Coffee.

Date: Sat, 29 Jun 1996 02:24:48 +0100
Sender: HERB.TREARNPC.EGE.EDU.TR
From: Paul Iannone <pi2.LOOP.COM>
Subject: Re: coffee

>>Shouldn't be a problem. Such highly reactive skin...does she drink coffee?
>I was wondering why coffee is so bad? You ask this question of everyone. If it's just the caffeine, what about chocolate? Or is it something else too??

Oh, it's the coffee. This is a very bad herbal habit, ruinous to the health of many, many people. It is greasy, therefore hard on the Liver, greasy and consumed hot so it tends to create Damp-Heat in the Digestive system. It is a Surface-Relieving herb, so it opens the pores and causes Qi to escape, leading to exhaustion of the Lung energy and aging of the skin. It is stimulant, so it tires the Kidneys and adrenals and harms the generative force. It damages the thirst, depletes the Blood, interferes with sleep, and perhaps most importantly:

*Pushes the spirit out into the world against its Will, to do tasks that are not its own.*

Bad medicine.

From: Paul Iannone <pi2.LOOP.COM>

>>Bad medicine.
>OK, when one "gives up" the coffee, what herbs or diet should you follow to "rebuild" the damage that the coffee has done?

Drink plenty of water, which is the most important 'herb' in this regard. And dandelion root tea or capsules would help Clear the Liver. Peppermint, too.

>And..what could you recommend for persons to who are highly addicted to coffee, and smoking?

Coffee is not addictive, just habituating. Cut back by halves every three days or every week, until you drink it no more. Then stay off it entirely for at least a few months. And then never drink it more than once a week.

Smoking is a whole other can of worms, and is an addiction in ways coffee will never be.

>Any Herbs or therapies to help this? I know a lot of people who "survive" on the above two drugs, and have tried to give them up, but I believe if they don't get something to fight the cravings, and then the withdrawal, they will go right back to coffee and smoking! Your response please on this Paul and others. Thank you for your reply!

'The smoker you are the player you drink,' to quote an old rock musician. Break the coffee jones first, then work on cigarettes. You simply have to claim the maturity needed to get away from combining these two 'pleasures.'