TaoMeow on Coffee

[Marblehead]

Calment smoked from the age of 21 (1896) to 117 (1992), drank a lot of port wine daily, and ate almost a kilogram (2.2 lb) of chocolate every week.

That's it!!! That's what I'm not getting enough of! Chocolate!!!

[Marblehead]

Figuring that out will take time, though I think getting rid of the brain washing will be the easier part.

I wouldn't put money on that one.

[i am]

Easier is relative...easier in relation to figuring out which voice is emotional craving and which is my body telling me what it actually needs.

 

I think it's a lot easier to identify what I've been TOLD is good for me all my life. That's everywhere in media. The actual cravings are going to be harder to distinguish...

Edited August 23, 2013 by i am

[Marblehead]

I like your start-off phrase. Everything is relative, isn't it?

 

The difficult thing about the brain-washing is that most of it is in our unconscious mind and we never know it is there until it rears its ugly head.

 

But yeah, get a plan and give it your best shot. Best Wishes!

[mantis]

well this thread sure has taken a life of it's own, to say the least. brewing on the ibrik takes its practice and i think i'm slowly working with a formula that produces good results. i was using far too much coffee, in excess of 3 tablespoons, with too much water as well. the room taomeow advises to leave is not an afterthought, if it is too close to the brim the "foam" won't have the space to rise sufficiently.

 

the talk about keto and nutrition has piqued my interest, though. i'm going to drop grains from my diet for a period and see how i respond, although i will still consume some carbohydrates in the form of almond milk, yogurt, blackberries, etc. i'm at the ideal weight for my height but i am curious what the effects would be, don't think i've ever been without grains for any extended period.

[Marblehead]

... if it is too close to the brim the "foam" won't have the space to rise sufficiently.

How beautiful! If the puddle of water is not large enough it will not float a boat but it will float a toothpick.

 

the talk about keto and nutrition has piqued my interest, though. i'm going to drop grains from my diet for a period and see how i respond, although i will still consume some carbohydrates in the form of almond milk, yogurt, blackberries, etc. i'm at the ideal weight for my height but i am curious what the effects would be, don't think i've ever been without grains for any extended period.

Yeah, selecting a good diet is an individual thing. Far too many varialbes to say that any one diet is the best for everyone. Test and try, that's about all we can do.

[Antares]

 

It's not a theory. The long term practical experiment was the eating patterns of all indigenous peoples before they were conquered and subdued to the "civilized" way of eating. E.g., Siberia witnessed bloody persecutions of the native peoples by the conquering Russians who demanded they plant wheat and eat bread -- disobedience punishable by death. Since both sugar and gluten are addictive drugs (via two different mechanisms that get the user hooked on internal opiates), it only takes a push of this kind in the very beginning, the next generation does not resist anymore -- especially with grain alcohol added to the advantages of this new way of life. . and do look at the book I referenced for "solid scientific work," allow yourself to be amazed at how much you find when you know where to look!

 

Thanks for the post but don't understand what's the problem with gluten. Only some people can't digest gluten (they missing some ferments for this) and may be Siberians and Americans were such the case with gluten (as well as casein) and for all others gluten is worse digested but it's not problem at all when grains are fermented for few hours in lightly acid water (with vinegar). This what I do before I cook grains. And what do you suggest to eat instead of grains? Meat? Grains (whole brown rice, oat), buckwheat are good source of plant protein and I prefer it to animal protein but I have free range eggs as well. Fermentation helps to digest gluten well. As for your link to worms in grains.... I tried to read but I could not. Does that man has transmission in authentic Taoist sect? It seems to be scientific research with excogitations and references to another scientific excogitations on subj. Is there any reference on authentic traditional text where prohibition on eating any grains are stated? I do not see any conjunction between grains and "worms" in energy body. Is it bc of gluten?

As for ketogenic diet. It supposed to be diet with 70- 80 % fat consumption. What kind of fat they advise to eat? Any reference on this in authentic Taoist texts??? So TCM is absolutely wrong with food recommendations but scientific fancies are alright?

Edited August 25, 2013 by Antares

[Taomeow]

No, TCM is not wrong by itself and I would be the last person on earth to doubt it... it's only wrong as understood by westerners not exposed to its wider expanse. ( My taoist teacher's lectures on taoist nutrition, e.g., or the vast regional knowledge on nutrition from all over China blanket-defined as "folk wisdom" and largely transmitted orally for thousands of years.)

 

Paleo refers to pre-TCM human condition though. Pre-China, pre-Yellow Emperor, but not "scientific fancies" as you put it as much as an ironclad scientific fact: human species evolved and lived for the 99% of its time on earth during the ice age. DO read the book I referenced, is all I can tell you. I've been researching gluten for 10 years and one thing I learned is that gluten intolerance (a rather universal human condition but with a spectrum of manifestations, from undetectable to rapidly deadly, with many shades of in-between) is never diagnosed by modern methods until it is severe enough to have destroyed over 90% of the intestinal lining -- everybody else flies under the radar of current diagnostic methods. Another thing I learned was that you have to invest time and effort into understanding an issue whose impact is diffuse and universal. You need a bit of a multidisciplinary education to understand things gluten. That's why I keep referencing Nora's book -- it merely puts much of what is known from various areas of research and empiricism alike (that don't necessarily communicate with each other or are aware of each other) together in one place.

 

As for the three worms, Eva Wong's "The Shambala Guide to Taoism" not only describes them but presents drawings from ancient taoist manuscripts depicting their appearance. They look like something nasty you would see under a microscope.

 

Fermentation does not affect gluten. Another commercial fad, "whole grains," actually increases its concentrations (which are already upward of 20 times higher than what was present in pre-agricultural wild grains). The highest concentrations are found in the outer shell, so "whole weat" is really bad news, whether sprouted, fermented, or otherwise hippie-hyped.

[Antares]

No, TCM is not wrong by itself and I would be the last person on earth to doubt it... it's only wrong as understood by westerners not exposed to its wider expanse. ( My taoist teacher's lectures on taoist nutrition, e.g., or the vast regional knowledge on nutrition from all over China blanket-defined as "folk wisdom" and largely transmitted orally for thousands of years.)

 

I read few books on TCM featured by westerners but they did good investigations on the subject and had practical experience in Chinese clinics. It's something new to me that authentic TCM' food recommendations are close to paleo diet and that it's recommended by taoists masters. I read something that they have nothing against meat and even alcohol but I am not sure it should be consumed every day. For example I give the reference the to authentic taoist teacher' words:

 

 

THE TEACHER OF SINGLE YANG ON NUTRITION AND FASTING THE ISSUE OF THE FALSE REFUSAL TO EAT BREAD

A pupil asked: I heard some practitioners talk about refusal to eat bread, closing of body irifices andsolitary life. That they see at any time immortals and buddhas and their skills increase rapidly. Do they have true supernatural abilities?

 

The Teacher of Single Yang replied: In cultivation in the practice of neidan (elixir) there is a requirement, that the stage of remelting of qi and shen transformation is practiced only after hunger and thirst already have stopped. When you obtain ability to refuse to eat bread and to live on qi it is possible to proceed to the stages of three years of breastfeeding and nine years sitting of faced to a wall. If you have not reached the stage of exhaustion of yin and purification of yang yet, then how one can talk about the refusal to eat bread?

In qigong practice even the stage of addition of oil and obtainment of Ming is not known, how one can achieve the exhaustion of yin and cleaning of yang? The man’s natural body of flesh and blood needs five cereals, meat , and may others nutrients for maintenance of life. Some teachers of qigong fundamentally do not understand the essence of “NOT EATING GRAINS' and mislead their followers, calling on them to starve for three days and thus waste their strength... The students of our School depend on food and certainly can not eat badly. They can not change three meals a day for two meals. It is important to eat well. If you feel hungry, then you need to eat, but do not overeat. When you eat, the naturalness is paramount. If you own feelings are comfortable, then you can stop eating. It is impossible to refuse wine and meat. It is necessary to know, that meat is very nutritious food. Those who completely follow a vegetarian diet can not fully make up his energy losses. Nutritiousness of meat compensates thermal losses. Wine in a small quantities, without _ excess, can relax muscles and revitalize blood. Normal people will benefit from wine. To He who engages in alchemy it is not necessary to observe formalities concerning food. It Is needed to eat a balanced and tasty diet.

Your techniques are essentially wrong, it urgently needs adjustment. Your progress in Cultivation is slow because you eat little , and eventually your body is weak and has barriers (blocks). It is need to restore normal power supply with the use of meat, so the energy spent by the body will get compensated , and only then you can again train hard. Your body will certainly acquire strength, and you will soon be able to finish the practice.

http://all-dao.com/nutrition-fasting.html

And I brought another evidence that Chinese taoist had bread every day. But I trust to scientific notions on gluten as well.

So I am kinda frustrated. I will have a look the book you are referring to. I read that fermentation affects gluten such the way it would be digested much easier.

 

Is there in the book you are referring to "authentic TCM" recommendations or there is scientific perspective only?

 

I have heard already about 99% of human existence time paleo "evolution" and also I heard such theory that people did the surge in evolution bc of agricultural revolution. There is also raw paleo theory stating people had been eating raw for thousands years. But from the TCM perspective that's not recommended to go raw.

 

So I need to investigate more on the subj. Will get that book and read it

Edited August 26, 2013 by Antares

[i am]

Well, on the topic of diet, get used to being frustrated, and hearing endless conflicting data. Eat what makes you feel best IS the best advice I've seen in this thread.

[Marblehead]

And don't forget to drink your coffee.

[Taomeow]

Well, on the topic of diet, get used to being frustrated, and hearing endless conflicting data. Eat what makes you feel best IS the best advice I've seen in this thread.

[Antares]

And don't forget to drink your coffee.

 

I have mine with Irish Cream. Very tasty

[Marblehead]

I have mine with Irish Cream. Very tasty

For a very long time I drank mine with dairy products but non-dairy creamers are so much easier so this is the only thing I use at home.

 

Irish Cream? Is the sheep's milk?

[Antares]

Irish Cream Liqueur

 

 

Original Irish Cream is a unique Irish spirit which is a marriage of fresh dairy cream, Irish whiskey, finest Irish spirits and natural flavours.

[Marblehead]

Irish Cream Liqueur

Hehehe. Leave it to the Irish to come up with something like that. Thanks.

[mantis]

brewing is going well, any particular recommendations for coffee beans? i checked out the bulletproof coffee but it seems a bit gimmicky, the place i get my beans from now roasts them right before shipping which would presumably be far fresher than the bulletproof beans. my free time is limited nowadays as i'm getting ready for school but i'd like to experiment with adding butter/coconut oil etc to the coffee... especially since i've reduced my carbs now

 

where are the other reviews? don't tell me i'm the only one that actually bought the ibrik

[Taomeow]

You're the bravest I guess...

 

As for beans recommendations -- I would have to quote William Saroyan's novel, "Tracy's Tiger," whose protagonist seeks a job as a coffee-taster (count on an Armenian to come up with this version of the American dream!) His prospective employer interviews him and asks him about the difference between good coffee and bad coffee. Tom Tracy gives a thorough and detailed account.

"All right. And what's the difference between good coffee and the best coffee?"

"Advertisement," he replies.

 

So I would have to reiterate what I said earlier: start with whole beans and grind them only right before you make your coffee, one portion at a time; medium or light roast only; arabica or an 80/20 arabica-harari mix; organic if you can afford it; shades (rather than suns) if you can find them; as fresh as you can find it (use your nose -- even if it's vacuum sealed, good coffee smells strongly and deliciously through the vents in the valve the package is equipped with -- if it doesn't, don't buy it); never buy any flavored beans (if you want to flavor your coffee, do it yourself, frack those industrial chemicals no matter what they are supposed to imitate); practice your ibrik techniques to perfection; use the best, purest water you can find (I take a trip to a town within a 25 minute drive every couple of weeks for the best water in the area -- artesian -- not just for coffee of course... tap water in our neck-of-woods is atrocious and wouldn't think twice of destroying an otherwise immaculately conceived and executed cup of coffee); and that's 99% of your success. Most of the rest is advertisement.

[Marblehead]

... use the best, purest water you can find (I take a trip to a town within a 25 minute drive every couple of weeks for the best water in the area -- artesian --

I think I can honestly say that the best coffee I have ever drank was using this water at a place I lived for a while.

[Apech]

I think I can honestly say that the best coffee I have ever drank was using this water at a place I lived for a while.

 

You're not giving anything away here ... is it a secret location?

[Marblehead]

You're not giving anything away here ... is it a secret location?

Actually, it's not far (about five miles) from where I live now but it is private property and they don't sell the water. I rented a trailer on their property (they have/had two rentals) for a while until I bought the house I am still living in.

[Apech]

Actually, it's not far (about five miles) from where I live now but it is private property and they don't sell the water. I rented a trailer on their property (they have/had two rentals) for a while until I bought the house I am still living in.

 

 

Do they have a deep well or is it spring water?

[Marblehead]

Do they have a deep well or is it spring water?

It's not spring water so I suppose it has to be a deep well. (Shallow wells in this area are very acidic and amazingly high in iron.) I never asked them about it but I likely will never forget the wonderful water.

[Apech]

It's not spring water so I suppose it has to be a deep well. (Shallow wells in this area are very acidic and amazingly high in iron.) I never asked them about it but I likely will never forget the wonderful water.

 

 

Shallow wells are dangerous cos they drain rain water directly while deep wells go below the impervious layers and drain water that has percolated through rock (and has probably been in the ground hundreds of thousands of years).

[Marblehead]

Sorry for the delay in response but I had to go outside and attend to a few things.

 

Shallow wells are dangerous cos they drain rain water directly while deep wells go below the impervious layers and drain water that has percolated through rock (and has probably been in the ground hundreds of thousands of years).

Totally agree. I had a shallow well put down for my fish ponds but the well ran dry. I'm actually glad it did because the acid in the water was eating up my ponds. (They are all concrete and brick.) I considered having a deep well put down but opted for the rain barrels instead. They serve me well and it is rare that I run out and have to use Utility water for make-up at the ponds.

 

And yes, the water of shallow wells gets contaminated pretty easily.

 

I doubt that the rain I get has much pollution in it. There are no polluting industries anywhere close to me to cause any of that.