I cringe at the word addiction. Partly because it sounds so serious, and also because I would like to remain in active denial that I am craving a daily caffeine fix.
How did this happen?! I’ve conquered this…over and over ….and over again.
Realistically, one cup of coffee a day is hardly a serious problem. However, even just one cup symbolizes the neediness and dependance I feel for it, and that is what I don’t want. Truthfully, I’m not sure I’m fully physically addicted, but I have drunk coffee for enough days in sequence that I’m now drinking it mainly because I don’t have time to have a headache later (in case that would happen).
Plus: I love Starbucks coffee.
Across the street from my current home, I can get coffee at Starbucks or Bruegger’s (via the drive thru when I’m not presentable enough to exit my car). Or I could go to Max Market…or the 0.24 miles to Wegmans…or even hop the fence and get it at Monroe Diner or Friendly’s (…I’d have to be really desperate to do that). My point is that there are ample opportunities for me to fill my possibly fake need for coffee each day. And I have been.
Of course I’m overreacting a bit…but I’ve been reading about the issues with food we have in our country based on overabundance. Between 1900 and 1960, the government was recommending that people Eat More in order to enhance health, and then the tables turned as food became more convenient, processed, and cheap. Now our culture promotes that we should Eat Less in order to prevent disease.
Enter: A Negative Perspective on Food, and Feelings of Deprivation and Guilt.
Coffee is my current guilty pleasure, and I’m planning to oust it, but I would rather focus on what I can Eat More of so it can be phased out positively and painlessly.
Coffee is the pothole I’ve been falling into lately (and loving every sip!), so my plan for replacing it includes:
Do you have guilty pleasures you want to oust? Or maybe you just want to stop feeling guilty about them?
I’m all for taking the positive perspective and adding good things to my life…not stressing about the potholes I’m falling in…and gradually noticing that the vices become a smaller part of my life when I’m not feeling intense about them.
Hope you have a great week! I’m officially on Summer Break from teaching face-to-face, and can teach online from anywhere (which is probably why I have 4 trips planned this summer!). Tomorrow I’ll be checking in from Florida, and I have a great conference to look forward to in a couple weeks—Food As Medicine. On a side note, I’ve been asked to design a course for an online master’s program, and I get to choose the topic (Lucky ME!)—I think Food As Medicine may just be my topic.
Great post!!!!!!! I love coffee too…..am trying to not drink too much of it though!
Oh, Food as medicine sounds like a great conference!! How fun! 🙂
Yum!! for everything!! the brownies sound awesome as does that tea/apple cider concoction!!
Your brownies look sooo gooey and delicious. Do you have the recipe on your site? I am sort of addicted / in love with the “idea” of my daily caffeine fix, I dont think my body is truly needing it, but I do enjoy it!
Um…you need to share that brownie recipe, stat. It looks ooey, gooey and yummy. 🙂
i’d say coffee is my guilty pleasure too, but I think its because it comforts me in the morning. like a routine. I am anxious to hear more about your studies on food deprivation, etc.
I love your attitude — deprivation is no good and looking at what you CAN have is a great way to look at things.
I loovee coffee way too much, but if I could substitute with tea and those brownies I think it would be an easy transition! You must post that recipe!! =)
I am all about phasing out the coffee cravings I have right now. For me it is simply because it doesn’t feel like I actually “need” it. It feels like I am drinking it out of habit.
I’m totally addicted to coffee…and sugar…i just can’t seem to quit! good luck 🙂
I give up coffee every now and then because someone convinces me I should. Then I don’t feel any different and I wonder why I did! I don’t actually think I feel any physical effects from caffeine, because I don’t notice anything when I stop drinking it. I just think it’s tasty 🙂 I haven’t had any coffee for over a week but I don’t really feel the need to give it up permanently.
ooo, yippee for summer break! i hope you have a marvelous time this summer with travel, the conference, and the course designing. nice to switch up the routine.
i now love coffee since starting to drink it this winter. starbucks via is my favourite.
i love diet coke and have an on-again/off-again love affair with it. it causes me a lot of stress. i’m trying to take a “in the grand scheme of things…” approach but i need to think more about our relationship (dc + me)!
safe travels tomorrow! and thanks for sharing about coffee + you!
I know how you feel with the coffee. I used to work at Starbucks, and actually overdid the coffee drinking — I’d have 3 venti cups of espresso roast a day, and not feel any side effects…until one day I got coffee and it tasted HORRIBLE. I thought it was a bad batch or something, but for three years coffee tasted terrible to me. When I was tested for intolerances/allergies to determine if gluten was a problem for me, sure enough coffee came up on the list. Strange, huh? Now that I’m working with coffee again, I’ve been having the smallest amounts (like four oz with steamed milk) and it’s been agreeing with me. I love caffeinated chai tea and chocolate, I tend to have those at least once a day. I”m actually on my way to meet my husband at a coffee shop that makes amazing espresso, and thinking about getting a machiatto….or a super small au lait….we’ll see. Congrats on being on summer break! Yeay for taking the positive! That food as medicine conference sounds AMAZING!!!
They’re so good, I’ll definitely post the recipe soon! I think I’ll make
them again so I can get some better pics (and eat them!).
I’ll share it this week—they really are amazing. As I was making them I
wondered how they would turn into actual brownies…..but, wow!
I used to require 2 cups a day to function, but now I’m okay only having it once or twice a month. I appreciate it so much more… and I don’t get a splitting headache anymore on days I go without. Well, I usually don’t! You never know though!
Hope Florida is hot and sunny for ya!
Hahaha I LOVE COFFEE TOO. Except I haven’t had any since almost a year ago. I know, impressive. It just tastes soooo good though. It took forever to kick the habit! I am so glad to hear all about your Florida trippin when you get back:)))
I’m a coffee lover too! Just one cup a day as a nice morning treat. It’s something I really enjoy and don’t plan on kicking it anytime soon!
Those brownies look to. die. for.(!!!)
I’ve never been a fan of coffee. I love coffee flavored things, and love to have a great espresso or cappuccino, but it’s something I never got into the habit of. Caffeine doesn’t really affect me so I never “needed” coffee to get my day going.
Anyways, those brownies sounds great! I’d love to see the recipe in a future post! I definitely wouldn’t think they were “different!” haha 🙂
Yay for you bring on Summer Break, have a great time in Florida!
I mix apple cider vinegar and local honey with a tall glass of water each day so I’m excited for your upcoming post about jiaogulan and apple cider vinegar!
Hi Lisa,
We’ve posted your wonderful guest post on the SunButter blog. We also nabbed your photo from here — is that okay? And we added a little disclaimer to help people out. It’s this: Of course, Lisa’s post reflects her own views, and is not intended to replace your family physician’s advice. ok by u?
I’m a big coffee girl! It’s just become such a habit for me to pour a cup in my thermos to take to work every morning. It definitely gets me down sometimes to think that it is an addiction…but then I tell myself, hey it’s better than alcohol right? 🙂
Hi Elizabeth,
That’s great!
Thank you—I’ll post a link to it as well.
Lisa
I think wine is my guilty pleasure. I know that there is a lot of negative about coffee, but I’ve also read so much on the benefits (of like 1 cup of course).
“They would go better with coffee” ….HA! I enjoy coffee. although I am not addicted. Have it about 2x week. I love it a lot though and even think about drinking it more just because it’s something I enjoy that I don’t have to feel too guilty about. strange where food has taken us over the last 100 years…
I like to think I could go without coffee. I’ve been drinking more lately and need to cut back to my one cup a day. Have fun in Florida! I’m super jealous. I need a beach vacation so badly.
Lisa,
I can TOTALLY relate to your coffee issue. I used to be fully addicted to coffee and caffeine and then was able to gradually give it up when I quit my early am breakfast cook job. (There was no way I was going to give it while working that job! 😛 )
I still have cravings for it all the time. Fortunately, the coffee my husband makes at home is so thick it resembles tar so I’m not tempted by it. I have a little instant decaf for a once in a while cup however, I’m really enjoying tazo’s chai tea. It has a good amt of caffeine but less than coffee and plenty of invigorating spice 🙂
Congrats on being done for the summer (at least in person) Can’t wait to hear about your travels! 🙂
i am a coffee lover too, mainly it is part of my morning ritual. although I have noticed it slowly become an addiction. I am trying to cut back slowly, but do not think I will get rid of it completely. Would love to hear more about these teas. I do not like tea, but willing to try.
Have fun in FL!!!
oh my goodness, i’m on the same boat as you, girl! I hate to admit being “addicted” to coffee, but in all honesty, it’s hard to deny the cravings! i think tea is a great way to kick the habit, and that sweet orange stevia drink looks AMAZING too! (i have no idea what jiaogulan is though!?!) and LOVE that brownie recipe! omg SO.Trying.This!! so easy and SupER healthy, and omg it looks so fudgy! do you have proportions or ya just wing it!? anyways, I LOVE your blog, like for realz girl!!
Love this post. I think the interesting thing is to add in more of what you want to focus on, like you said. I wonder if you found something that has triggered your need for coffee again. No judgement here as I partake too. What I have heard is that if you do partake in it, to balance it out with some maca and a pinch of salt in your cup. Doesn’t really alter the taste to much.
I also love Matcha Green Tea which you could try and therefor has the added benefits to it as opposed to coffee. Anyways, great post. Looking forward to hearing about your jiaogulan tea. I will be thinking about that brownie…..
I feel the same about coffee and want to stop the addiction. I also only drink one cup per day but the fact that I feel the need to drink it disturbs me. I’m currently trying to drink 1/2 of a mug everyday and I hope I can decrese the intake further more in a month or so.
just found your blog through Gina and wanted to say hi.
Thanks for saying hi Coco!
I’m taking the coffee thing a day at a time…I’m at about a half a cup a
day, and I think I’ll just stay here until I feel totally ok about cutting
it down a little more (it is hard to make a quarter of a cup of coffee
though!). 🙂
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