Ward Nicholson asks:
> What's the doc's reasoning behind having you drink coffee, Grant?

Caffeine is being used adjunctively with other medications as treatment for
my diabetic peripheral neuropathy and autonomic neuropathy -- the caffeine
inhances the effectiveness of my medications which allows me to take a
lesser dose of those medications!

My heart, kidneys and liver are at less risk of side-effects with the lower
dosages of the prescription medicines and a moderate caffeine intake, than
higher dosages of the meds and less caffeine.

I ought not to have tried curbing coffee consumption nor consuption of the
home-made dry red wine we make.

One reason is to help me to continue as long as possible without the need
to take insulin and/or oral antidiabetics as I had to do since 1973 until
starting an Atkins' low carb diet a year and a half ago.

The wine we make is without preservatives  and "naturally" helps maintain
my lower blood glucose levels.  Further, since I've already had one quad
bypass operation, there are overwhelming indications that wine consumption
will continue to assist both repair and maintenance of my cardiovascular
system.

So, for me, coffee and wine are the least "horrible" of all evils and must
be included in my NeanderThin diet at least until such time there is a cure
for Diabetes and they are able to regenerate the tiny vascular system
feeding the tiny nerve endings to the point of the nerves being more
functional with respect to the length of time it takes for "signals" to be
transmitted to the brain and returned to the tissues that co-ordinate
balance and function, i.e. a better EMG

Interesting to note, that for me, coffee has the same short term as long
effect -- that of being able to release muscle tension (relaxant) which
takes the pressure off tiny nerver endings that are overly sensitive
because of long term diabetes and to relieve joint pressure thus allowing
me to move about with limited pain and then rest without discomfort.

Unlike most others, I get a better nights sleep if I have a cup of coffee
before going to bed.  In the morning, I can easily get up, go to our "early
bird" swim 5 days a week with coffee providing the boost and energy to
accomplish the long bicycle ride to the Aquatic Centre at 5:30 in the
morning.

For me, I was reminded that coffee and wine are not optional.

There were also additional items mentioned that envolved assisting with
regular bowel movements, assist in flushing toxic waste from the cells,
controlling episodes of reactive edema and the mimic of benefits of an
antidepressant which I used to have to take in the fight against
neuropathy.

Hope that helps cover some of the reasons that I had overlooked and didn't
check on when I began NeanderThin but that have now been made clear to me.

I feel the diet is still essentially very do-able and very successful for
me, but requires slight modifications to co-exist with previous medical
conditions and to co-ordinate with on going medical treatment in our modern
day and age.

Grant
-----> SPEAR and STONE  The PALEO-PERSON <-----
Grant         [log in to unmask]
http://www.mountain-inter.net/~magnuson/