees. Many such certified organic coffees are the product of socially and environmentally progressive cooperatives. See pages PPP-PPP for more on organically grown coffees.

* Buy a coffee labeled “sustainable.” At this writing sustainable is a rather loose term meaning that, in the view of the importer or roaster, designated farmers are doing everything within reason to avoid the use of agricultural chemicals and to pursue enlightened environmental and socially progressive practices in the growing and processing of their coffees.