Hey, Mark. I really do hate to sound like one of "those people," but I don't do any of it. No coffee or tea (even decaf), sodas or alcohol - and each for various reasons. I rarely eat red meats, choosing chicken, turkey and seafood, and I always try to moderate any sugars to small amounts. For example, I had two Hershey's Kisses after lunch, yesterday, for dessert - nothing more for any other meal of the day.
As for my reasons for foregoing the aforementioned pleasantries of the palate:
Coffee - Obviously the caffeine. There was a recent television segment on coffee, where a woman drank four normal (not super-duper, in-your-face, screaming-Mimi coffees), one after the other and not in a hurried fashion. The result? Per a CAT scan, blood flow to her brain was decreased by about 40%. Other than the obvious problems there, the brain sort of freaks out and causes a rise in blood pressure, trying to get more of the oxygen-rich blood its been deprived, so that's not good, either. And even decaf has small amounts of caffeine, so I don't do it...although I love the smell of coffee!
Tea - Caffeine and nicotine. Yes, some teas are caffeine free, but a couple of studies have also shown that tea contains nicotine
coffeetea.about.com/od/Coffee-Tea-Health/f
/Is-There-Nicotine-In-Tea.htm, and I want to avoid even the remotest possibility of putting any more nicotine in my system than I'm sure I get in a day of being around (office) people who reek of cigarette smoke. And even though green teas are supposed to have exceptional antioxidant properties, they aren't free and clear of suspicion as a bad guy, lurking in the shadows
thyroid.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?s
ite=www.bruha.com/fluoride/html/green_
tea___f.html .
Sodas - We've already discussed the negatives of these guys.
Alcohol - The reason we get drunk is that the liver simply can't process the influx of this toxin into our bodies. The result is it begins to backup in the bloodstream and starts to wreck havoc on the nervous system
www.royalgazette.com/article/20120424/ISLA
ND05/704249960. Yes, many studies say that drinking a glass of red wine is actually good for you - although no one is absolutely certain what it is in the wine that is good (many believe it to be the tannins, but no one is 100% certain). Regardless of the purported health benefits, it's not a valid reason, at least for me, to consider drinking alcohol. The same can be said for coffee. In fact, I read one study that touted all the great things coffee will do for you. But their closing line said it all, (to paraphrase), "While the consumption of coffee can actually offer many health benefits, if you aren't already drinking coffee, don't start." To me, it sounded like an addict trying to justify his\her habit.
Sorry to burst your bubble, Mark. Looks like water is the only safe bet, here. And, even then, I have a double-filtered system I use for mine. I rarely, if ever drink tap (which is only generally at a restaurant). And if that tap tastes too much like 'tap,' I will waive my Soda Edict and drink a glass of seltzer water with some lime (and I choose restaurant lime over restaurant lemon for other health reasons).
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