Hi Dev
Sounds like this family isn’t likely to affect your IQ but does affect how you feel about yourself. When I read about the grape juice, well some fruit will affect your stomach, and we are all individuals and our digestive systems will be impacted in different ways. When people offer advice, which they always do, it’s best to weigh up whether there is any truth in it , but it doesn’t mean that you have to follow it or consider yourself stupid.
We all know that coffee , and tea ( in my case being in the U.K. ) has caffeine in it, and that can and does affect our health at times. It’s also true that it is addictive. However to attribute everything to these two things is not helpful. I know that if I stop taking tea, or coffee my body will go through withdrawal for about two weeks ( headaches ) so that tells me there are toxins in both. However drinking both tea and coffee also relaxes me , so it helps with stress ( which also can have a knock on effect on health )
Some People are very opinionated with some things, it sounds as if you need this relative to talk to but equally you perhaps need to find a way of accepting that he is going to always blame certain things but allow it to go over your head and not allow his words or views to second guess yourself.
My dad was very critical of so many people, it use to drive me nuts at times to the point that it use to drain me. In the end accepting that this was his way and he wasn’t ever going to change, and also understanding that it showed a vulnerability ( it boosted him to think he was better than others because he didn’t really feel very good about himself on the inside )
Don’t let this person define who you are ……..or cause you to second guess yourself. Xxx