Left Lane
Life, web, and caffeine. By Pat Collins.
A Life Without Coffee
Published March 14th, 2006It’s hard to imagine a life without coffee. Its rich aromas awaken the bodies and minds of billions of people each day. It has been highly regarded for centuries, including by yours truly.
Which is precisely why I’m going without it for a while.
Through some sort of twisted, masochistic logic, I’ve decided to go without coffee, caffeinated or otherwise, until Easter. It’s not for any overly-religious reason, really; I think my body can use the detox. Please note that I am giving up coffee, not caffeine. Coffee is the main source of my caffeine addiction (there, I said it), so if I cut it out I think it will help.
Since I’ve been without coffee since March 2, tea has been a great substitute. The chai tea latte from Aldo Coffee I tried this morning was spectacular. So I turn the discussion over to you, dear readers: how would you adjust to a life without coffee?
Uh….. I don’t think I could handle that.
Ever since I got an espresso machine at the home, I’ve been living on coffee – not just as an occasional pick-me-up.
Sadly, that means I’m not much a help to you, Pat. But you’re a good man, Charlie Brown, for doing what you’re doing… you’re a good man.
What kind of sick person would drive you to do this to yourself?
i quit smoking the other day… than decided to give up coffe as well - at least for a while…
detox is a good thing… tea helps
I.
I never got into coffee and dropped caffeine years ago. It really stared to bother me when the daily Mountain Dew I drank became less about enjoying a cold drink and more about avoiding lethargy and headaches. That was it for me and I haven’t looked back.
Waking up in the morning and not needing a substance to “get me going” is liberating. And personally I’ve developed a strong dislike of a legal structure that allows a corporation to infuse a product with an addictive substance like caffiene in the first place. Soft drinks don’t have caffiene as a natural byproduct like coffee and some teas do - it is a purposeful additive - an addiction inducing stimulant. That’s just not right.
I don’t think I could live without a morning coffee (my heart would literally stop beating without caffeine). However, I have limited myself to one cup per day and resorting to Arizona Green Tea whenever I feel like I could use some.
I’ve tried lowering my caffeine intake lately, but I haven’t had much success. Chai is good, but chai is to a coffee drinker as methadone is to a heroin addict.
I’ve been really bad at following up on the discussion. Forgive me. Here are my thoughts on your thoughts:
Nemesis: An evil, evil person.
Igor: Wow, good for you. Quitting smoking is even harder. Doing both is an enormous leap.
JZ: The caffeine headaches are killer. I found myself needing an afternoon fix at around 2pm, and drip coffee usually did the trick. After that, though, when the caffeine wore off I was dead tired and usually had no energy or desire for dinner. It definitely wasn’t healthy.
Thame: One cup for me almost always involved me giving in and ordering a 20oz coffee, which is definitely not one cup. (It’s actually 2.5 cups if I’m counting right.) It’s easier to look objectively now than subjectively when I was in the thick of it, though.
Oatmeal: Haha. Agreed, man. Chai is usually a poor substitute, but I could live on the spiced chai I mentioned. Too bad the place is so out of my way or I’d drink it every day.
You see, I don’t have to worry about getting a 20oz coffee because I’m a broke college student
I’m financially restricted to 12oz of coffee per day with an additional 99c Green Tea if I’m feeling rich.
Pat, I couldn’t help but notice that ever since you gave up coffee, you have slowed down on your LeftLane posts.
You are a weak…. weak…. little man.
I find it very troublesome that someone can actually be motivated by a hot beverage. I feel sorry for your employer.
well, i realized that if i’m gonna kill myself, might as well throw away the poisons and do it w/paraglider
Good news: I’ve been getting free drink coupons from different friends and Starbucks employees because of my story. This way I’ll have a nice lil’ addiction again. I’m not sure if I should thank them or hate them.
Pat, if you ever see me in the kitchen when you’re in the store, be sure to get my attention - been meaning to call you back, but never seems to be a good time.
I like coffee. It’s not about the caffeine, it’s about the taste. Espresso made from 100% Arabica beans doesn’t have much caffeine anyway.
Never could get into tea. And chai… I suppose I shouldn’t say this as a coffeehouse owner, but eewww. I’d take Yerba Mate over chai in a flash… except Melanie won’t let me serve it in the shop (we do have a bag hidden).
I’ve given up drinking alcohol for long stretches (four years once) and recently gave up smoking after 30+ years. But coffee? Nope. The smell, the taste… just wouldn’t be a good day without some.
And toss those damned Starbucks coupons. It’s bad enough they’re everywhere, now they’re poaching. And they have their own movie coming out, Tom Hanks and all. Leeches I say!
Rich: In my line of work, coffee becomes a catalyst for productivity. Some rely on it more than others. I needed to jump off the bandwagon for a while.
I never really respected chai as a drink in itself until I tried the spiced chai you guys have. Holy crap is that good. In fact, a nice large cup of it accompanied me as I concluded my apartment adventures yesterday. I’m actually not sorry that you don’t like it. More for me!
I’ll be sure to stop by again soon to say hi.
I was on a detox for a while, and then one day I found myself in a Starbucks. Naturally, I ordered “the usual” from habit. I’m thinking about going on detox again.
Tea was always a great substitute for me. Morrocan mint and double spice chai is my favorite. Both from “Stash Tea”:http://www.stashtea.com . That is only a substitute though. I love going through the metropolitan market, or international district to find new tea’s that have been imported.
I don’t touch coffee or coke. Running is my addiction…