Helloooooo. Happy Tuesday to ya! What’s going on this morning? We’re heading into the usual morning routine and Livi has her 100th day of school celebration. They asked the kids to dress like a 100-year-old, so naturally, I ordered her this grey wig on Amazon and cat-eye glasses. I’m taking today off from the gym, so I’ll be using the am and naptime to blitz on work stuff.
For today, I thought we could talk about caffeine. I can’t believe that I’ve been on decaf coffee for 6 months now! I’ve stayed away from caffeinated beverages since my surgery, and I thought for sure I would go back eventually. I’m surprised it’s lasted this long, but I’m riding it out while it still makes sense.
Why I Quit Caffeine
I’ve been hooked on caffeine since college. It’s kind of funny that I met the love of my life at Starbucks – because Starbucks was a HUGE part of my caffeine addiction. The Pilot couldn’t believe this when I met him: I had a 16-cup coffee maker and would make all 16 cups in the morning and drink it throughout the course of the day. Not healthy at all. I had an enormous Wizard of Oz Dorothy mug that held at least 6 cups. I’ve always loved the taste of coffee and the energy it gave me. My life in college involved a lot more physical demands than my life does today – I’d go to school all day, teach or take a total of 3-4 dance classes at night, then go home or to the library to study until the early hours of the morning – and I drank coffee all.day.long.
MY OTHER RECIPES
Over time, I started to cut back and my “happy place” was 1-2 cups a day. I’d have one in the morning when I woke up and one in the afternoon with a little snack. In the past few years, I cut out the afternoon coffee because I realized it was affecting my sleep and making me jittery. While I’ve always loved coffee (and caffeine, like energy drinks), I’ve also suffered from anxiety for a long time. I’ve had it since I was very young – as young as I can remember – and when I was in college I started experiencing panic attacks.
Caffeine and Anxiety
At my worst…
