Benefits Of Coffee And Its Help For Cancer

Natural Medicine
People all over the world love coffee. Coffee bars have sprung up in even the most remote of towns, to cater to the very enjoyable social aspect of coffee drinking.
So long as you do not indulge in more than a few cups of coffee per day, the general consensus is that coffee does no harm providing that your general health is good.
(note:: this post first appeared on ‘Nutritional Tips’, which my son and I began together.  We have decided to put the posts from that website onto this one, since this has more readers)
Moderate coffee drinking may even be benefitting your health in several ways.

Coffee Can Increase Brain Power: Coffee is well-known as a brain stimulant, and recent research suggests it may even make you more intelligent by opening up unused pathways of the brain.  However, beware – if you drink too much coffee, the brain can get fagged, which will not help your memory.

Coffee Acts As A Digestive: Coffee helps stimulate bile production, which makes it a helpful aid to digestion after eating a rich meal. Roasted coffee beans contain the vitamin niacin, and one cup of brewed or percolated coffee is supposed to give around 1 mg of niacin.

Coffee Grounds For A Skin Tonic: Ground coffee can be used as a defoliant for the skin. The used, moist grounds can be rubbed onto the skin, which helps to shed old skin tissue and improve the circulation. John Heinerman says this treatment was popular in Japan at the time of writing his book in 1998.
Coffee As A Cancer Treatment: Coffee enemas were famously popularized by Dr Max Gerson, who used them as part of his cancer therapy, with very good results.
Coffee enemas work very effectively to release toxins from the liver, and to remove long-standing toxic congestion in pockets of the bowel. I
Coffee May Help Prevent Colon Cancer: It was previously thought that coffee drinking could lead to the development of certain cancers, such as pancreatic cancer. (see John Heinerman, p.178) But recent research has indicated that people who drink a few cups of coffee per day have less risk of bowel cancer than those people who do not drink any coffee. (see Reader’s Digest, Tom Sanders,
The benefit of coffee to the bowel is partly because it has a laxative, cleansing effect. But it is also because coffee has the power to neutralize some toxins: Coffee as a medicine was well known in the ancient world as an antidote for certain types of mild poisoning.  The Egyptians were supposed to have used coffee to treat some forms of food poisoning.

Best to avoid coffee if you suffer migraines, as the caffeine in coffee can be a trigger.

Addiction to Coffee:  Coffee is addictive, so one needs to be mindful of the quantities drunk in a day.

Hypoglycaemia: Be cautious in your coffee-drinking if you have hypoglycaemia, as coffee can disturb blood-sugar levels. If you suffer hypoglycaemia, then you should never take coffee on an empty stomach, if at all.
Osteoporosis: It is generally recommended that middle-aged women avoid excessive coffee-drinking, as it could lead to osteoporosis at this time of life. This is because coffee can interfere with calcium absorption. Anything over three cups a day could be undermining your health.
Heart Attacks, Strokes, High Cholesterol: Brewed coffee increases the heart rate and raises the blood pressure slightly. For this reason, most health writers advise the avoidance of coffee if you are susceptible to strokes, or heart attacks, or high blood pressure, but not all writers prohibit coffee entirely under these circumstances.
Filtered Or Instant Coffee Is Less Harmful: It has been found that the method of producing your cup of coffee will decide the effect on your blood cholesterol. Drinking plain, brewed or boiled coffee is not advisable, as there are two chemicals found in coffee beans, cafestol and kahweol, which can raise blood cholesterol. However, these harmful chemicals are removed in the process of making instant coffee, and they are also removed when a filter is used in making percolated or brewed coffee.
So people with mild cholesterol problems may find one or two cups of filtered or instant coffee will be tolerable.  Ask your doctor.
For The Organic Garden:  Coffee is a rich fertilizer and is wonderful for the plants in the garden.  It also helps keep the bugs away.  Just water down any coffee grounds you have, and sprinkle a bit of the mixture around several plants.  Note:  I have discovered that orchids hate coffee fertilizer so much that they perish.  So do not put it anywhere near your orchids.

Chromium

CHROMIUM
Deficiencies of Chromium are thought to be wide spread, affecting roughly 50% of the population in Western societies.

Older women, and expectant mothers, need to ensure that their chromium levels are maintained.
Chromium is necessary for the processing of sugar and alcohol.
It feeds the nerves and helps to promote a calm state of mind.
Chromium helps to monitor your cholesterol levels and helps in the manufacture of essential natural cholesterol.
It helps prevent high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.

Chromium is especially important because it helps regulate the supply of insulin in the body. Adequate chromium helps protect you against sugar-related conditions like hypoglycaemia and diabetes.
A normal healthy body will utilize the Chromium within foods to process their sugars: Fruits, honey, root vegetables, treacle, molasses and maple syrup all contain chromium, which is used by the body to process the  sugars they contain.

The reason why  refined, white sugar is so bad for the general health is perhaps not just because of the sugar content, but because processed sugar has been stripped of its chromium value. White sugar  has been left bare of the valuable nutrients which naturally help with the assimilation of sugar in the body:

Sugar cane is extremely high in Chromium. Treacle and molasses, which come from the less refined sugar cane product, are  also rich sources of Chromium.
Chromium is found naturally in the outer part of grains which contains the bran. Hence,  processed grains are deficient in Chromium. Brown rice is preferable to white rice for this reason, just as wholewheat flour is  the preferable choice
to white flour. Use oat bran instead of the more processed fine oatmeal to make your porridge.
Chromium is found in good quality cooking oils such as grape seed, olive oil, avocado oil and rice bran oil.

The recommended daily allowance of Chromium is 200 mcg.
One of the best sources is Brewer’s yeast, which contains 100 mcg per each tablespoonful.
Two eggs contain 60 mcg.
1 cup of fruit juice such as orange or apple contains about 115 mcg.
Kiwifruit is fairly high with 35 mcg per average sized fruit.
One potato contains roughly 20 mcg of Chromium.
Most other vegetables contain roughly 20 mcg per 100 grammes.
Meats contain about 55 mcg per 100 grammes.
One slice of wholemeal bread has about 17 mcg.
One tablespoon of molasses or treacle has about 25 mcg.

Manganese Benefits

MANGANESE
The word manganese comes from the Greek word meaning ‘magic’. This aptly describes the roles of manganese.

Manganese helps to build strong bones. Low levels can cause bone problems similar to osteoporosis Children need  Manganese to build straight strong bones.
Manganese is a  nerve and brain food. It is important for healthy brain function and in maintaining the body’s immune system. It assists the thyroid gland

Benefits of Manganese:

Manganese aids the production of reproduction hormones
It helps the flow of breast milk.
It encourages healthy bowel movements.

Manganese is important for the formation of collagen, used in the building of connective tissue.
It helps to form the cartilage which holds joints and bones and brain together.

Manganese helps to break down food carbohydrates and fat and convert it to energy
It helps to regulate blood sugar. Thus it helps prevent hypoglycaemia and diabetes.
It helps to regulate blood cholesterol, keep blood pressure stable and reduces the incidence of heart attack and stroke.

Deafness, poor balance and noises in the ear can be caused by lack of manganese.
Low levels can cause epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia. These conditions improve with added Manganese.
Manganese and zinc help remove excess copper from the body. High levels of copper generally accompany these conditions.
DOSAGE
3-5 milligrams per day are needed. Up to 10 milligrams per day is considered safe.
It is thought that 100 years ago people ate more whole grains, nuts and seeds which provided about 8 milligrams per day.
Today, refined flours and other foods mean we get considerably less than the recommended amount.
Canned pineapple is one of the richest sources – one cupful of pineapple gives about 3 milligrams

Calcium Affects Absorption Of Manganese
Calcium supplements interfere with the body’s ability to absorb manganese. 800 milligrams of calcium or more will affect your absorption of manganese. If you need to take a supplement of calcium, via dolomite or tablet, then you might need to take 2 milligrams of manganese chloride, which is easily absorbed, and take it several hours after your calcium supplement.
Alternatively, you could eat a cupful of canned pineapple two hours after your calcium tablet or dolomite supplement.
These measures will boost your manganese level to compensate for the loss caused by the calcium supplementation.

Wheatgerm and bran are rich sources of Manganese. White flour contains almost none, as the mineral-rich outer fiber of the grain has been stripped away.

The recommended daily allowance is 4,000 mcg per day, or 4 milligrams.
SOURCES
One cup of pineapple gives roughly 3 milligrams
One cup of tea gives 500 mcg
One egg gives 300 mcg
One banana gives 1,000 mcg
Two glasses of grape juice or wine gives 800 mcg
One plate of oatmeal porridge gives 3000 mcg
One slice of wholemeal bread gives 550 mcg
1/2 cup wholemeal flour gives 2800 mcg
1/2 cup peanuts gives 800 mcg
1/2 cup brown rice gives 500 mcg
1/2 cup spinach gives 3600 mcg
1/2 cup silverbeet gives 24000 mcg
3/4 cup baked beans gives 1300 mcg
1/2 cup green beans gives 600 mcg
One kumara gives 500 mcg
One cup chopped lettuce gives 300 mcg
Two tbsp wheatgerm gives 650 mcg
Two tbsp wheat bran gives 600 mcg

People who work in manganese mines are at risk of developing illnesses similar to those which asbestos causes.
Emphysema and nerve diseases like Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis can result after years of working with manganese.
Nerve damage can be evidenced by shaking hands, trembling and shuffling of the feet.

Depression can also result.
My cousin who worked in a manganese mine for ten years or more has chronic emphysema, arthritis, and osteoporosis, a bone disorder. He has never smoked.

Giving Up Smoking

Why You Should  Quit Smoking: Of course smoking is very bad for the health. You might get less colds and flu and enjoy a socially more active life while you are a smoker, but giving up smoking will give you benefits to your health which will far outweigh any positives for remaining a smoker. For a start, your life-span will surely be extended.

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Smoking damages your eyesight. All that smoke drifting up past the delicate eye membranes actually causes damage to the nerves and the lens of the eye. The sinuses and ears are affected, and you lose your sense of smell.

Chronic Lung Disease results from long term smoking.  Apart from the obvious  damage to the lungs, the heart is affected, your veins get clogged, your blood pressure rises, you run the risk of getting arthritis if you do not already have it, and you are more likely to get cancer anywhere in the body than people who don’t smoke. If you smoke and also work in a toxic environment or use  herbicides and pesticides, then you are more at risk of getting lung cancer, emphysema,  melanoma, heart disease or some other degenerative disease than are non-smokers.

But giving up smoking can be so, so, difficult. Here are some suggestions which might be helpful in getting you on your way to recovery from smoking.

First, you need to change your mindset. Breathing exercises and meditation can help with this. Alternate Nostril Breathing is very good for people giving up smoking. This exercise, while being relaxing, oxygenates the blood and helps clear the lungs of toxins. Deep relaxation exercise such as Yoga Nidra is very good for the general physical and mental health, but also gives you the opportunity to visualize the  improvements and changes you wish to make in your life while you are in a deeply relaxed state of mind. Regular, daily practice of yoga nidra where you state your affirmations to yourself, will really help you in giving up smoking. Other types of meditation are also helpful, as is regular prayer.

See my post on YOGA NIDRA and post on YOGA BREATH and SLEEPING WELL

The best thing is to give up drinking alcohol at the same time, or even before, you plan on giving up smoking. The two go together like a horse and cart. If you continue to drink, you will always feel there is something missing each time you have that glass of wine or that beer. But the other reason is that all alcohol is acid-forming and an acid body makes it very hard to give up smoking. This can be a good part of the reason we become addicted to alcohol, cigarettes and other drugs. Changing the diet to an alkaline one, which includes most fruit and vegetables, is very helpful.

People with hypoglycaemia, that is, fluctuating blood sugar levels, might  find it difficult to give up alcohol and smoking. A diet devoid of sugar, wheat  and yeast products including bread, and dairy products is important in the case of people with low blood sugar levels. Yeast foods are problematic and are best left out of the diet as they contribute to people getting candida. Yeast foods include all alcohol, vinegar, tomato sauce, soya sauce and bread.

Brown rice should be substituted for bread. Rice  is absorbed as sugar more slowly into the bloodstream which means that the blood sugar remains more constant. This is favourable to your health and your emotional state, as you will not feel so tired, depressed or inclined to take a cigarette. Another point in favour of substituting rice for bread, and other wheat-based foods like pasta, is that rice, especially brown rice, is less likely than wheat to make you fat.

Eat plenty of green vegetables, root vegetables, fresh fruit, nuts, eggs , fish,whole grains like buckwheat and rice, and meats in moderate amounts. Eat at regular meal-times. Snack on nuts, almonds and a little dried fruit, or fresh fruit, raw carrots and celery during the day. Almonds are a good quality protein: half a dozen a day is a good amount to begin with, then you can increase the amount to about ten.  The combination of nuts and fresh and dried fruits, carrots and celery, can be eaten whenever you have a craving for a cigarette and will not cause you to put on weight, so long as you are avoiding sugars, wheat and dairy products. Eating nuts and fruits etc during the day will help you prevent low-blood sugar  which will help you in giving up smoking.

A diet insufficient in the essential vitamins and minerals can also make us less inclined to give up smoking. Insufficient intake of the essentials can leave us with a semi-permanent state of depression which alcohol and cigarettes – and coffee – temporarily relieve.

A booster of B complex vitamins is important to help with general health and improve your stress levels. Take the stated dose. Niacin is very good, but you do need to talk to a health professional about this one, as it can cause a sudden but temporary  rise in temperature  in some people. If you are able to take it, then it is very good for flushing toxins out of the brain: this effect also helps counteract depression and helps with memory loss.

1000mg of vitamin C morning and night is a good and safe detoxifyer as well as a mild sedative which will help counteract the desire for tobacco. If you do not have candida infection, then standard Vitamin C is fine, but calcium ascorbate is the best form to take, because it is alkaline.

Zinc, magnesium and selenium in moderate doses, all help to counteract stress, depression and the desire for a cigarette.

Homeopathy may be of help.  Read about one remedy which has helped many people http://merrilynhope.com/homeopathic-remedy-to-reduce-craving-for-tobacco/

NOTE: Talk to your health professional to make sure these supplements are not conflicting with any other medication you may be on before you add these to your anti-smoking regime.

Richard Webster has devoted many years to helping people with behavioural problems, including people’s addiction to smoking. He published a booklet which accompanied some tapes  called ‘Ezi-Stop’. This was published by Prestige Marketing 1995.

Richard recommends baking soda to keep the body alkaline. You can brush your teeth with it: a small amount is absorbed through the tissues of the mouth and into the bloodstream. This helps the body towards sustaining an alkaline p h level. Richard recommends putting a dab of baking soda  onto the tongue whenever you have a craving for a cigarette. This helps negate the craving for nicotine.

NOTE: Richard also warns that baking soda should not be used by people who have high blood pressure or who are on low sodium diets. Baking soda is a salt and should not be used in these cases.

So, you are about to give up smoking, maybe for the umpteenth time. Richard recommends signing a contract with yourself- you agree with yourself, that on a certain day, at a certain time, you will throw the rest of the cigarettes away and become a non-smoker.
Make a list of all the benefits to your health and your budget.
Make a plan of what you will eat for breakfast, lunch and tea. Do not leave anything to chance, as you really need to take care of your blood sugar levels and make sure they do not fluctuate. Ensure that you have enough protein included in the diet and eat plenty of cooked greens, raw and cooked fruits, nuts and brown rice.
Eat at REGULAR times of the day – proper meals – sit down to eat, give thanks for the food and give thanks for being a non-smoker.
Eat your healthy snacks between meals -nuts, dried and fresh fruit and vegetables. DO NOT eat any sugar, wheat or dairy-food (butter is usually ok)during this period. It is best to cut these foods out for good. In my experience, it is when my health recovered after following such a diet for many years, that I relaxed my rules and let these problematic foods into my diet because I thought I was “cured” – not so – this caused a drastic decline in my health and I became addicted to alcohol and cigarettes. These days, I am following the old rules again – no sugar, bread, dairy products, except for butter.Consequently, my health is great, and praise God – I am neither a smoker or a drinker.
COFFEE – beware of drinking too much coffee, especially while you are giving up alcohol and cigarettes. Coffee is also addictive. Drinking too much coffee will dehydrate you and deplete your body of the much needed vitamin B and other vitamins and minerals which help you cope with stress. Excess coffee will give you bad skin as well as weaken your kidneys. Dehydration will make you inclined to drink alcohol and to smoke, both of which compound  dehydration of the body tissues

DRINK PLENTY OF WATER while you are giving up smoking. Herb teas and green teas help with detoxifying, and make a pleasant and refreshing change to coffee and tea. Ceylon tea is an antioxidant and is good for the health in moderate amounts – but try to avoid putting milk into the tea. Milk in tea and coffee is possibly the most toxic way we take milk, as the milk solids are rendered indigestible by tannin. Tea with milk puts a strain on the liver because the livercannot process the plastic-like protein which results. Toxins then form in the intestine and are absosrbed into the bloodstream. The poor old  liver then has to try  to remove them.. This  condition of perpetual poisoning can give us addictions to alcohol and cigarettes because these things temporarily disguise the symptoms of stress originating from the liver.

Remember your affirmations, your agreement to yourself and your YOGA NIDRA practice. Eat well. Sleep well.
Good wishes for your giving up smoking – don’t be discouraged if you “fall off the wagon” – simply start again being a non-smoker. Think of how great you are going to feel being a non-smoker. Think of the benefits to your life which you are already beginning to experience. Cut down – cut down – cut out.