Hey folks! I started out this blog with a post about my Saturday morning mug of tea, and my morning Tai Chi. I talked about how good this routine made me feel, and I meant it. Problem was, most other days started out in a rush and a cup of strong coffee. I’d been drinking it for years! In fact, the habit stems all the way back to the little me, around age five, who looked forward to that tiny bit of coffee my dad would leave in his cup when he left for work. He would get up from the table, and my mom would follow him to say goodbye. Now was my chance! I’d sneak up to the table and check his cup. Sure enough, there’d be those last few swallows of coffee, creamy with Coffee-mate and made even more interesting by a few stray coffee grounds! Mmmmm! I’d drink it down quickly, savoring the very adult taste on my tongue and feeling very pleased with myself. Later on, in high school, I could easily down four or five cups before I even left for school! I’d be flying high on a huge caffeine rush!
As I got older, though, I began to notice an increasing sensitivity to caffeine. I might meet a friend for coffee at Starbucks, and I’d leave feeling jittery and a little queasy. Sometimes, I’d get headaches, and my neck and upper back would get tight and achy. Other times, I’d feel irritable or anxious. Falling to sleep at night could sometimes be difficult, even though I only drank one cup a day. I can’t believe I didn’t tie all this back to the coffee! But I still thought I needed at least that one cup of coffee to get going in the morning. I really couldn’t imagine not having it!
Then one day, that all changed. It was Thanksgiving morning of 2017. As I went through my usual routine, I suddenly thought, “I don’t feel like coffee this morning; I think I’ll have tea instead.” I love tea and always have, and sometimes I did drink it in the morning instead of coffee, but about 95% of my mornings began with coffee – until this day. From this day forward, I switched from coffee in the mornings to tea, and it has been one of the best decisions I’ve made. I realize both coffee and tea have caffeine, but somehow tea is so much smoother at delivering it. I don’t feel any of those symptoms I used to feel from coffee. I am sleeping better at night. From that first day, I felt calm yet energetic – even at work. It’s like being high on life! No more jittery, irritable feelings. No more upset stomach. Just pure, healthy energy.
I still like the smell and taste of coffee, and for this reason I do keep a small jar of instant decaffeinated coffee around – just in case I’m really wanting that taste. But I’ve hardly used it. I love my tea, and I love trying different kinds. My old stand-by for the mornings is Earl Grey, but I also like a strong cup of green tea. Herbal teas are also wonderful, especially for at night, to wind down. I had a nice patch of lemon balm a while back, and was able to harvest a good amount for tea. Currently I have a small patch of chamomile growing that the squirrels have yet to find. Wish me luck with that! Anyway, just wanted to share my tea experience, in case it can help someone else who’s stuck in the coffee rut!
Be happy and well!
