For a few years now, I've been a morning coffee/tea drinker, and I've always adamantly argued that I was not addicted... that the few mornings I didn't get my jolt, I wasn't more tired, less lively, less bouncy than my usual self.
And I'm still pushing that argument; still this is probably the first time in a few years that I've gone a whole week without any form of caffeine.
I had a pretty nasty headache for about 2 days, but other than that, no withdrawal symptoms noted...
Lent is the remembrance of Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness tempted by the devil, tended by the angels, fasting from bread and water, but alive with the bread of God.
As many a lovely Lenten service has identified, Jesus was temped with his identity, with his relationships, with the core of who he was and his purpose on the earth...
And really, during Lent, we give something up to identify with Jesus in his wilderness, though, really, giving up chocolate or caffeine or tea or meat can't really compare to 40 days without food and shelter, it's a small reminder that comfort is not something we are owed.
I've been learning about myself this Lenten season and it's only been a week.
For example, coffee is my security blanket. When I'm stressed, I want a coffee. When I have a hard day, I want a coffee. Coffee is a treat. It's something warm and soothing... I can feel the warmth in the cup radiating through my body. The caffeine uplifts my mood, quickens my heart beat, focuses my eyes, clenches my muscles in my head and neck to a ball of energy... a focused laser, a thread through the eye of a needle... me and coffee are a formidable match.
Coffee is also my go-to for boredom. It's my constant companion. If I'm early, I'll get a coffee... I've got my S'Buck's finder app, I can wander around where ever I am and find the good coffee and grab a jo to go before showing up annoyingly early... Finding coffee is almost half of the fun and without it as an excuse, I just show up early. Rarely can you see me without some cup in my hand... and I wonder, do I really want to drink all this or am I just doing it to do something?
Coffee is a status symbol. Chillin in the cafe with my java and a book or my android or my laptop... I just feel so cool. Coffee and chillin is the thing to do... I don't even know if I can read without a hot beverage by my side anymore, to be honest... it just feels unnatural without it there. Even if I don't know that I'm out letting people watch me sip my hip bevvy, I am... <--sad...
What I'm realizing about myself is that as much as I love coffee, I don't always drink it because I love it, but for many other reasons. Already I'm feeling more hydrated, more chill, and, I'll admit, a bit more tired.
Do I think I'll forego caffeine permanently after Lent--no... definitely not. It doesn't keep me going, but I just like caffeinated drinks too much to let them go. Also, numerous studies show that there are health benefits to moderate caffeine intake (Ha! So educate yourself).
What I'm most interested in is my gut reaction to a fight at work or a horrible meeting... my heart says "Let's get some coffee. It'll make it better..." and after a week without it, my head is going ??? How did coffee ever make this shit better?
Honestly, though coffee has been known to prevent the effects of depression sinking in, it doesn't solve my problems... it's just a small, short-term feeling of euphoria before the litter box of turds comes crashing down on my head again...
Live and learn... don't worry about the coffee, get down on your knees girl...
Till next week!
Actually, coffee is quite the opposite with it's true effects! “Caffeine can cause headaches, digestive problems, irritation of the stomach and the bladder, peptic ulcers, diarrhea, constipation, fatigue, anxiety, and depression. It affects every organ in the system, from the nervous system to the skin. Caffeine raises stress hormone levels, inhibits important enzyme systems that are responsible for cleaning the body, and sensitizes nerve reception sites. One study even links caffeine to an increased susceptibility to diabetes. But don’t go grabbing for the decaf. Coffee, whether regular or decaf is highly acidic [which we already know stimulates fat cell production and supports the growth and spread of cancer cells]”
ReplyDeleteI quit coffee and feel better than ever!
Are you sure Lent is not an augmentation of 'weeping for Tammuz'? No? Why do people eat ham at the end of their 'weeping'? Why search for evidence of that elusive egg laying hare, the object of Tammuz's mother?
ReplyDeleteI am certain that if you look at every non-scriptural supported celebration you will find its origin comes from another vine. The devil only lies when it is almost true.
But coffee is delicious!
Yeh, I've been reading studies on coffee for a few years now and they say really opposite things. Some say it'll kill you (and they all admit enough of it will,) and others say that with a moderated amount, it's good for you. It's so confusing. That link has the "How much of this drink would kill me" button, which I find highly amusing and also very telling.
ReplyDelete