Sunday, November 14, 2010

Coffee & Making Low Acid Coffee. Artificial Sweeteners. Wiring.

The Ugly Side of Caffeine
"Most coffee and tea contains a lot of caffeine. This is usually the primary reason people make coffee their drink of choice in the morning. Caffeine is a drug like any other and comes with a long list of side effects.
Second, coffee is extremely acidic. Our bodies function at optimum levels when they are slightly more alkaline (the opposite of acidic). It is best for us to greatly reduce any foods that will drive our body's pH to be more acidic and eat more foods that are alkaline (like fruits and veggies).

An acidic body pH is like a magnet for all kinds of illnesses. Also, an alkaline body has a much stronger immune system, making illness much less likely.

Last but not least, the caffeine in coffee and tea is abuse to your adrenal glands. Your adrenals release your "fight or flight" hormones basically giving you a nice "boost" when needed. Unfortunately, people who drink coffee all day long are consistently beating on their adrenals.
This is the equivalent of whipping a tired horse even when he is exhausted. Eventually he will not move at all.

The Pretty Side of Caffeine
Coffee tastes oh so yummy and makes me feel great in the morning. (What? Is that not a good enough reason to drink it?)
Many studies have shown that coffee can help in the prevention and treatment of diseases and illnesses as varied as Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, liver disease, skin cancer, Parkinson's disease and more.  Not to mention, small doses of caffeine can increase performance and mental focus.

What is a coffee and tea drinker to do?
Limit your coffee and tea intake to 2 – 8 oz cups per day. No, not 2 of each, 2 total. Any more than that is considered as a heavy addict.

Do not jack up your coffee with sugar, milk, syrup and whip cream (So I guess that means no Starbucks, huh?). Use stevia or xylitol to sweeten and avoid all the empty, harmful calories. A teaspoon of half and half won’t hurt either. Please oh please, do not use any of those flavored creamers. They are closer to someone’s chemistry experiment than they are to real food.

Make sure to make your food choices healthy. Avoiding other acidic foods like sugar, artificial sweeteners and processed foods will lighten the acid load on the body.

Make sure the coffee you drink is organic. Conventional coffee is filled with pesticides and chemicals and should be avoided at all costs.

There is no need to give up your morning coffee but it is important to drink the right types of coffee, without the added unhealthy extras and, as with most things, in moderation."
From: http://elev8.com/health/latwanasstephens/is-coffee-good-or-bad-for-your-health/
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Behind the Brew


"Every day millions of Americans enjoy this delicious beverage.  Coffee is traditionally made by mixing ground coffee beans with hot water just long enough to extract the oils (flavor). 
It is these oils that are full of acidic compounds which are rough on your teeth and stomach.   Those suffering with GERD (Gastro esophageal Reflux Disease) are stuck with limited low acid coffee choices and may still be unable to drink the stuff without experiencing painful heartburn.  This is where cold brewed coffee steps in.   Cold Brewed reduces Acid.
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How to Make Low Acid Coffee:

Brew coffee with cold water for less acid
Brew coffee with cold water for less acid,
use the concentrate to make less acidic coffee.
  1. Put 1/4 pound course ground coffee in 1 quart water.
  2. Let sit for 15 hours, in refrigerator.
  3. STRAIN,  and keep the coffee liquid.
  4. Put 1/4 cup of coffee liquid in 3/4 cup boiling water.
  5. Add coffee cream (non-powder, organic Half-N-Half) if desired.
  6. Use sweeteners like Xylitol, not sugar, Splenda, or Equal 
  7. Enjoy.
About Xylitol: http://www.laleva.cc/food/xylitol.html 
About Stevia: http://www.cspinet.org/nah/4_00/stevia.html
About Nutrasweet, Equal, Aspartame: http://marystod.blogspot.com/2010/10/aspartame-scientific-study-references.html
About Splenda, Sucralose: http://www.suite101.com/content/sugar-substitutes-overview-a152352

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Cold Brewed Process Explained

"Making cold brewed coffee is extremely easy, inexpensive, and uses no electricity. There are many devices and contraptions out there with the most popular from Toddy. "
From: http://www.squidoo.com/LowAcidCoffeeSolution
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Cold Brewed Coffee: The Low Acid Solution


Just Use Low Acid Coffee. Right?

With the advent of "low acid" coffee why bother with cold brewed coffee?
I can think of three good reasons not to use the "low acid" coffee grinds.

First, "low acid" beans are processed or treated to eliminate about 25% of the acidity in the beans. Although it's a good start, 25% may not be enough for more sensitive stomachs.

The second reason is the taste. There's something about the processing of "low acid" beans that creates an inferior tasting and smelling cup of coffee.
It doesn't make sense to drink a sub-par cup of coffee and only get a 25% reduction in acid.

The last and best reason is choice. With "low acid" coffee you're stuck with only a limited selection. Don't plan on your favorite Fair Trade Ethiopian blend to come in a "low acid" version.

Cold brewing coffee allows you to use virtually any coffee variety you can find while drastically reducing the amount of acid.
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How to Make Low Acid TeaAvoid citrus-based teas

Avoid citrus-based teas.
Select caffeine-free or low-caffeine tea. Brew only for a few minutes.
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So I tried it,  I made the 1/4 lb to 1 quart of water recipe.  The next day, I strained it by putting a coffee filter in a strainer and let it strain into a wide mouth glass container to keep in the fridge.   To make coffee in my 4-cup coffee maker, I put 1 cup of coffee concentrate in the carafe, and 3 cups of water in the coffee maker, your taste might vary. Then when I turned it on in the morning, et voilĂ ,  I had 4 cups (2 mugs) of good hot coffee.
It did taste better, and smoother, than the hot brewed, and took less creamer and sweetener.
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Today:
Shrink-taping Jay and I started getting the wiring re-routed in the walls and ceiling in the cargo trailer.  First, we did the rear running lights.
There were some places where we used shrink (heat) tape to cover connections.


Wires-in-protector




To protect the wires that run across under the trailer, we fished them through some pipe, and fastened it under the trailer.

Test-light



We temporarily hooked up one inside light with wire nuts, to check if we were getting power from the battery, and we were.



Re-wiring







We used the proper connectors for the wiring, as wire nuts are a no-no for RVs.

As always we had a whole bunch of tools out to do it.

It is a cooler, and we needed long sleeve shirts today.

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