Happy Thursday!

If any of you knew me a couple years back you could safely say that I LOVED coffee.  Every day, 2 cups, maybe 3.  Now some folks in the Paleosphere are okay with moderate coffee consumption, some are not.  If this is of interest to you please take some time to read the 2 links and pro's and cons below.

http://whole9life.com/2011/01/the-coffee-manifesto/

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/coffee-tea-caffeine-talk/#axzz1qQwu4aNF

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From paleo diet lifestyle:

Pros of coffee consumption

  •  To many people, coffee is absolutely delicious and a great way to stay on track with a paleo diet without indulging in other unhealthy choices.
  • It improves cognitive performance, reaction time and short term recall.
  • Coffee stimulates peristalsis and can help those who suffer from constipation.
  • According to the latest studies on the subject, moderate coffee consumption seems to be protective against cardiovascular disease.
  • Coffee contains beneficial antioxidants, methylpyridinium being the most well known one.
  • Coffee seems to offer protection to the liver and has been found to reduce the incidence of liver cancer.

Cons of coffee consumption

  • Caffeine can trigger the release of unhealthy levels of cortisol in some people. Chronically elevated cortisol levels is bad news for a multitude of reasons. Think weight-gain, disturbed sleep patterns, depressed immune system…
  • Coffee hinders iron absorption because of its tannin content. It can therefore further exacerbate iron deficiency.
  • Regular coffee consumption seems to decrease insulin sensitivity, which can translate to weight gain and increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Studies have mixed results about the insulin desensitizing effects of coffee, but the most coherent ones make it clear that the effect is negative.
  • Many people believe that coffee is a diuretic, which means that it makes you lose free water and can therefore lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. Studies have shown though that, in the long term, coffee doesn’t have a diuretic effect after you’ve become used to it. Drinking coffee only very sporadically could  still bring about the diuretic effects since the body would lose its habituation to the effect.
  • Coffee irritates the tissues of the gastrointestinal tract and can exacerbate those with ulcers, IBS, gastritis or other such gastrointestinal disorders.
What should I do!? I have been off coffee for about 7 months and just kind of miss it.  Should I indulge once a week??  My co-workers drink coffee and the smell of a fresh pot is INTOXICATING!  But also, I've so well all this time without it.  NBD.
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Let's play "What's in Lauren's Lunchbox!!!"  It's the mystery machine lunchbox actually, thank you very much.   Here we have a nice hard-boiled egg, a Lara bar in my favorite flavor (the ingredients are literally dates, apples, pecans, walnuts and cinnamon).  In the Tupperware is a mixed green salad.  What I do for my salads at the beginning of the week:

  • Prep the lettuce (I buy 3 or 4 kinds, usually including kale, arugula, mixed baby greens, romaine and butter, something like that).  Get it all washed and dried and chopped up and put it in a freezer bag or Tupperware with a paper towel.
  • Prep the accouterments (I usually use cucumbers, carrots, apples, dried cranberries, almonds, celery, leeks and red onion, I add the tomato day of because it makes the batch as a whole last longer).  Chop all your stuff up and put it in a separate Tupperware.

When you're ready to make your salad, grab a handful of each and BOOM, done.  I also have an orange cut up into smileys,  and 2 meat cups.  A couple supplements as well!

Live to Thrive,

Lauren

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