« With a little help from my friends | Main | Jenn's Clocks »

The best part of waking up?

March 11, 2008 // 7 Comments  // Add yours »

I can say with confidence that I'm now addicted to coffee.  It's become a part of my daily routine.  A cup or two in the morning, then usually another from Starbucks in the late afternoon.  I would say it's the caffeine that I'm addicted to, but I feel like I can easily go without a red bull or a can of coke.  Maybe I'm wrong, but it feels like there's something more to a cup of coffee then a quick shot of energy.  I just can't pin down exactly what it is.  Maybe it's the social aspect?  Maybe there's more?

I feel better when I've had my morning cup of coffee.  I feel worse when I have a Red Bull or Monster energy drink.  With coffee I feel that I'm more focused and productive. That's just not the case with the energy drinks.

I've read plenty about the benefits of drinking coffee.  Apparently it's the top source of antioxidants in American's diets.  It can potentially help prevent Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, colon cancer and diabetes.

Then again it also puts you at a higher risk for heart disease.  If you drink too much, the caffeine can temporarily stiffen your arterial walls.  That's scary stuff.

So what's your take?  Say I drink 3 cups of coffee a day - two in the morning, one in the afternoon.  Do the pros of coffee outweigh the cons? Or am I just making my heart a ticking time bomb?

Posted in:  Food and Drink, Health | Permalink |  Digg This | Share on Facebook |Comments (7)

Comments:

If you are an active human being (meaning physical activity people) then coffee isnt going to kill you. The key to keeping yourself healthy is exercising, eating right (that doesnt mean bc its low fat its healthy), and only indulging in things that modify your bodys natural state in moderation. If you think about it almost everything that we use on a daily basis has "side effect" or can cause some reaction by our body because for the most part none of these things were meant to be substances that are to be put into our bodies... In reality being drunk is our body's bad reaction to the alcohol. So drink up and at least its not crack..

Dr. MD

Posted on: Mar 11, 2008 12:33:22 PM

I'm still doing my green tea thing. I find comfort in sipping a hot green tea. The amount I drink in the morning is about the same amount of caffeine as in one coffee. When I need to multi-task like an insane person, or I feel like my eyes might roll into the back of my head at work; I'll down a black coffee and cringe after swallowing. SF Red Bull is still my go-to chemical drink when I can get it, and when I don't have the patience to enjoy the slow satisfaction from green tea.

Posted on: Mar 11, 2008 3:27:55 PM

I agree that there's something "different" about a cup of coffee. I think it's psychological - it's warm and you drink it slowly, so it's relaxing. But at the same time the caffeine is a nice pick-me-up. So you just feel better in general. An energy drink is what you drink when you know you'll be pulling an all-nighter or you didn't sleep well the night before so it dosen't have that same emotional, relaxing connotation in your mind.

And I agree with Melinda - it won't kill you in moderation.

I disagree with Steph - Green Tea is gross. Can't get into it. I've tried.

Posted on: Mar 12, 2008 2:53:22 AM

I think the best part about coffee is I consider it "me" time. Nothing can bother me while drinking a cup. In addition, no matter where you are you can always count on the consistency of coffee. I noticed when I am away from home, it calms me even more to stick to one thing that is part of my daily routine.

Posted on: Mar 13, 2008 3:49:51 PM

Mindy's gross.

Posted on: Mar 21, 2008 2:54:51 PM

Love the mug, I myself use a Marilyn Monroe mug.

Posted on: Mar 26, 2008 3:04:12 PM

Oh Yeah, and I have that book, the daily intellectual devotional!

Posted on: Mar 26, 2008 3:06:32 PM

Post a comment

What others are saying:
Listed below are links to blogs that reference The best part of waking up?:

TrackBack

If you wish to link to this entry, please ping the following URL:
http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/345446/26989040