Posts Tagged ‘ayurveda’
Ode to Coffee… A Long Love Affair
OK- so my biggest weakness is really the coffee. To be perfectly honest, it is not the caffeine that is addiction for me. It is the aroma, the comforting flavor, the way it makes me feel all warm and satisfied inside. It makes me full and over the last 10 years I have come to crave it more than food. Yes, that’s right. Sick, I know. I am an addict- I absolutely LOVE good coffee.
My Ayurvedic dosha is Vata, and these types of people tend to be hyper-sensitive to coffee’s stimulation and run a high risk of adrenal exhaustion. As one Ayurvedic text puts it:
“…getting energy from coffee is exactly like getting money from a credit card. Coffee pulls on the reserve energy of the kidneys and adrenals, putting the body deeper into biological debt. The more exhausted the client becomes, the more desperately they turn to coffee as a stimulant.”
I know all the risks & downsides: acid forming, digestive irritant, adrenal stimulant, pesticide use, etc. So I drink organic and mostly decaf. I know, I should KNOW better, but it is just so satisfying. The funny thing is that as much as I love it, Ian can’t stand it. He has an innate disdain for bitter. He hates IPA. And, while he does enjoy the aroma of the beans, he won’t go near anything with even a hint of coffee flavor.
Before bed a few nights ago, I my nice espresso machine and burr grinder off the counter, cleaned them and stowed them on a shelf in the garage. In their place, I set up the juicer. I figured it was a good trade. A healthy one. I hope it lasts- I just know it will get harder and harder once the weather turns more.
My plan is to limit myself to a cup of decaf french press when I visit the organic coffee shop near my house… which is probably 3-4 days per week. This place is the BEST! It’s called Ladybug. The owners are beyond cool. They use unsweetened soy milk and even keep agave on the bar! I just work so well here. I find it is much easier to concentrate than at home. And, OK, I just had a cup of decaf.
Yikes….. hold on a second….
Talk about a digestive irritant. I am laughing to myself about the irony of the situation…. I just had to literally get up and RUN to the restroom… hmmm. Maybe I will be drinking even less than I planned. Feeling pretty queasy now.
