8 years ago, I sipped coffee before my 10am college Lit course. And again afterwards (thank you, free refills). Then, before joining my crew and taping an episode of our on-campus television show, I'd fill 'er up once more. Most days were a three cup day. And when I had my Marketing or Spanish night classes, four cups would suffice. Back then, it was a Medium French Vanilla with 2 Splenda and skim milk kind of thing.
6 years ago, I continued on my coffee loving streak. I was at my dream job out of college and eager to get to know my coworkers. The kitchen, nearby Starbucks, and downstairs coffee shop were perfect ways to do so. I would say that every day was a four cupper back then. However, I spontaneously ditched the Splenda one day after convincing myself that it was either giving me anxiety or some rare form of unseen cancer. (I've always been crazy).
4 years ago, I decided that I wanted to take my career to the next level. This drive gave me anxiety. And along with it, an insurmountable number of stomach aches. For someone used to thrice daily belly aches, I'm talking MORE. This new, more responsible chapter of my life should have meant tossing out my mug completely, but it really only cut out 2 cups a day.
2 years ago, the husband and my jittery coffee riddled self decided to start "trying" for a family. I knew that caffeine would not mix with this plan so one sad June day I swapped my coffee for tea and nearly gagged every single day for the next 6 months with coffee withdrawal symptoms - 1 month of headaches followed by 5 of hating everybody else drinking it around me.
That break did not last. I mean, first we weren't getting pregnant AND then I couldn't even have my comforting morning drink? It didn't seem fair, so I hopped back on the caffeine train for a year. If I couldn't have a baby, I felt that coffee would help heal the wound. Within a day of welcoming back my old friend, I was hooked...and happy.
6 months ago, guilt began to eat away at me once again and I made the depressing switch to decaf. Why depressing? UM, because almost no coffee shops carry flavored decaf AND they barely brew the stuff they have! 9 hour old decaf is sad. But it was all I had. As an avid coffee lover, I felt happy to have some sort of coffee in the morning, but I knew/know that it isn't really the same.
THIS IS WHERE THE STORY SHOULD END, right?! Decaf should have solved all of my little coffee problems, right?! Of course...not. Just as I decide that I'm perfectly okay with decaf coffee (sometimes with a splash of flavored caf) I find out (from at least 5 too many sources) that decaf may be MORE unhealthy than caf. That the process they use to decaffeinate it, requires a chemical infusion of sorts. BOO. Obviously this was a sad discovery for so many reasons.
I am pregnant (happily so). I am giving up feta, blue cheese, sushi, cold cuts, raw eggs (aka - cookie dough), WINE and caffeine of any sort. I cannot bare to give up my early morning refreshment, too! So, this is why I have made the switch to SWISS WATER PROCESS decaf coffee (google it). Nothing bad, period. No caffeine to hype up my little cheerio and make me feel anxious and no chemicals to hurt either one of us either.
FINALLY. I've found a way to be okay with my addiction. I've found my coffee soul mate. And yes (if you must bring it up), the taste of Swiss Water Processed coffee is a bit duller than regular coffee and the "flavor" that I bought (chocolate raisin) does not even taste a hint chocolatey or raisiny but it's a solution for the next 9 months. And for that I'm thankful!
On Amazon, the below is sold in a pack of 3 for $24.
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