The Coffee Controversy
I decided to stop drinking coffee about a month ago. I figured I could save some money and improve my health at the same time so it seemed like a good idea. I was fully prepared to experience all the awful withdrawal symptoms that I've heard other people describe. You see, I used to drink about 20 cups a day when I was in my twenties. This all started because my mom and I both developed an allergy to Austin city water. I don't know what they started doing to the water, but we couldn't drink it without getting a mouth full of little blisters. She switched to bottle water and I switched to coffee. I have no idea why coffee made with city water didn't bother me, but it was readily available at work and I couldn't afford to bring in my own bottled water every day so that became my beverage of choice. Somewhere along the line, probably in my thirties, I decided that 20 cups of coffee a day wasn't such a good idea so I cut down to 12 cups. When our 12 cup coffee maker broke I bought an eight cup instead as a way to cut down further. I pretty much stuck to eight cups a day though there were times when I would make a second pot. The week I decided to stop drinking coffee I started making those eight cups at "normal" strength instead of my usual "super" strength. I intended to wean myself off of it gradually, but decided weak coffee just wasn't for me so I quit cold turkey. Much to my surprise, I had no headaches, no irritability, and I didn't turn into a raving lunatic. I wasn't any more or less groggy in the morning and the only difference was that my morning stuffy nose and puffy eyes (from allergies) had turned into a day long affair. Now that I've traded my morning coffee for a morning sinus pill I have to wonder what benefit have I gained? I seriously doubt that sinus medication is any better for me than coffee. I think I'll be putting coffee back on the grocery list.