Coffee…friend or foe?

Coffee is my friend…most of the time.  Sometimes it’s a frenemy. But before I get into my long-term relationship with coffee, how cool is this mug??!!

It’s a funny story behind the mug.  I saw it in a friend’s Facebook post and had to have it.  This mug was made for me.  I’m all about manifesting, and positive affirmations, and everything else that some people might think is a little woo-woo out there, but I also have a mouth like a sailor at times.  Which makes this mug is perfect for me.  So I googled it, found it on Etsy, placed an order, and waited….and waited…it took a week and a half 🙁   And then found out that my Facebook friend actually got hers at Home Goods.  So I could have hopped in the car and had the mug in my hands in like 15 minutes!  (By the way, thanks Rebecca F!)

Back to the coffee…I have always loved the taste.  Even as a little kid, I would ask my mom for sips of her coffee.  I ate Dannon coffee yogurt and Breyer’s coffee ice cream.  (This was back in the 70’s, when ice cream and yogurt had like 3 ingredients.  All of which you could pronounce.)

Sometime in high school, I discovered that coffee could help me stay alert and focused when I had to stay up late and study.  And I was pretty much hooked throughout high school, college, and into adulthood.

I’ve never been someone who needs to drink a ton of coffee.  And thankfully I’ve never been a fan of big sugary coffee drinks. But I enjoy a cup in the morning, and enjoy the whole social aspect of “meeting for coffee.”  I love checking out cute coffee shops, especially when they roast their own beans (like St. Thomas and Little Amps here in Harrisburg).

So when is coffee not my friend?  When I get carried away…too much coffee, too much stress, too little sleep.  Tired and wired is not a good thing.  I actually broke up with coffee for over three years.  I could go into the science behind this…adrenal stress, elevated cortisol levels, blah, blah, blah.  But that’s not really my style.  Bottom line is, I knew I had to give it up for awhile, because it was making me feel like crap.

Eventually, after three years of chai, and trying every other tea known to man, I let coffee back into my life.  I truly savor the cup I have in the morning (blended with coconut oil, ghee and collagen, so I’m getting all kinds of good stuff in).  Since I enjoy a big cup of coffee, I mix regular and decaf in my cute little French press so I don’t get too wired.  And I listen to my body, and pay attention to my schedule.  If I’m goimg to be up late, a cup in the afternoon is no problem.  If I want to go to bed early I skip it, or make a matcha latte if I’m at home.  Even though that has caffeine as well, I have absolutely no problem falling asleep, and staying asleep.

I’m just telling you what works for me.  If you can have a triple espresso after dinner and sleep well that night, more power to you.  Coffee is high in beneficial antioxidants, and many studies have shown that it improves mental alertness and retention, as well as athletic performance.  Oh, and it makes me happy!

Bottom line is, listen to your body.  I’d love to hear from you.  How does coffee make you feel?