I’m an Addict!

When deeds speak, words are nothing.

My morning coffee is very important to me.  I like a cup or two or three every morning.  I’m not sure if it’s a ritual but I know it’s definitely a habit.  I usually only drink coffee now in the morning though.  Before I wised up I used to say I didn’t care if it was decaffeinated or caffeinated.  I just wanted the hot beverage.  I used to say that but that was before we ran out of the hard stuff at work one day and had to revert to decaffeinated.  It just happened to be one of those days I had also rushed out of the house without my normal cup and relied on getting my morning dosage of caffeine at work.  Instead of being smart and heading down to the cafeteria to get the real thing, I ignorantly drank the decaffeinated coffee.  By noon I had the most awful headache.  Withdrawal had started.  Of course, I was still in denial.  I wasn’t addicted to the stuff … or was I?  It was only later that afternoon when someone actually refilled the coffee machine with a good scoop or two of Folgers, that I realized I was addicted. My headache disappeared soon afterward.  The caffeine in the coffee was something I craved.  It was one thing I was determined not to give up.  I’m just a little better prepared now for those times coffee may not be available.  I’m also not so much in denial.   

Most addicts will tell you they really enjoy the thing they are addicted to.  I’m addicted to coffee and I definitely enjoy it.  However, coffee isn’t really that bad for you …. other than the addiction and the occasional headache.  It isn’t.  I know.  I’ve read all about it on the internet.  The internet is always right.  We know that.  This is what I found and I know it has to be right because it was from Health.Com.

There are proven health benefits from drinking as many as three cups a day of coffee a day unless you have high blood pressure or a number of other things that coffee might trigger a reaction to such as anxiety.  However, I’m only here to dwell on my justifications for continuing with my own coffee addiction and not the reason why others shouldn’t drink it.

Perk No. 1: Coffee helps fight disease. -- Caffeine may help protect brain cells from the damage that causes Parkinson's, dementia and Alzheimer's.  To top it off the antioxidants in coffee could help prevent liver disease. Shouldn’t that be reason enough to remain a coffee drinker?

Perk No. 2: It boosts your brainpower. -- Coffee keeps you juiced when you’re sleep-deprived, but a cup can also sharpen memory and keep you alert.  If it makes you too jittery, mix regular with decaf, or drink it with breakfast. Just avoid caffeine for at least four hours before bedtime.  I am careful not to have much caffeine before bed.  I’m now working on a addiction in the evening to herbal tea.  There’s no caffeine in the tea and it sure tastes good on a cool evening.

 

Perk No. 3: It keeps you slim. --

  That’s what they say but I’m sure there are as many fat people as skinny people who drink coffee.  Supposedly the caffeine in coffee can speed up metabolism and fat-burning, which helps lower your risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity.  Black coffee is one of the lowest-calorie drink choices around.  It’s also cheap.  Even though the price of coffee fluctuates at the store, just think how many cups you can get out of one of those almost 3-pound containers. 

So, one of the most important items packed away in our motorhome as we head south is a 3-pound tin of coffee plus a couple of those little single Coffee baggies …. just in case.  I’m not a coffee connoisseur.  I’m just a dedicated morning coffee drinker.  In the evenings ... I've become a dedicated tea drinker but that's another story for another day and another blog.

Terry?  Well, he gets his caffeine through Pepsi but I’m certain he doesn’t have the rest of the health benefits the internet says are in coffee.

A couple more days and we'll be on the road south.  I think our timing is just right.  The fall rains have arrived after nearly 3 1/2 months of no rain.  We're almost ready .... just a couple more soccer games to go to.

‘Tis life on the road.