Low Acid / Infrared Roasted Coffee is one of your best tools in succeeding at Intermittent Fasting and Keto.

So first let’s do a super quick dive into these two top health resolutions for the year: Intermittent Fasting and Keto. Knowledge is powerful!

INTERMITTENT FASTING

The Intermittent Fasting and Keto trend is not going away because it works!  That’s for sure. Keep in mind that your drink options are limited to water, coffee or tea with no sugar or sweetened creamer added. None!

With the growing worldwide health crisis tsunami related to metabolic syndrome, these valid and scientifically proven methods of intermittent fasting and the keto diet are turning the tide on metabolic syndrome and in particular Type II Diabetes [just to name one primary outcome].

The Keto and Fasting movement is growing exponentially. More and more actual randomized double blind scientific evidence about fasting is proving the feasibility of this natural health protocol. You will not only lose weight, improve general health markers like blood sugars, blood pressure and raise HDL cholesterol but you will boost your immune system.  Here is evidence from Science Direct which is a respected repository of scientific research studies and papers:

Several studies of dawn to sunset fasting showed anti-inflammatory effect by suppressing several pro-inflammatory cytokines, reducing oxidative stress, inducing a proteome response associated with increased autophagy, remodeling the gut microbiome, and improving the components of metabolic syndrome (e.g., obesity, blood glucose levels, blood pressure, lipids).

So let’s unpack all of that.

• Dawn to sunset is an older term, but essentially the same as today’s trendy term intermittent fasting. The term dawn to dusk eating has historically been connected to a common practice during the month of Ramadan and has been a great research test bed for the fasting camp for years.
• Intermittent fasting reduces things that are known to be causative in the inflammatory process. Inflammation is now known to be a progenitor to a number of today’s life style diseases like some cancers, cardiovascular disease (aka CVD) and more. Intermittent fasting reduces those inflammatory markers (inflammasomes) measurably.
• Intermittent fasting is known to trigger autophagy which is “the biological process that involves the enzymatic breakdown of a cell’s cytoplasm or cytoplasmic components (such as damaged or unneeded organelles or proteins) within the lysosomes of the same cell.”  In other words it cleans up our cells making them more energy production efficient and less prone to disease promotion.
• Along those same lines, it helps control components that lead to metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is considered to be the leading component and genesis leading to Type II Diabetes.

KETO

A Keto Diet is a synergistic solution [along with intermittent fasting] also attacking the real culprit: metabolic syndrome. In fact when combined with intermittent fasting it can be the proverbial left hook in your dietary one-two punch against metabolic syndrome. The name –KETO– comes from the word ketone.  Ketones are produced as another energy source your body can metabolize to produce ATP for energy at the cellular level in the mitochondria.

Basically a keto diet is one that is higher in healthy fats ( e.g. Omega 3) and significantly lower in carbohydrates (5-20% total carbs) compared to the traditional Standard American Diet (aka “SAD” 😔 ) This then lowers the amount of beta cell insulin required to be secreted by the pancreas to break down carbs. Thus the lowered intake of carbs results in a lowered insulin requirement and therefore a reduction of the glycogen/glucose load floating around in the blood stream.

It’s worth pointing out that insulin is a fat storage hormone. So if you lower the insulin production you in essence are likely to be lowering the storage of fat while at the same time burning stored visceral fat from the places you don’t need it such as your liver, middle abdomen and intra-muscular areas.

Metabolizing fat puts you into a state of ketosis to some degree and is in turn converted into ketones at the mitochondrial level which your body will, over time (usually 2-3 weeks), adapt to as it’s preferred source of fuel for the production of ATP/energy. This is what is referred to as becoming “fat adapted“.

You may be asking, “How does Low Acid – Infrared Roasted Coffee fit into all of this?”

With either of these approaches whether used independently or in duo, you need to remember that the one absolute No-No is sugar. Sugar is the enemy and a lot of carbs are absolutely off limits. For example, potatoes, carrots, pizza, most bread and so on.  But this also includes your beverages like sugar based sodas, sports drinks and energy drinks. These are called “High Glycemic Index options. In other words they will spike your insulin and therefor spike your glucose levels and throw you totally out of Ketosis. In other words you’ll stop the fat-burning process cold.

Case closed…end of story.

“So what can I drink?”

Your best friends are water, herbal teas, black & green tea, and yes coffee. However remember, that most coffees have a type of acid called Chlorogenic Acid that can trigger acid reflux in many people or at least aggravate it. Chlorogenic acid, the main phenolic compound and antioxidant compound in coffee may be a trigger.  More on that in a second…

• With Intermittent Fasting you will also need to cut out those luscious sugary laced coffee shop concoctions with syrups and whipped cream. They are “Verboten”!
• Surprisingly, with Keto you can use heavy cream (because it has zero carbs) or some half & half (which has <1 g of carbs per tablespoon) and some artificial sweeteners. But even with Keto, keeping carbs to a minimum is key.

Low Acid Coffee is now your best friend!

Enter Low Acid Coffee. Even better though is Infrared Roasted Low Acid Coffee.

Low acidity in coffee may be achieved through several methods:

• Dark Roasting coffee will reduce some of the acid. However, it’s worth noting that dark roasted coffees contain less caffeine as well ☹️
• Chemical processing – there are chemicals that can be applied to green coffee in a manufacturing process to reduce the acidity. ☹️
• Infrared Roasting is probably the best overall acid lowering method everything considered. With Infrared Roasting now any coffee at any roast profile can be Low Acid, whether you prefer French Roast, Full City or Medium City roasts. Plus all of your flavor options like Southern Pecan can now be produced as Low Acid Coffee!
• All of our more than 25 different coffees and blends from around the world are Infrared Roasted and therefore have lower chlorogenic acids.

Our Top 5 Low Acid Coffee Picks for 2024

These are listed by profiles: Bold, Medium and Water Processed Decaf

BOLD CATEGORY

French Roast

Our French Roast coffee is an Arabica bean harvested in Brazil. It has an amazing cupping score in county of 88. We take this bean well into the 2nd crack and a little beyond (about 30-45 seconds). This passes through the Full City Roast profile and results in a “dark chocolate” colored bean with reasonable oils.  Please note: THIS COFFEE WILL HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO BITTER AFTER-TASTE AS WELL! 😍

Auburn City Blend

Since 2005, Auburn City Blend has been our de facto “house blend” and our #1 Seller in the surrounding communities to our roastery as well as our large national on-line customer base. So this isn’t just a name recognition thing for Auburn fans. People love it just because of it’s marvelous well rounded deepness. Not over the top bold but a close first cousin.

To make that point, a year of so back we received this email from a man in Seattle, Washington, the coffee mecca of all places:

“Hey there, wanted to drop a short note of encouragement to you guys. I grew up in the greater Seattle area and have always considered myself somewhat of a coffee snob with so many great coffee choices close by. That said last weekend I was at a friends house here for dinner and he served your Auburn City Blend. I was amazed. This is really Great Coffee! You have a new customer now in Seattle, Washington ~ Jeff”

This coffee is a blend of three SHB (Strictly Hard Bean) African coffees all highly graded by each country’s rigorous standards. The beans come from Ethiopia, Tanzania and Rwanda, each roasted to a unique independent profile we have developed over nearly 20 years of roasting, then proportionally blended according to our proprietary recipe.

MEDIUM CATEGORY – Spotlight on Natural Processed Coffees

In our opinion, without question the best of the best when it comes to Low-Acid coffees and flavor for many are known as Natural Processed or Sun Dried coffees in the Medium to Medium Plus (aka “City Roast”) roast category. What is this?

In Natural or Sun Dried Processing, the coffee cherry is picked by hand and then  spread out on large patios to simply dry in the sun until they reach a predetermined moisture content level by the processing station agronomist. The dried coffee cherry turns from it’s bright red color to a dull blackish appearance.

The sugars in the pulp layer of the cherry [as it dehydrates in the sun] are absorbed in to the coffee bean, creating a synergism of natural florally, fruity aromatics coupled with smooth, balanced mouth feel when roasted. Absolutely no bitterness taken black and an almost “sweet” sensation (without any calories of course 😃). 

Here are our two top choices:

Honduran Microlot Fair Trade Organic Reserva Especial

Our Honduras Microlot Fair Trade Coffee that is also Natural Processed is called as Reserva Especíal.  And yes, it is very special!

It is a Natural Processed, also called “sun-dried”, Fair Trade, and USDA Organic coffee from Toomer’s Coffee. The floral and fruit aromatics come out as a jammy, strawberry & pineapple mix that will let you know this is a special coffee when you first open the bag.

The smooth, medium-bodied mouthfeel of this Honduras Fair Trade coffee is relaxing in and of itself, and each sip will wow your taste buds when coupled with the parallel combined stimulation taste and smell deliver.

This Honduran Organic Fair Trade coffee comes to us from COMSA (Cafe Organico Marcala, S.A) an all Organic and Fair Trade-certified co-op.

This coffee is grown at an elevation of 1,200 – 1,600 meters above sea level.  It undergoes a natural process and is sun dried on patios.  Harvest season is from January to March.

Ethiopian Natural Process Organic Sidamo – Fair Trade Shanta Global – Coffee

This Ethiopian Sidamo Natural Process (Sun Dried) coffee is sourced by our brokers as a Certified USDA Organic and FairTrade African coffee from family-owned farms of the Shanta Golba Cooperative.

Tasting notes are strawberry, pomegranate and jam with above average acidity and body! Enjoy!! Or as they in Swahili, “Kujivinjari”

WATER PROCESSED DECAF

Brazil Swiss Water Processed® Decaf Coffee

First, what is Water Processed Decaf? It is a method where pure water is used to remove 99%+ of the caffeine versus the chemical method our parents were used to back when.

Two of the most common water processing methods are Swiss Water Process® and Mountain Water Process. The result in either case is a chemical free decaf coffee with the purest flavor that you will swear is regular caffeinated coffee. Just no jitters. Please note that we only sell water processed decaf coffee.

(Here’s a much more detailed article on decaffeination by one of our coffee suppliers, Royal Coffee of New York)

These are our Top Five Low Acid choices based on orders. But we also have another 20+ blends, single origin and even flavored coffees, all low acid, to choose from. So please visit our main store page to see what else we offer.

We are all-in on the Keto and Intermittent Fasting train here at Toomer’s Coffee.  We practice both disciplines daily and have for nearly 6 years.  So if you have any other questions about our unique infrared roasting method that produces all of our low-acid coffees, feel free to use our contact form to send us your questions.

Good Health to you from Toomer’s Coffee!