Do I really have to give up coffee?

Options
Anonymous
Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
edited June 2014 in Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment

Hi dear ladies,

Does anyone have any information on coffee? It seems that the alkaline/acid diet suggestions say removing coffee from your diet, but...I've given up meat, dairy, alcohol, refined sugar and flour.  There isn't much left to give up. Tongue Out 

I do drink 2-3 cups of green tea a day, usually or supplement with green tea capsules, but I enjoy 1-1.5 cups of coffee in the morning and sometimes one in the early p.m. I'm a university educator and find that it gives me the boost I need to remain enthusiastic when I'm teaching.

Really? No coffee?  Bummer....

Claire

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
«1

Comments

  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited February 2013

    I have already given up a lot - as you have - I am NOT giving up coffee!  Here are a couple of interesting links:

    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424115324.htm

    Green tea, black tea, and coffee: Teas and coffee are also difficult to study as they vary so much. There have been promising animal studies which suggest that green tea extracts work in combination with breast cancer drugs (such as tamoxifen) and have the potential to reduce treatment time and drug side effects. Further research is required to confirm these results in humans and also to establish the effects of black tea and coffee. Animal studies suggest that coffee may help with hormonal balance, but large population studies have failed to show any consistent connection between breast cancer risk (or recurrence) and coffee consumption4,5.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • rozem
    rozem Member Posts: 1,375
    edited February 2013

    sorry...not giving up coffee either

    i don't even bother to read the studies...I dont care, its my only vice dammit!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited February 2013

    rozem - I'm with you - don't drink, don't smoke, eat healthy foods, exercise, NOT giving up coffee - my only vice as well!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Sickofpink
    Sickofpink Member Posts: 190
    edited February 2013

    Gosh I haven't given up any of those things - can't taste much else...but I did give up coffee - I thought caffeine is bad for constipation?

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited February 2013

    sickofpink - coffee is a diuretic so can be dehydrating, but it also has a laxative quality.  I did not drink too much during chemo, partly because it tasted like vinegar courtesy of Taxotere, but also because I had the opposite of constipation and didn't want to make it worse.  I think this question is aimed more at what to eat/drink/do after treatment going forward for optimum health.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • lanagraves
    lanagraves Member Posts: 596
    edited February 2013

    No coffee...aaaaaaaaaaaaa. Yell Nobody would like me.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited February 2013

    lanagraves - I wouldn't even like me without coffee!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • pip57
    pip57 Member Posts: 12,401
    edited February 2013

    I have changed a lot in my diet.  I used to drink 4-5 cups a day.  Now I have my 1 (largeWink) cup in the morning.  I am a green and white tea drinker the rest of the day.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SelenaWolf
    SelenaWolf Member Posts: 1,724
    edited February 2013

    Did not give up coffee, just cut back to only drinking it in the morning, black.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Momine
    Momine Member Posts: 7,859
    edited February 2013

    I drink coffee, and so far I have not seen anything to show that it is evil. Besides, like others, there are simply limits to how much I will give up.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • fitzdc
    fitzdc Member Posts: 1,467
    edited February 2013

    Coffee and me are good friends.  I can't let it go.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited February 2013

    Alright. Count me in as a coffee drinker. I'm with all of you!  I'm hanging onto it (although like specialK I couldn't stomach it during AC tx).  I thought I could be done forever with it after that, but no way....I enjoy it too much. Nothing like sitting in front of my fire in the early morning with my cat, dog, husband and good cup of coffee.  I like tea but sometimes I just want that rich taste....

    I sound like a commercial for Folgers Laughing

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • new_direction
    new_direction Member Posts: 449
    edited February 2013

    i've read that espresso is better (no explanation was given but this was in regard to ketogenic diet), also that it's not good in an alkaline diet but actually that a few cups 1-2 daily can prevent some cancers - at least it seems one cup a day is not harmful.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • HLB
    HLB Member Posts: 1,760
    edited February 2013

    I have changed my diet drastically but I still drink about a pot of coffee every day. I did read that coffee is the second most chemically sprayed crop so organic is probably a good idea. I get Mayorga Cafe Cubana from Costco. Beans and grind it fresh every time I make it. Its so good!! I can't seem to get used to it black though. I use coffeemate and haven't found a suitable substitute for that. Don't like dairy or flavored creamers. I only use one tsp per cup but it can't be good. Any good healthy creamer suggestions are welcome!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • liv-
    liv- Member Posts: 521
    edited February 2013

    the new revelation on coffee for this decade is that coffee has many health aspects...here in australia on the news they are telling us to drink at least 3 cups a day..so ladies go for it!!

    herehttp://www.mayoclinic.com/health/coffee-and-health/AN01354

    red wine and coffee...doctors orders!!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Raili
    Raili Member Posts: 435
    edited February 2013

    No way am I giving up coffee!  Like many of you, I've given up too many other things.  I eat well, exercise, don't drink or smoke, etc., so I'm gonna enjoy my coffee guilt free!  When I first started seeing a naturopath after my diagnosis, I was scared to go to the first appointment, because I was terrified she'd tell me to stop drinking coffee.  But no, she told me flat out, she's not going to micromanage my coffee intake. :) 

    Anti-Cancer (by Dr. David Servan Schrieber) is a great book.  What I think a lot of people miss - or at least, what I missed for a while - is the fact that cancer prevention is more than just following a strict list of Dos and Don'ts.  He says in that book that your immune cells are strongest when there is joy in your life and you're living a life worth living.  That is, if we stress ourselves out by trying to follow a really rigid diet/exercise/lifestyle plan, we're missing the point.  Stress could be fueling cancer as much as something like sugar is, you know?  If you believe that a certain food or drink contributes to your risk of recurrence, but giving up said food or drink makes you utterly miserable, it might not be worth it.  My naturopath, for several months, kept trying to convince me to "stop the self-flagellation."  e.g. I'd freak out if I 'poisoned' myself with a dessert or went away for the weekend and forgot to bring my 80 zillion supplements.  But I wasn't doing myself any favors, living like that!  Sometimes the joy of a piece of birthday cake is worth it!  And the bliss of spending a weekend by the sea makes up for a few missed supplements!

    Okay, I'm rambling off-topic.  My point is just, let's drink our coffee and enjoy every sip.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited February 2013

    I use this creamer - it is a little hard to find and it does have some sugar, but it is non-dairy and organic.

    http://www.sodeliciousdairyfree.com/products/coconut-milk-creamers

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • pip57
    pip57 Member Posts: 12,401
    edited February 2013

    I use coconut milk in my morning coffee.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • new_direction
    new_direction Member Posts: 449
    edited February 2013

    Ive got some good news for the premenopausal: http://foodforbreastcancer.com/articles/how-can-young-breast-cancer-survivors-avoid-a-recurrence%3f
    "Coffee consumption is associated with reduced risk premenopausal breast cancer. Several studies have also found that heavy consumption of coffee is associated with significantly reduced breast cancer risk among women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations. However, women with benign breast disease (e.g., fibrocystic breast disease) should not drink coffee."

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 12,424
    edited February 2013

    Hooray for coffee! The coconut creamer specialk mentioned above is available at Whole Foods, Safeway and most other major supermarkets for those in CA. Check your zip ode on their site or your location.

    Caryn

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • HLB
    HLB Member Posts: 1,760
    edited February 2013

    Darn that site isn't working on my phone. Must be too big. I wonder why it has sugar. I only use creamer, no sugar. It sounds really good. Everything else I've tried, like almond milk, soy milk, doesn't make the coffee light enough. We don't have those stores here but maybe they have it at Wegmans. Thanks for the info!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • cfdr
    cfdr Member Posts: 549
    edited February 2013

    Coffee gets a bad rap for no good reason. If you overdo it to the point that it gives you anxiety, shaky hands, insomnia, etc, then clearly you need to cut back. But coffee is an antioxidant, it is good for asthmatics, and it is good for combating chemo brain.

    I have tried giving up caffeine a couple of times in my life, and I always felt better when I started drinking it again. I drink 2-3 cups of half-caf in the morning, so the equivalent of 1-1.5 cups of caffeine. I never drink it after noon.

    I'd also be skeptical of the alkaline diet: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/alkaline-diets-what-to-know

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • cfdr
    cfdr Member Posts: 549
    edited February 2013

    Also, check out this quiz about coffee/caffeine myths:

    http://www.webmd.com/diet/rm-quiz-caffeine-myths

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited February 2013

    HLB - the flavored ones have more sugar than the original, but it still has 1g - maybe because it is made from coconut?

    Here is another vegan option but I am not sure where to find it locally - looks like you can order it online:

    http://store.veganessentials.com/mimiccreme-non-dairy-non-soy-cream-substitute-p2102.aspx

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited February 2013

    cfdr, thanks for the tip about the alkaline diet. I have a friend whose sister's just recovered from throat cancer, and they've looked into the alkaline diet....my friend is a Dr. Oz groupie, and I have a feeling he might have mentioned something good about this diet on one of his shows.  When I was dx, she immediately began lecturing me about the whole acid/alkaline thing.  In other words, she drank the koolaid Tongue Out without a lot of credible research.

    I eat pretty well anyway--2/3 raw 5 days a week although I do cook vegan at night. I would say my diet is about 90-100% organic, vegan, with most of my food intake being veggies and fruits. I'm very active, take supplements that I've researched and are safe, take my tamoxifen, and don't drink to excess (2 glasses of wine a month, appx).  I am a pretty happy person overall.

    I'm glad for all my coffee-drinking BC sisters!  Now, if I could only get my husband to stop bringing me vegan pastries. They are my downfall on the weekends, bless him!

    Claire

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited February 2013

    Yay for coffee!

    claire - hard to fault him - that is sweet - literally!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited February 2013

    SpecialK, yes...oftentimes I freeze them for later-but I never tell him to stop!  Smile

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Belinda977
    Belinda977 Member Posts: 381
    edited February 2013

    Another coffee drinker!  I won't give it up.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Jelson
    Jelson Member Posts: 1,535
    edited February 2013

    My husband chooses specific beans, roasts, grinds and brews me coffee that he thinks will please me. If I were to reject it, it would break his heart. So every morning I suffer through a delicious cup of coffee to preserve my marriage.

    I have silent reflux and try to follow Dr. Jamie Kaufman's diet recommendations in Dropping Acid, the Reflux Diet cook book - http://www.refluxcookbook.com/       -    and coffee is allowed!  Bottoms Up! (sound of smacking lips!)

    Julie E

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited February 2013

    jelson - wow!  Any husband who is that devoted to coffee, and you, is a keeper!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories