The south end of the beach at Hua Hin, Thailand.
Where are Kevin and Ruth now? Hua Hin, Thailand.

Where are Kevin and Ruth going next? Maldives on March 23rd.

Sunday, September 7, 2014

It was the coffee!

Our regular readers know that we don't eat any food containing gluten. Ruth has been eating that way for about four years now, and the twenty years worth of associated problems essentially disappeared. I've only been eating that way since last November, and while I definitely noticed an improvement, things still weren't just right.

Without getting into graphic detail, the problem related to the nutritious portion of what you eat not being fully absorbed by the intestines....in other words, the food goes pretty much right through you.

When doing the research, I had read one or two articles that said there was some kind of a link between coffee and gluten.  I figured this was just one of those fringe articles that tried to make a connection where there wasn't one, and I did not pay much attention to it.

But I knew something was still not right.

I love my morning coffee, but I wasn't a coffee connoisseur by any means. I drank Nescafe instant...two cups every morning, for at least the last twenty years.

This article explains it the best... http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/coffee-and-gluten-sensitivity-never-the-twain-shall-meet/

In similar fashion, coffee and gluten have been found to be common cross-reactors with processed coffee eliciting the most severe reaction of all, triggering symptoms in those who are otherwise completely gluten free.

After reading the article a few weeks ago, I decided to dump the coffee habit. Cold turkey. It's been about three weeks now. It only took two to three days for me to notice an improvement, and now things appear perfectly normal. We don't have a scale here at the house but I think I've even started to put on a couple of pounds.

And the interesting thing is...I don't even miss not having a morning coffee!

I'm an orange juice guy now. :-)

Need a new welcome mat? I laughed when I saw this one...







12 comments:

  1. Not so sure I could give up my coffee in the morning, unless I were to replace it with some caffeine laced tea. Otherwise I have withdrawal by about 10 or 11.
    Maybe it was partly due to the fact that you were drinking that freeze dried cr*p? That would have been my guess. But hey, whatever makes you feel better.

    I do know a *handful* of folks who have had to give up coffee. I'm still not in that crowd.

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    1. I thought it was going to be tough as well. I missed it for the first couple of days, and then not at all. I'd agree, it was probably partly because of that "freeze dried cr*p"! But I can do without so I'm not going to go out and buy a coffee grinder.

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  2. I've been absent for a while K&R.

    What's the deal with South Korea? That sounds amazing :)

    Sft x

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    1. Welcome back. :-)

      We booked a dirt cheap flight from Calgary to Seoul return through Seattle. So we'll be exploring South Korea for four full weeks in October! Then Seattle, San Francisco and on to Mexico for a month or more.

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    2. I love your philosophy for travel! Just brilliant! Grab the travel moment :)

      R-Sorry the link didn't work on my blog-if you put this in as a search I should come up:

      http://349sfttoseetheworldchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/

      Sft x

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  3. I drink decaf coffee only. The other gives me such an uneasy feeling inside. I actually get the shakes.

    Love the door mat. I could have used that one a few times...lol

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    1. Kevin would sometimes have a decaf at night but he found that, that would make him not sleep well at night so he stopped that awhile ago.

      They had another mat that said "We have an open door policy here, if you have wine we open the door" I love that one!

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  4. For the last 25 years have only drank restaurant quality coffee, vacuum sealed packages, either in drip or coffee perk, cost now is .60 cents for a 12 cup pot, can't drink instant coffee. To many issues.
    Nice door mat.

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    1. From the research Kevin did, I don't think it makes a difference whether it is cheap coffee or expensive perked coffee. Anyways, he is doing fine this way so he is just going to keep it this way rather than try messing around with other types of coffee.

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  5. I drink a lot of coffee, fortunately I never have had any problems. I can and have left coffee, I don't notice much dfference. Once I get to the gym or start exercising all is well.

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    1. I would imagine that most people don't have a problem with coffee but for someone who is gluten intolerant it might be something else to try if they have noticed an improvement on a gluten free diet but things still aren't quite right. Looks like it is working for Kevin so he is happy.

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