The Healthiest Substance On Earth.

Seems like I write and think about coffee a lot. Not surprising, since I currently drink around 3-4 small cups of the stuff each weekday. I'd long ago accepted the fact that I'm addicted to it; last weekend while on a camping/float trip, I went without and felt kinda sluggish and had a slight headache in the mornings. (No, I wasn't hungover. At least I don't think I was.)

Being a caffeine fiend doesn't really alarm me at this point. I'd probably do well to drink less of it, but 10-hour days are taking a bit of a toll on me. Between working from 8 to 6:30 and then working out for another hour after I get home from the hospital, I'm fairly tired. It's a good kind of tired, but I've found myself dragging in the afternoons, especially after lunch. Inevitably I find myself pouring another cup. Long work days are a good excuse for downing a cup of joe, right?

unfortunately, this probably isn't true :(

In the spectrum of vices, coffee consumption is probably ranked pretty low. After all, it's been shown to have some health benefits. It's a low-calorie drink -- obviously, this will change depending on what you put in it. Personally I put a dash of fat-free creamer and a packet of zero-calorie sweetener in my cup (I do have the occasional lapse in judgment and buy a sugar bomb from Starbucks when the budget permits). It's also a minor appetite suppressant, which helps with the restricted diet I'm trying.

Sometimes it's just too hot for coffee though, so I'm looking for some non-soda alternatives. I've tried the 5-Hour Energy shots and they seem to work for road trips. I may have to buy a couple of bottles to take to work and see if they can sustain me throughout the day. But I know that I'll always come back to my one true love in the end.

To my fellow coffee drinkers/fiends, I raise my mug to you! Happy Friday.

Throwback Week Part 04: Yes Joe 2.

Written on 10 October 2002, this particular entry resonates simply because I'm now trying to drink less coffee and more tea. And yes: I admit that I am addicted, not necessarily to coffee, but probably to caffeine in general.

It's a love-hate thing.

So I'm back on the coffee. After tentatively dipping my toes into the caffeine pool, I've surrendered once again and jumped in. Just now I downed a 16-ounce mug of the stuff and have turned my fan on in response to my increasing body temperature.

I dunno. Coffee-drinking is like pimping: I just can't stay away. Seriously, it's hard to say no to a freshly-brewed mug when one's eyelids are threatening to go on strike for the entire day. I just have to make sure I have something to eat with it.

Honestly I don't think I am "addicted" in the traditional sense. I don't crave coffee after waking up, nor do I pour myself endless refills. But I can't lie and say that it doesn't help. Or maybe it only appears to help and it's all in my head. After all, I've gone on months-long coffee-free periods before. I never touched it before college. My well-being is not dependent on a cup of java every morning.

Okay, fine. Just to prove it, I'll go next week without. Just to see. Personally I think the first hour at work will be the most trying. But being that I'm not addicted, it'll be no sweat.

Maybe.