Coffee vs. Juice in the Morning

Oooh the smell of a good dark roast brewing in my kitchen... there is nothing better.  I am a coffee-a-holic to say the least and I love walking into a Caribou, refilling my "to-go" mug and breathing in the aromas of my first cup of the day.

Needless to say... that mug of coffee is doing the exact opposite of what I want it to do... Wake me up!

We all know that coffee has caffeine in it.  What you might not know is the affect coffee has on your body vs. what natural fruits, vegetables and juices can do!

Coffee - One small cup in all it's supposed glory!

• 1 small cup has over 150 mg of caffeine (image what a grande has!)
• Stimulates the central nervous system by mimicking stress (fight or flight responses) within the body.  
• Produces Cortosol which increases belly fat production
• Taxing on adrenals, tissues and major organs
• Dehydrates and leaches vitamins and minerals from the body
• It takes 3 cups of water to replenish the body from 1 cup of coffee
• Increases signs of aging
• Lowers energy
• Increases bloating
• Imbalanced blood sugar
• Carb cravings
• Mood swings

No wonder coffee causes you to crash just hours after consumption!

Fresh Juice or Fresh Fruits/Vegetables - One cup in all its actual glory!

• Released slowly through the body for sustained energy
• 1 cup of juice has as much energy as up to 3 cups of coffee!
• Detoxes
• Contains natural sugars
• Increases cell health and regeneration
• Contains nutrients and minerals that coffee does not
• Hydrates the body
• Regulates blood sugar
• Powerful life enzymes
• "Blood building" capabilities
• Slow release of natural sugars/energy
• Best of all... NO CRASHES!

So next time you reach for something to "wake you up" in the morning, reach for a piece of fruit or make a glass of juice!  You will be amazed at the difference in the kind of energy you will feel. 

Try this as a morning wake-up alternative!

Green Tea Morning Cooler

• 1/2 cup fresh brewed green tea - chilled
• 2 green apples
• 1 bunch spinach
• 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 cucumber
• Small bunch of mint

But I Want My COFFEE!!!

Oh the dreaded question... "Can I drink coffee while I juice?"  Imagine someone asking me this question while cringing with a desperate glint of hope in their eyes... the hope that I might say, "Yes."

So here is my answer - Yes and No.

To help answer the question more effectively, you need to answer this preliminary question, "Are you juicing or juice cleansing/fasting?"  In my world, juicing is the act of incorporating fresh, alive and active juice into your regular routine.  Juice cleansing/fasting is when you make the short-term commitment to ONLY drink fresh, alive and active juice thus flushing the body and basically "rebooting" your metabolism.  It is the difference between maintaining vs. cleansing/fasting.

My final answer...

• Juicing = yes you can have coffee in moderation (no "pots" a day!)
• Juice cleansing/fasting = no you can not have coffee... not even a little bit!

Why would I be so cruel as to take coffee away from "innocent juice cleansers" such as yourself?  The answer is simple... you are trying to cleanse the body of any toxins and agents in that are working against the natural inclinations and health of the body.  Sorry, but caffeine is one of those agents.  So, to reap the full and rapid benefits of a juice cleanse/fast, it is critical to eliminate extraneous substances that would otherwise tax the body and defeat your goal.

See... I'm not so mean after all!  I'm just trying to ensure that whether you are embarking on a lifestyle change such as juicing or are ready to dive into a juice cleanse/fast, that you will achieve maximum results. I want you to be as excited about this as I am!

Toxic Overload!

When you finally make a decision to become healthy, to rid your body of toxins and begin a diet and exercise regimen that works for you, you are actually breaking old habits.  When you decide to juice, you are shaking your previous routine to the core!

In these initial stages, you are actually "fighting" with the poor habits that your body has grown to expect.  Anytime there is conflict within the body, there will be initial consequences before things get better.

How it works inside your body...

Your liver, adrenal glands and other vital organs were designed to cleanse the body and create the balance needed for overall functionality and health.  Yet these organs do have limits.  Just like the air filter on your car... everything needs to be cleaned.

What then happens, when these systems are overloaded, is that they start to "reject" toxins to other tissues.  Basically saying, "We are at full capacity, can you take this?"  The surrounding tissues, namely fat cells, have no choice but to absorb the toxic overflow and hang onto it for as long as the tissues and cells are functioning.  You essentially have a backlog of toxins just building up... slowly taking over your cells and organs and thus clogging your body.

This is exactly what causes symptoms such as:

• Lethargy
• Constant feeling of sickness in stomach
• Headaches
• Excess weight gain
• Joint pain
• Inability to concentrate
• Mood swings
• Digestive issues
• Acne
• And the list goes on...

Since our cleansing organs and functional systems do not allow us to "remove and replace" them, like a car filter, we have to take the approach of cleansing them and then allowing them to regenerate.  This means:

1. Slowing the intake of toxins to an acceptable level, range and frequency.
2. Giving these systems a break so that they can "self clean" and rejuvenate their own tissues.

The initial affects of such action may cause a slight increase in the above symptoms... meaning you will actually feel WORSE before you feel BETTER.  I know we've all heard that saying before, yet it rings true even in health and wellness.  When you shock your body into making this drastic and much-needed positive change, your body will rebel and you will probably feel "sick."  

This is OK and normal.  You are burning off and releasing toxins that your body has held onto for a long time.  Your body is finally having the capacity to break them down, process them and finally rid them through your immune and digestive systems.  

So... if you are just starting a major health shift in your life, take on the challenge!  Know that this is going to be a side affect and push on through.  It is temporary!  Here are some tips to help make this transition easier:

1. Drink excess amounts of water
2. Sweat it out - exercise
3. Juice - juice according to your plan and don't let up
4. Cut out the toxic intake - remove alcohol, caffeine, excess sugar, fats and oils... until your body is back on track
5. Rest - rest - rest

Remember, your body is taking on a huge shift in it's normal routine.  Give yourself and your body a break and allow yourself to finally deal with and flush these toxic invaders.  You owe it to yourself to see this through... see through to the "New You!"

Coffee and a Pastry?

I don't know if you are anything like me, but I just happen to have a small portion of Scandinavian in my blood.  If you've ever spent a day with a Scandinavian  you will notice that sugar, pastries and cream is a regular part of their morning diet.

I remember spending a weekend at Grandma's and waking up to the smell of fresh coffee.  I'd stumble up from the pull-out couch in the basement guest room to see 'the ladies' enjoying dainty cups of coffee with an elaborate display of pastries, breads, cheeses and jellies.  Grandma's eclectic china plates, ornate silver spoons and hand-painted coffee cups created such a nostalgia around what a happy breakfast was.

I carried this notion of a happy breakfast on through my life, always wanting coffee, cream and sugar, with something sweet on the side.

Now that I juice for breakfast, I've realized just how horrible sweets made me feel in the morning.  Having an apple danish would sit like a rock in my stomach until I'd try and cover it up with a sandwich at lunch and snacks throughout the day.  It was a slippery slope that would leave me feeling bloated with a sour stomach and a fuzzy head.

Starting my day with a giant glass of micro-nutrients and water set me up for a day of successful eating!  I not only felt amazing after a juicing breakfast, I felt clear in the head and less hungry than when I was eating sweets.  My body was telling me that I was more satisfied drinking juice than I was eating sweet foods for breakfast.  My body was telling me that I had everything I needed and therefore did not need more.

Now I wake up, chugging a mixture of greens and reds while racing out the door... rearing to take on the day!

My craving for a sweet pastry every time I smell fresh coffee brewing hasn't completely gone away.  As I've stated in previous posts, I don't deprive myself of this luxury either.  I've just realized that breakfast has a HUGE impact on how the rest of my day goes.

So I choose juice more and sweets less... that is what makes me feel amazing and what keeps me juicing every day!