Coffee in the workplace
by Don Robespierre Reyes, MD July 2007 THE workplace can be a stressful environment whether you’re an employer or an employee. Stress is simply an inevitable fact of life that must be acknowledged then subsequently managed if we expect to thrive in the modern workplace.
Workplaces in various parts of the world share a common way of dealing with stress – the universal ritual called “the coffee break.” In more ways than we realize, coffee has been our silent partner in coping with the demands of the workplace. Apart from the ordinary stress we endure at our jobs, all of us experience “oxidative stress.” This is a natural part of breathing the oxygen we need to live. Unfortunately, oxygen is also involved in the formation of harmful substances called free radicals which can damage our body’s cells. Oxidative stress comes from other sources aside from oxygen. Environmental pollutants and even radiation from the sun can also produce oxidative stress, encouraging the formation of more free radicals. Once formed, these unstable molecules start a toxic chain reaction which damages our cells. This, in turn, can have varying consequences such as signs of premature aging, cardiovascular diseases, degenerative diseases, cataract, cancer, immune system decline and other health problems. Antioxidants have been linked to a number of potential health benefits. Research has linked antioxidant-rich coffee with reduced incidence of gallstones, liver cirrhosis and Type 2 diabetes. Increasing evidence also indicates coffee to be protective in model cancer studies. Stress in the workplace What exactly is stress? More particularly, what is “workplace stress?” In general, the combination of high demands of our jobs and a low amount of control over the situation can lead to “workplace stress.” Antioxidants at work
Our jobs can be a landmine of stress. Navigating the demands placed on us at work can be tricky business so it’s always best to be prepared. And while there are some things we have no control over, there are simple things we can do, such as drinking a cup or two of coffee during the workday to take charge of our lives. For instance, our appearance plays more of a role in the workplace than you might imagine. A growing body of research supports what many have suspected all along: In the workplace, an employee's physical appearance matters and affects his success at his or her job. Simply put, looking older than we really are is not good for business or careers. Ageing is a natural process but oxidative stress combined with garden-variety stress can compound the situation and make us look tired, haggard and unprepared to take on the responsibilities of our jobs. At the very least, we can do what we can to minimize the effect time has on all of us by making sure we take in enough antioxidants to ward off premature wrinkles. That’s one less thing we all need to worry about. Another key stressor in the workplace is fear of being sick and consequently perceived as not being able to perform one’s duties. A healthy lifestyle, coupled with a proper diet can do much to help us perform at our peak. Research suggests coffee has been found to be a significant daily source of antioxidants even in highly developed countries like the United States, where all too often, workers in a rush to get back to their jobs skip meals that provide needed nutrition and antioxidants. Antioxidants are most often found in abundant quantities in vegetables and fruits. This has led several countries to recommended daily consumption of vegetables and fruits. Studies have shown that coffee actually contains the highest amount of one kind of antioxidants called polyphenols, in a per serving basis. Green coffee beans, in particular, contain many different types of antioxidants and have twice the amount of antioxidants found in green tea. Furthermore, the brewing process creates its own set of helpful compound which are unique to coffee alone. Certainly, we shouldn’t look to coffee alone to dealing with stressful lives at work but it’s good to know that enjoying a coffee break can actually help us remain healthy and more productive at work. Coffee breaks do work Finally, let us not underestimate the value of coffee breaks in general to overall productivity. Short coffee breaks spaced at regular intervals during the workday can create a pleasant work environment that allows people to feel good about their jobs, and reducing “workplace stress” even further. It can also facilitate much needed socialization between people at work, forging them into a more cohesive unit working towards common goals. Some studies have also associated coffee with improved alertness and memory. All in all, work is still work but with coffee as a social lubricant, work tends to get done with less stress and that’s definitely good for business. | |||||
Coffee at Work in the Workplace
by Chrisma C. Bangaoil
July 2008
THE workplace has become even more demanding and competitive that one has always to be on his toes to keep pace with all its demands and challenges. Definitely, you can’t do this half-awake. Studies show that work performance declines when alertness levels fall.
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Many organizations measure an employee’s efficiency based on his or her productivity and accuracy. Score cards or performance metrics put emphasis on these two components. Productivity is measured based on the tasks accomplished within a work shift, while accuracy is measured based on the number of errors committed. When your alertness level drops, you are prone to commit more mistakes because concentration is also diminished. Moreover, decision-making is crippled and good judgment is blurred.
Poor performance leads to other problems. Work piles up because of inaccuracy and poor productivity. Thus, you may need to unnecessarily work overtime, get more stressed, be less focused, feel fatigue, commit more errors and miss that gig you’ve been looking forward to during the weekend.
The good news
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Poor work performance due to lack of energy and vitality can be abated. Studies show that coffee can specifically help restore energy and alertness levels. Coffee contributes significantly not only to help you focus and concentrate but also to make you alert. According to research, coffee can increase the speed of information processing by 10%. It increases the processing of new stimuli, enhances analytical skills and response preparation. This translates to meeting your targets and increasing your competitive advantage without unnecessarily working long hours.
Moreover, coffee has been found to sharpen abilities that decline when we are tired or sleepy. Coffee, according to scientific studies, improves attention span, reasoning ability, memory of details and communication skills. Imagine the cost of a single mistake because of lack of focus or memory lapse. Or think of the repercussions of delayed projects or accidents because of slowed mental alertness.
Boredom and tiredness brought about by repetitive tasks can also diminish productivity. Drinking coffee at least twice a day, however, can counter these. Coffee contains natural substances that alert the consciousness and increase tolerance to exercise and muscular activity. Physical fitness and endurance are essential to mental alertness especially for tasks that require long concentration such as those doing web or creative designs, financial analysis, programming, quality monitoring, and trend analysis.
Coffee and mood
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In today’s highly customer-driven organizations, mood plays a very important role. Whether you end your day feeling exhausted and depressed or feeling accomplished depends on your mood. The way you deal with your customers, internal or external, is also influenced by your mood. A toxic meeting can become even more toxic when you are not in good mood. A bad call or a difficult customer can surely ruin your day and affect all your other tasks when your mood is down.
Aside from increasing alertness, coffee has been found out to alter mood in a positive way. This effect is most obvious during low arousal situations such as during graveyard shifts or after lunch. Thus taking a cup of coffee after lunch is not only good for digestion but it also perks up your mood.
One of the usual causes of bad mood is physical discomfort like common headache. Remember how a usually amiable boss suddenly becomes cranky or how you yourself suddenly become irritable because of a simple headache? An alternative to drinking those synthetic tablets that promise to ease headache is to drink a cup of coffee. Again, scientific studies have shown that drinking coffee helps relieve headache among workers. As they say, nothing is good to someone who is in bad mood. On the other hand, things look brighter to someone who is in good mood.
Maximizing the effect of coffee on your performance and mood
Regular consumption of coffee at the start of your work day is recommended since it usually takes 15 minutes to achieve 75% of its effect and one hour to reach its maximum effect. This effect will last three to four hours just in time for the lunch break. The habit of drinking coffee after lunch is also good since a full stomach usually lowers energy levels especially when you had much carbohydrate for lunch not to mention the great temptation to nap. It is also usually difficult to get back to work mood after lunch. Since coffee has been found out to stir up the senses, it is worth having a cup or two after lunch.
It pays to serve coffee during long meetings or when tasks require long hours of mental as well as physical alertness. According to the Positively Coffee Autumn 2007 newsletter, 3 to 4 cups pf coffeeusually gives the desired effect. The amount of consumption, however, varies on each individual and on the nature and schedule of task being performed. You need to know what suits you.
Drinking coffee at work coupled with your skills and competencies enables you not just to meet your targets. This gives you a better edge not only in terms of promotion and better pay but also in terms of ensuring that you keep that well-deserved work life balance that can be too elusive when you are unproductive and when you are having a bad mood.
Sources: Postivelycoffee.org; Brice, C.F. & Smith, A.P. (2002). Effects of Caffeine on Mood and Performance: A Study of Realistic Consumption. Psychopharmacology, Vol 164, Number 2; and http://www.buildingbodies.ca/Nutrition/coffee-caffeine.shtmlThe importance of coffee breaks
THE body needs a break, and so does the brain. This is why it is important to get a quick time off, say a 15-minute break after two to three hours of intensive work, to give the brain a breather.
Fifteen minutes don’t look like there’s much an employee can do—maybe a quick trip to the washroom, a quick bite of sandwich, some stretching, a walk in the corridor, a short chat with a colleague or a sip of coffee. And yes, there’s that cup of coffee—that 15-minute break popularly referred to as a “coffee break.” Drinking coffee does help a lot in relieving you from work exhaustion. According to positivelycoffee.org, in fact, coffee helps “counter such factors as depression and boredom associated with tiredness and which impair performance.” “A coffee break really is a breather from work. It helps clear your mind of clutter,” says Ebet Santos, an account manager from a software company. De-cluttering is especially necessary for employees like Santos who do repetitive tasks. Studies show that performing the same tasks on extended hours can be counterproductive because it increases the occurrence of errors.
“When you’re doing the same thing and looking at the same data for hours, you don’t see any difference—not even the mistakes”, Santos says. According to positivelycoffee.org, repetitive work leads your attention adrift, causing you to commit mistakes—a fact that administrative assistant Bernadette Cruz has experienced. “There was a week when I didn’t take my coffee break because we were working on a number of reports. It felt like a month’s worth of work. Worse, my boss called my attention the Monday after that week. I needed to redo a number of reports that had a lot of errors. These were mostly the ones I worked on the last two days of the previous week. Obviously, I was already exhausted by then and so physically tired that I wasn’t able to properly perform my tasks,” she relates.
Cruz adds that this the reason why she values her coffee breaks. “Coffee breaks give me a real break. I get to look at something else while enjoying my coffee. This is my everyday inexpensive treat to myself,” she says. Even to non-regular coffee drinkers, the smell of coffee already offers a quick treat. “I’m not really a coffee drinker,” says Joel Antonio, a reports analyst, “but I enjoy the delicious smell of my colleagues’ coffee during coffee breaks. It manages to lighten my mood.” Indeed, that 15-minute coffee break is highly essential to anyone assigned to the office. Coffee breaks give the brain (and the body) a quick break and the senses a well-deserved treat. | |||||||||||||
Studies show a cup of coffee is rich in beneficial antioxidants
IT IS SAID that “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” but how about a cup of coffee? As more and more international studies show that a cup of coffee is rich in health-giving antioxidants, somebody may soon come up with a new health proverb about coffee as well. The Institute of Coffee Studies in Vanderbilt University, Nashville, USA, has found that a cup of coffee is rich in antioxidants—natural substances that slow down the effects of premature ageing and may help prevent degenerative diseases. Nutrition vs. Oxidation What are antioxidants and how do they help us stay healthy? First we have to understand what oxidation is. Oxidation happens at the molecular level inside our cells. Essentially, it’s a process where an atom of oxygen is added to the molecules in our cells. Oxidation is a natural, unavoidable process. It’s ironic that we all need oxygen to breathe and stay alive, but at the same time, it also causes oxidative stress oxidation--which is a result of cellular damage caused by reactive oxygen molecules called free radicals.is a toxic chemical reaction in the body that produces harmful molecules called “free radicals”. Scientists believe that the oxidation process and the resulting free radicals may cause the symptoms of aging as well as many diseases. Since we are exposed to oxygen constantly, the process of oxidation occurs every day and may even increase with stress, excess physical activity, illness, and other factors.
However, there is a way to counter the negative effects of oxidation process and that is mainly through a proper, nutritious diet. This is because certain foods are naturally high in antioxidants. They are called antioxidants precisely because they fight the oxidation process and help repair damage caused by oxidation. There are many types of antioxidants and are classified into two: micronutrients and polyphenols. Well-known micronutrient antioxidants include vitamin C (ascorbic acid), vitamin E (tocopherol), Vitamin A (carotenoid) and mineral selenium. Polyphenols are plant-based antioxidants which are found in fruits, vegetables, soya beans, red wine, green and black tea, spices like sage and rosemary, citrus fruits, onions and olives and, yes, in coffee as well. Antioxidants in coffee The most abundant antioxidant in coffee are polyphenolspolyphenol in coffee is known as chlorogenic acids or CGAs. According to Professor Peter Martin of the Institute of Coffee Studies, these chlorogenic acids in coffee have been studied results of those studies indicate potential beneficial effects on human health. These beneficial effects include potential “positive effects on chronic degenerative diseases (24-31), cardiovascular diseases (32), and cancer (33-35)” according to the study “Chlorogenic Acids and Lactones in Regular and Water-Decaffeinated Arabica Coffees” (published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, 2006) that Martin authored with four other researchers.
The same study also mentionsed that there are indications that CGAs are observed to help improve also help the liver “burn” or use up glucose uptake (glucose is the form that sugar takes in the body after digestion). This indicates that CGAs may be beneficial among Type 2 diabetics. However, more studies need to be made to validate these findings. Coffee has most polyphenols A study conducted in Switzerland (“Comparison of the Antioxidant Activity of Commonly Consumed Polyphonic Beverages [Coffee, Cocoa, and Tea] Prepared per Cup Serving”, The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, 2001) shows that in comparison to a cup of green tea, herbal teas and cocoa, a cup of coffee contains the most amount of polyphenols. The study shows that a cup of coffee still retains a large amount of polyphenols—despite of the process of roasting the coffee beans, decaffeination, or adding milk. According to the study, a cup of coffee has up to four times more polyphenols than a cup of green tea. According to Professor Martin, “[The] latest evidence indicates that in moderation (2-4 cups per day) not only is coffee not bad for you, it may offer some health benefits.” While further studies on polyphenols and other antioxidants are still needed to fully understand their health benefits, present scientific findings indicate that a nutritious diet of foods and beverages—including coffee- -containing antioxidants may help in slowing down the effects of aging and prevent serious diseases. As further studies reveal the health benefits of coffee, coffee drinkers might find themselves not keeping their doctor away--but instead inviting him or her for a cup of coffee. | |||||||
Coffee and Life in the Med School
I GREW up in a house of coffee lovers. Breakfast wouldn’t be complete without a hot mug of coffee into which family members would dip their pandesal. Little did I know that coffee would not simply be part of my trove of family memories—but would instead become a valuable companion when I entered college.
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When I got accepted into the INTARMED program of UP. INTARMED (or iMed, the 7-year accelerated medicine program of UP), I was among the top 40 interested UPCAT qualifiers. The first two years in iMed are spent taking general education subjects while medicine proper comprises the remaining five years. So technically I’ll be in 6th year this June, and if everything goes according to plan, I’d be an MD at the age of 23.
During the first two years of iMed, we were taking classes with students from other courses. The pressure to excel and prove ourselves worthy of being iMed was immense, and our professors’ expectations were always higher compared to the others. Thus, we had to work extra hard to perform well and achieve. Coffee was there to perk us up when we had to study for exams or get reports done.
We were then joined by 120 new students (who already had their pre-med degrees) when we entered med proper. Third year was all about the normal human anatomy and physiology, while fourth year was about the pathologic or abnormal.
Our schedule for those two years was 8 am – 5pm from Mondays to Fridays; most of which we spent inside a classroom, listening to a boring lecture. Every morning, I relied on coffee to give me a kickstart and another cup after lunch to keep me from taking a siesta in the afternoon sessions. In addition, the current medical curriculum of UP was designed in such a way that evaluation is done right after each module. That meant having to take exams almost every Friday (the reason why I started dreading Fridays)!
We were supposed to study pages upon pages of lecture transcriptions and suggested readings in books that were as heavy as our heads every week. Being a born procrastinator, I could not finish all the recommended study materials in one or two nights. During this period, I learned how to budget my time and start studying at least 3 days before the exam – that is, if there’s only one exam for that particular week.
It became another story when there was a biochemistry exam sandwiched on a Wednesday, or a paper due also the morning of the exam. Throughout those two years, coffee never failed to rouse me when I needed that extra jolt of energy.
Fifth year marked the start of our exposure to the clinics. During this year, we were expected to be able to accurately diagnose common ailments of patients in the ambulatory setting. Supposedly, the first two years were enough to prepare us to deal with actual patients and be all Dr. House-ish in determining what their diseases were.
Turns out, nothing prepares you for the real thing. We had to review everything we were taught and correlate them with what we saw in the out-patient department. Nevertheless, this made it easier to remember things as we could apply our theoretical knowledge in actual situations.
It was also during fifth year that we started having 12- and 24-hour duties. Although we only had them in two departments (Pediatrics and OB-GYN), it still made an impact on us students. It primed us for the lives we were to have for the rest of our med life and beyond.
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When it was our turn to take our duty posts, my duty-mates and I made sure we had instant coffee with us in the callroom for “emergency purposes”. Coffee gave us the boost we needed to endure the grueling 24 hours alert and coherent. Whenever one of us would show signs of fatigue or drowsiness, we’d keep each other conscious by constantly talking and laughing over cups of coffee during breaktime.
By this June, we’ll already be clinical clerks. We’d be spending an exponentially longer amount of time in the hospital, particularly in the wards. Duties would come every three days, and there’s no post-duty status for most departments. That means we’d still have to stay and/or go to class the day after, extending our waking hours to 30 and more. There’d be times when exams or graded small group discussions would be scheduled right after duty and there would genuinely be no time to prepare for them.
At the wards, we take orders from everyone and perform duties which they refuse to do – paperwork, procedures such as blood extraction and IV lining, and patient history taking and physical examination. Imagine having to concentrate when you’ve been up and about, working for 20 hours straight. Next to impossible, right?
When you’re a clerk, you’re expected to know everything during the grand rounds when a consultant asks you about your patient and his/her disease condition. It’s almost certain that you’d get reprimanded if you are unable to answer – not to mention that there are some who thrive on the fear and embarrassment of students.
Most importantly, there is never a room for error. Just a minor mistake in drug administration can mean either toxicity due to overdosing or lack of therapeutic effect due to underdosing; a mix-up of laboratory results might mean dispensing the wrong treatment regimen to different patients.
An innocent and unintentional error may prove to be fatal; that is why hospital duty requires an extremely high level of focus – one thing that coffee can help provide.
Coffee increases the capacity of the human body for physical and mental labor. It enables one’s thoughts to flow smoothly and quickly, and improves general body coordination. The most important things at stake here are not the grades we would be getting, but the kind of medical care our patients would be receiving.
Aside from this, coffee also keeps us sane. My friends from upper batches said that in order to maintain a balanced life in medicine, you have to forego a couple of your sleeping hours to redeem your social life post-duty.
Coffee can serve as an energizer that we can turn to in case we need to escape and spend much needed leisurely time in the outside world. After all, there is more to life than what is inside the four walls of the hospital. Being a slave to our profession is not an option, at least for me. Eventually, I still would want to settle down and start a family of my own before it’s too late.
As I am writing this, I’m beginning to get anxious about the upcoming schoolyear. This is actually my last summer break before I get into the meat of my medical education. What did I get myself into?
Well, if this is what it would take for me to realize my dream – if this is what it would take for me to become a great doctor – then sign me up. If I could just have another cup of coffee, please – the one I drank three hours ago just wore off.
Danlen C. Masangya, 21, is on his 6th year at the College of Medicine at the University of the Philippines, Manila where he is taking up Medicine. Danlen’s story about the importance of coffee in his medical career won Third Place in the NESCAFÉ 3in1 Essay Writing Contest.
The Zen of power coffee meetings
By Chris Cahilig
AS YOU enjoy your morning cup of coffee, it probably doesn’t cross your mind that you have a powerful business tool in your hands. Having presided over and attended numerous meetings—at times several of them in the course of one day—I have come to value the benefits of having coffee during such times.
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In any meeting—whether it is one that requires brainstorming, strategy and decision-making, or one that’s intended to pitch a product or idea to a client—one’s mental abilities and powers of concentration can be “make or break” factors to one’s success.
But as meeting after meeting wears on, even the best of us find our thoughts slowing down; we get more easily distracted, and sometimes we even become drowsy. It’s during these times that coffee can restore us and bring back our edge.
There are very real, proven advantages to drinking coffee during a meeting. First of all, coffee elevates our mood and enhances our mental performance—and a meeting where everyone feels positive, alert and focused is a productive meeting.
Second, at least one study has shown that drinking coffee makes one more open to new ideas and new proposals. According to a study by researcher Pearl Martin of the University of Queensland in Australia, people are more open-minded and receptive to new ideas, new messages and new proposals after they’ve had a cup of coffee.
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That study, titled “Caffeine, Cognition, and Persuasion: Evidence for Caffeine Increasing the Systematic Processing of Persuasive Messages” also found that coffee increases mental alertness, focus and concentration. This heightening of mental capacity allows people to open up, process and understand the ideas being discussed during a coffee meeting.
Nowadays, coffee has become more than just a beverage we imbibe for our personal pleasure and relaxation or as a way to smoothen social relations—it is now part of the way many companies and professionals do business.
While “power” lunches or breakfasts used to be occasions for presenting a proposal, pitching a sale, seeking a mentor’s advice, or picking someone’s brain for valuable ideas—meetings over coffee are becoming the trend these days.
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This is not surprising. The atmosphere in a coffee shop is usually more relaxed in contrast to a busy lunch hour at a restaurant. And for small businesses on a budget, the cost of a coffee meeting is much less.
Here are some tips on how to maximize your coffee meetings:
Choose convenience. One of the first considerations in setting up a coffee meeting is to pick a coffee shop that would not be difficult to go to. It saves everyone time and energy without adding any stress from travel.
However, there is some etiquette involved here: if you’re the one requesting for a meeting, choose the place most convenient to the one you’re asking the favor from (whether to ask that person for advice, or present to him a sales pitch, a proposal, etc.). Conversely, if you’re the one being asked to a meeting—the one giving the other person your valuable time and attention--then you’re within your rights to choose a place that’s more convenient to you.
Stick to the schedule. Coffee meetings ideally should not take too long. The unwritten rule is usually for the meeting to last from 30-45 minutes. Longer than that and you might be wasting each other’s time—after all, you just agreed to meet over coffee! Don’t ruin the rapport and the relaxing coffee shop atmosphere by taking too much of the other person’s time.
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Be prepared. If you need to have a laptop, some documents and other materials ready for the person you’re meeting, then make sure all of these are prepared before that person arrives. This saves time and avoids the blunder of having the person wait for you to set everything up. Also, arrive at the coffee shop earlier so you can choose the right place (at an even quieter, out of the way corner, for example) where you can meet.
Be real. Stick to an agenda. You and the other person agreed to talk about a specific matter over coffee—so stick to that agreement. Don’t promise to talk about one thing and then present another, or tack on other matters that you did not agree on beforehand.
Say “Thank You”. Always remember to thank the other person for giving you his or her time and attention. Thank him or her personally at your meeting’s conclusion and/or send an email later expressing your gratitude and what a good time you had. You and that person might end up having more coffee meetings later on, whether as business partners or as friends—but it would all depend on the first coffee meeting you’ve had, as well as the cup of warm, delicious brew you shared.
Chris Cahilig is the managing director of Chris Cahilig Consultancy, a leading public relations, advertising, and viral marketing agency. On the side, he writes poems and lyrics and produces music.
Raw Food Diet
By Cathy Wong, About.com Guide
Updated: September 19, 2007
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board
What is the Raw Food Diet?
The raw food diet is a diet based on unprocessed and uncooked plant foods, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, sprouts, seeds, nuts, grains, beans, nuts, dried fruit, and seaweed.
Heating food above 116 degrees F is believed to destroy enzymes in food that can assist in the digestion and absorption of food. Cooking is also thought to diminish the nutritional value and "life force" of food.
Typically, at least 75% of the diet must be living or raw.
What are the Benefits of the Raw Food Diet?
Proponents of the raw food diet believe it has numerous health benefits, including:- Increased energy
- Improved skin appearance
- Better digestion
- Weight loss
- Reduced risk of heart disease
The raw food diet contains fewer trans fats and saturated fat than the typical Western diet. It is also low in sodium and high in potassium, magnesium, folate, fiber and health-promoting plant chemicals called phytochemicals.
These properties are associated with a reduced risk of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. For example, a study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that consumption of a raw food diet lowered plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations.
What are the Guidelines of the Raw Food Diet?
1. What can I eat?Unprocessed, preferably organic, whole foods such as:
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Beans
- Grains
- Legumes
- Dried fruit
- Seaweed
- Unprocessed organic or natural foods
- Freshly juiced fruit and vegetables
- Purified water
- Young coconut milk
2. What cooking techniques are used?
Specific cooking techniques make foods more digestible and add variety to the diet, including:
- Sprouting seeds, grains, and beans
- Juicing fruit and vegetables
- Soaking nuts and dried fruit
- Blending
- Dehydrating food
- A dehydrator, a piece of equipment that blows air through food at a temperature of less than 116 degrees F.
- A good-quality juice extractor for juicing fruit and vegetables
- A blender, food processor, or chopper to save time
- Large glass containers to soak and sprout seeds, grains, and beans
- Mason jars for storing sprouts and other food
Side Effects
Some people experience a detoxification reaction when they start the raw food diet, especially if their previous diet was rich in meat, sugar, and caffeine. Mild headaches, nausea, and cravings can occur but usually last for several days.
Precautions
The raw food diet may not be appropriate for certain people, such as:- Children
- Pregnant or nursing women
- People with anemia
- People at risk for osteoporosis - A Washington University study found that people following a raw food diet had lower bone mass. Bone turnover rates, however, were similar to the group that ate a standard American diet.
Considerable time, energy, and commitment is needed to be healthy on the raw food diet. Many of the foods are made from scratch. Some ingredients may be hard to find, such as Rejuvelac (the fermented liquid drained from sprouted grains), sprouted flour, date sugar, young coconut milk, carob powder and Celtic sea salt.
People must be aware that certain nutritional deficiencies can occur on the raw food diet, including:- Calcium
- Iron
- B12 – The Journal of Nutrition study found that a raw food diet increased levels of homocysteine due to vitamin B-12 deficiency.
- Protein
- Calories
Critics of the raw food diet say while it’s true that some enzymes are inactivated when food is heated, it doesn’t matter because the body uses its own enzymes for digestion. In addition, cooking makes certain phytochemicals easier to absorb, such as beta-carotene in carrots.
Another critique is that the human body has changed in response to eating cooked foods. Some of these changes are that are jaws and teeth have become smaller, our stomachs have shrunk, and our small intestines have grown longer, lengthening the digestive surface area.
According to other alternative diet theories, such as macrobiotics, Ayurveda, and traditional Chinese medicine, a raw-only diet may not be appropriate for people living in colder climates or for people with certain constitutional types.
Sources:Fontana L, Shew JL, Holloszy JO, Villareal DT. Low bone mass in subjects on a long-term raw vegetarian diet. Arch Intern Med. 2005 Mar 28;165(6):684-9.
Koebnick C, Garcia AL, Dagnelie PC, Strassner C, Lindemans J, Katz N, Leitzmann C, Hoffmann I. Long-term consumption of a raw food diet is associated with favorable serum LDL cholesterol and triglycerides but also with elevated plasma homocysteine and low serum HDL cholesterol in humans. J Nutr. 2005 Oct;135(10):2372-8.
"The Living and Raw Foods F.A.Q." 1998. Living and Raw Foods. 31 03 2006.
Memorize These 12 Words Then Live By Them
1. COMMITMENT: You should know that a mediocre marketing program with commitment will always prove more profitable than a brilliant marketing program without commitment. Commitment makes it happen.
2. INVESTMENT: Marketing is not an expense, but an investment -- the best investment available in America today -- if you do it right. With guerrilla marketing to guide you, you'll be doing it right.
3. CONSISTENT: It takes a while for prospects to trust you and if you change your marketing, media, and identity, you're hard to trust. Restraint is a great ally of the guerrilla. Repetition is another.
4. CONFIDENT: In a nationwide test to determine why people buy, price came in fifth, selection fourth, service third, quality second, and, in first place -- people said they patronize businesses in which they are confident.
5. PATIENT: Unless the person running your marketing is patient, it will be difficult to practice commitment, view marketing as an investment, be consistent, and make prospects confident. Patience is a guerrilla virtue.
6. ASSORTMENT: Guerrillas know that individual marketing weapons rarely work on their own. But marketing combinations do work. A wide assortment of marketing tools are required to woo and win customers.
7. CONVENIENT: People now know that time is not money, but is far more valuable. Respect this by being easy to do business with and running your company for the convenience of your customers, not yourself.
8. SUBSEQUENT: The real profits come after you've made the sale, in the form of repeat and referral business. Non-guerrillas think marketing ends when they've made the sale. Guerrillas know that's when marketing begins.
9. AMAZEMENT: There are elements of your business that you take for granted, but prospects would be amazed if they knew the details. Be sure all of your marketing always reflects that amazement. It's always there.
10. MEASUREMENT: You can actually double your profits by measuring the results of your marketing. Some weapons hit bulls-eyes. Others miss the target. Unless you measure, you won't know which is which.
11. INVOLVEMENT: This describes the relationlship between you and your customers -- and it is a relationship. You prove your involvement by following up; they prove theirs by patronizing and recommending you.
12. DEPENDENT: The guerrilla's job is not to compete but to cooperate with other businesses. Market them in return for them marketing you. Set up tie-ins with others. Become dependent to market more, spend less.
100 Marketing Weapons
These guerrilla marketing weapons should all be considered for promoting your product, service or website offline. Notice how more than half of them are free.
| 1. Marketing plan 2. Marketing calendar 3. Niche/positioning 4. Name of company 5. Identity 6. Logo 7. Theme 8. Stationery 9. Business card 10. Signs inside 11. Signs outside 12. Hours of operation 13. Days of operation 14. Window display 15. Flexibility 16. Word-of-mouth 17. Community involvement 18. Barter 19. Club/Association memberships 20. Partial payment plans 21. Cause-related marketing 22. Telephone demeanor 23. Toll free phone number 24. Free consultations 25. Free seminars and clinics 26. Free demonstrations 27. Free samples 28. Giver vs taker stance 29. Fusion marketing 30. Marketing on telephone hold 31. Success stories 32. Employee attire 33. Service 34. Follow-up 35. Yourself and your employees 36. Gifts and ad specialities 37. Catalog 38. Yellow Pages ads 39. Column in a publication 40. Article in a publication 41. Speaker at any club 42. Newsletter 43. All your audiences 44. Benefits list 45. Computer 46. Selection 47. Contact time with customer 48. How you say hello/goodbye 49. Public relations 50. Media contacts | 51. Neatness 52. Referral program 53. Sharing with peers 54. Guarantee 55. Telemarketing 56. Gift certificates 57. Brochures 58. Electronic brochures 59. Location 60. Advertising 61. Sales training 62. Networking 63. Quality 64. Reprints and blow-ups 65. Flipcharts 66. Opportunities to upgrade 67. Contests/sweepstakes 68. Online marketing 69. Classified advertising 70. Newspaper ads 71. Magazine ads 72. Radio spots 73. TV spots 74. Infomercials 75. Movie ads 76. Direct mail letters 77. Direct mail postcards 78. Postcard decks 79. Posters 80. Fax-on-demand 81. Special events 82.Show display 83. Audio-visual aids 84. Spare time 85. Prospect mailing lists 86. Research studies 87. Competitive advantages 88. Marketing insight 89. Speed 90. Testimonials 91. Reputation 92. Enthusiasm & passion 93. Credibility 94. Spying on yourself and others 95. Being easy to do business with 96. Brand name awareness 97. Designated guerrilla 98. Customer mailing list 99. Competitiveness 100. Satisfied customers |
Tales From the Front Line
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