How I became fructivorous… and dropped it 5 days later
Humanity has always advanced once it had learned how to tame different forces of nature. Still, not a single one of these victories was greater than the one when we learned how to triumph over our own body. A manifestation of this struggle can be seen in the alkaline diet, also known as the alkaline acid diet. Advocates of this diet believe that certain foods may affect on our body’s acidity, which can be used to treat various illnesses. Naturally, seeing how highly acidic substances are to be avoided while on this diet, you should reduce your coffee intake to a minimum (as little as one per day). However, this shouldn’t prevent you from making the most out of that one cup you do drink.
One coffee a day
Nothing in this world deals in absolutes, so with this in mind, it would be just plain ridiculous to believe that coffee is exclusively good or bad. Not even scientists can agree on the subject, and there is an abundance of research published in medical journals each year, which either praise or deplore the use of coffee on an everyday basis. There are some general rules which can guarantee a healthy use of coffee as long as you adhere to them.
The first rule naturally is universal for any vice- all things are good in moderation. For instance, it is a well-known fact that one coffee a day can do wonders for your energy levels and this dosage is simply too small to cause any harm to your organism. Unfortunately, some people just cannot function without several cups a day, and for them it would be best to look for alternative ways of boosting their energy levels.
Make a schedule
The first rule about managing your coffee habits is that you should never take it too late in the day. Still, the idea of too late varies from person to person. In most cases you should avoid taking coffee after 2-3 PM. Even though this may seem too early, just remember that it takes some time for you to process all that caffeine. In fact, sticking to this one simple rule should improve your sleep quality significantly.
On the other hand, many of us tend to go out for a chat and a cup o’ Joe after work, which again tends to be later than 5 pm, and our energy levels might be on a downward slope after work, and another cup of that black magic might sound like the perfect idea. If this is indeed the case, try to either drink decaf (if you are not overly tired), or choose an option that is not too rich in caffeine. It might take a while to get used to the change, but it will ultimately do you a world of good.
Keep an eye out on the sugar
If there is one thing that everyone in the 21st century is aware of, it is the fact that sugar is one of the greatest adversaries to our health. In fact, when you look at all trouble that coffee can cause, the dangers associated with caffeine are just the tip of the iceberg. The rest can be blamed on having too much sugar in your coffee. The hazards of sugar addiction are numerous, so it would be best if you could just stop putting it in your coffee. Some people simply cannot imagine drinking sugarless coffee, so they try to use artificial sweeteners, which can be extremely unhealthy. Therefore, the safest choice would be to at least reduce your sugar to minimum if you are not ready to completely part with it.
Make it a ceremony
As we have already mentioned, it would be best for your alkaline diet not to overstep this boundary of one coffee a day. Still, if this is going to be the case, you need to make every coffee you take something completely special. The best way to do so would be for you to transform every single coffee into something completely ceremonial. Buy and keep your beans fresh, always try new and daring recipes, and spend as much time on the decoration of your cup as on the brewing itself. Finally, if all goes well, you can take coffee pictures and even make some money by selling photos on EyeEm.
All of this just goes to prove that quality will almost always triumph over quantity. Just remember one thing, your health always comes first and at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how much coffee you drank, but what the overall experience was like. In fact, some would gladly exchange all of their coffees for just one flawless cup. You might be one of them, but you’ll never know it for sure unless you try.
About the author
Mathews McGarry is passionate about many forms of strength training, and spent years lifting, dragging and flipping all manner of heavy objects. After graduating on the Faculty of Health Sciences, he started writing about his experiences, and sharing advices for better life at highstylife.com and other health blogs. Follow him on Twitter.
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