My other big dietary change – beyond the Healthy Heart stuff – has been cutting my caffeine intake to one cup a day.
If I’m to take a prescription to counter an unrelated medical problem, the caffeine has to be greatly curbed. Seems it counteracts the medicine.
This has been major. I’m a writer, after all, and a retired journalist. My habitual intake had been three to five mugs a day. Café au lait mugs, a third to a half filled with milk.
It’s the way I wake up and also the way I continue through the day. Or did.
I’m still waking up to a café au lait mug. We use dark-roasted beans or Spanish ground coffee, essentially espresso. It’s rich, flavorful, and stands up to the milk and sugar I add – enough, as I joke, to turn the brew into chocolate.
By chance, I came upon an instant coffee substitute – Cafix – at the local natural foods store, and this serves nicely for the second round.
By midafternoon, though, I’d really like a jolt of the real stuff. That I miss. Many days I find myself taking a nap instead.
Should we go to half-decaf on the real coffee itself? I feel that’s cheating.
Or cut out the coffee altogether? Now we’re talking daily ritual, as in showering or dressing.
Or just use a demitasse and take one quick gulp?
No, I’ll just resolve myself to slowly sipping the one I have. Down to the last drop, without complaining.
Well, then. Salud! And top of the morning to you, too.
Have you tried weaning yourself off? Of course you might not be able to if caffeine interferes with medication. I tried it once. Did the half decaf and half real 4 mugs a day, then worked my way down to one mug. Then blew it and started drinking 4 mugs of caffeine a day again. I have no compelling reason not to, and I love the studies that say caffeine helps stave off dementia!
Maybe I’ll wean eventually. I do like that kick in the morning, though.
Between cutting coffee and cutting my hair, I’d cut the hair. You have a great attitude about it!