H-H-How Much C-C-Coffee Have You Had This Morning?

Hey Everyone,

We all know that coffee is an almost essential part of most people's morning routines.

But with lawsuits being filed over things like energy drinks and Panera Bread's "Supercharged Lemonade," I'd like to start a conversation about caffeine in general, no matter how people choose to intake it (coffee, tea, soft drinks, health supplements, chocolate, etc.)

I'm someone who seems to be extra sensitive to caffeine and probably should just go without it. But like most people, I've fallen pray to that steaming cup o' Joe that seems to beckon me every morning (and decaf just isn't the same!) And so I've been trying my best to limit myself to just one cup per day (while trying not to cheat by using my 16 oz. purple Minion coffee mug!)

I've also noticed that I seem to be much more prone to rogue snacking throughout the day when I've had caffeine, and have always wondered if I'd drop a few pounds if I could just kick it for good.

How about you?

* How much coffee, tea, soda (caffeinated drinks) caffeinated foods do you usually have in a day/week?

* Do you find caffeine to be a necessity? Or can you easily go without it on any given day?

* Does caffeine affect your health? Do you have problems with jitters, withdrawal headaches, insomnia, high blood pressure?

* What do you do to to control your caffeine intake (if at all,) and have you noticed a difference?

* What age do you think is appropriate for someone to drink coffee everyday? Or does it not matter, because some kids drink colas/soft drinks on a regular basis?

With caffeine being such an integrated part of our lives, I'm interested in hearing how it affects others and if you see it as a harm or a helper.

*Lynx sneaks in and drops a comic link.

https://www.gocomics.com/darksideofthehorse/2024/01/19

I have one large mug of coffee per day during the weekends, as I don't have time during the weekdays to make coffee. I also have one can of zero sugar soda per day or at least a few times per week. Drinking soda only started a few years ago (I didn't drink it for many years before that), so I am cutting back on that. Zero sugar soda does have caffeine.

I can live without caffeine itself, but I like the taste of coffee and soda. I do notice slight headache and stomach upset with strong coffee. I also drink more herbal than non-herbal tea.

For a serious answer:

It all depends on the person. And probably the age of the person. I can see where I will probably lean on coffee a lot when I get older. At 45 I don't use it unless I have only got, like, maybe 4 hours of sleep and I need to get through a work shift. And I never eat chocolate after noon. If I eat chocolate at 6:00 p.m. I will never get to sleep at night.

Then there's my uncle Fred who can drink a pot and a half of coffee and then take a nap... No negative health effects yet.

I find these kinds of people fascinating.

I had a boss whose blood type I'm sure was Arabica Bean, and we used to joke that someone should just hook him up to an IV, but he seemed to be immune to all the effects.

Either that or these people have just burned up all their neuron receptor sites that have any reaction to caffeine!

Me... I seem to be the opposite. I can feel the effects of minute amounts of caffeine, and also alcohol (which is why I hardly ever drink. Drinking doesn't give me a good feeling, it makes me feel woozy.)

I started drinking homemade ginger tea, and found it gave me what felt like an even MORE shaky effect, and I couldn't sleep for a couple of nights. After digging through piles of Google articles, I finally found one that said a small percentage of the population is sensitive to ginger, which can act as a stimulant (bingo!)

This is also why I've never so much as taken a puff on a cigarette, and have never touched street drugs -- knowing my luck I'd be hooked from the get-go and have every adverse side effect know to humankind, plus a few other thrown in as a bonus.

About four cups per day. Sunday through Friday, I'll drink what I call "Aldi's Blue bag" coffee. On Saturday, its fresh ground coffee.


For me, coffee is more of a tonic than anything else. I will get a slight headache if I go without for a day or more. There have been many times I've gone to sleep with coffee in my hand, so it doesn't keep me awake at all.

Morning? Lady! I gotta have coffee all day!

Do you mean how many pots of coffee do I have in a day? As many as needed!

I do coffee fasts every once in a while (like when I do a Daniel Fast). I am fine without it, but I do miss the taste more than anything.

I don't seem to have any problems whatsoever from drinking coffee.

I don't do anything to control my caffeine intake. I've tried decaf, but it was so awful tasting (to me personally) that I won't be doing that again.

I tried coffee as a young child, but I didn't like it. While still a child, one day at my grandmother's, I tried a cup of coffee without anything in it and thought it was tasty. I realized that it wasn't the coffee, I just didn't like the cream and sugar people were putting in it. Then as a teenager, I'd pack a thermos to school to keep in my locker for a swig between classes.

I don't plan on giving up coffee. I will give up coffee when they pry it from my cold, dead hands.
But only if it's black. No sugar, cream, or flavors. Must be black!!

Btw, thank you for your smashings questions!!

Now how did I know...?

As soon as I saw this thread I had a feeling you would post about the joys of coffee. Just a hunch.

Are there certain kinds of personalities that are more prone than others to drinking coffee? But you seem nothing like my uncle Fred...

2 cups at the most, but I can drink it any time of day and still go to sleep lol.

The number of shots of espresso one takes is like a badge of honor. You don't just get to ask for a triple espresso, unless you've demonstrated the ability to fall asleep after a double espresso.

Of course! To me, coffee is a joy and a blessing.

Maybe it's inherited. Both my grandmothers drank a fair amount of coffee. One drank coffee all day. The other switched to beer later in the day. I dunno, but whatever it is I am glad I have the coffee personality.

I'm glad I'm not like Uncle Fred. I quite like being a woman!

I've been awake since the nineties!

May I ask what Aldi blue bag coffee you are drinking? I tried their Barissimo Adventure Blend recently and thought it was surprisingly good. So I got some more.
Btw, fresh ground is always smashing!

Aldi's German roast mild. It comes in a blue label bag.

Thanks!
I know the one. I have tried their German roast, but in the red label bag (regular). I like it.

3 to 4 cups of coffee per week: Jamaican Mountain Blue is my favorite.
6 to 8 cups of White tea per week
no caffeine drinks. caffeine is not a necessity. yes, can go without it.
caffeine does not effect my health. no problems. i don't have to control caffeine intake.
i wouldn't suggest drinking coffee every day. & i especially, would never suggest drinking soda, cola or soft drinks.

I drink a pot each day.

My favorite coffee is a "Black eye".

A red eye coffee is a cup of drip with a shot of espresso.

Black eye is a cup of drip coffee with two to three shots of espresso.

Since learning a LOT about coffee and DNA....
Some people are genetically wired different (like me) who can metabolize stimulants and/or alcohol really well. In other words with practice we don't get drunk or buzzed from coffee. Our tolerance levels are extremely high. Currently I have a low alcohol tolerance but it's been very high before. Almost a liter of 80 proof before I'm drunk. Today one or two drinks is enough for my limit. I made a New Years resolution to drink more.

But coffee? I can drink a cup and go to bed.

With the coffee shop I learned a LOT about coffee...decaf tastes nasty because it is not good coffee to start with anymore. Used to be the good stuff but not now. The coffee plants have to be sprayed with pesticides (caffeine is a natural insect repellent) which are not varieties grown for flavor.

Then comes the roasting....checked and rechecked often. Computerized controls to extract the most flavor.
Then for me and a few others....carefully blended by weight. (I Currently make my own blend involving Yirgochef and Sumatra)

Good coffee is an art form. A million things can go wrong....only one way to get it right. But when it's right.....it's awesome stuff.....I miss my coffeeshop/bakery.

As is well established here, I abhor coffee. Devils urine is my nickname for it, since imagine that's what it would taste like.
As far as caffeine, it never really affected me. Nor sugar.
I remember as a teen me and a couple buddies stayed up downing Mtn Dew and eating M&M's. Before I knew it they were literally bouncing off the walls. Running up and down the hallway. Going nuts. I sat that confused until I realized it was the sugar and caffeine. It hadn't even crossed my mind till I sat and thought about it. It wasn't normal for me to get that way.
And before I knew it they both crashed hard,mid movie. I eventually dozed off after the movie.

I used to drink a lot of soda. For many years. And ate lots of sugar. The past 10 years I'd cut back a lot. Mostly I'd just drink water, except with dinner I'd have soda.
But with health issues I haven't eaten any food or drink in nearly a year. I have a tube leading to my stomach where i take liquid nutrients, water and medication.

2 tumblrs size of coffee at my own unique taste: water, 1tbsp. microwave coffee and a drip of liquid creamer. That gets me going with peace and love.

Freshly-ground Fair Trade Organic Guatemalan French Roast (3-4 cups) during the week. Due lungo caffé nel fine settimana.