Guidelines for Drinking Coffee

• Use organic coffee to avoid pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers.
• If you drink decaffeinated coffee, use the Swiss Water Process or some other decaffeinating process that does not employ chemicals.
• If you use filters, utilize unbleached filters to avoid leaching of chlorine from the bleached filters.
• Use lower caffeine coffees: Arabic beans have lower caffeine than Robust a bean. Darker roasted beans also have less caffeine.
• Use brewing methods that expose coffee grounds to water for shorter periods of time. Percolated and French Press preparations use longer times and have more caffeine than standard drip methods or espresso machines (depending of course on the type of bean and method of roasting as well).
• Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.
• Take a good vitamin/mineral supplement to replace lost electrolytes, minerals, and vitamins due to the diuretic effects.
• Do not drink coffee after meals because of the possible adverse blood sugar effects.
• Use coffees that have mitigating properties for many of the possible negative effects of coffee. For example, there is a coffee made from Arabic beans. It is roasted outside the US for lower acidity and with an extract of organic Ganoderma Lucidum (Reishi red mushroom) included that neutralizes some of the already lower caffeine levels and acts as an immune system enhancer with anti-viral, bacterial and fungal properties. This particular coffee in one of its forms usually tests well for most people except for those in the section above who should not drink coffee.