brain juice

I am currently in the middle of conducting an experiment. I am the subject and coffee is the control. 

I have drank coffee almost daily for 11 years. I am addicted to it. I crave it, I depend on it, I like it, it's my precious. I have an emotional addiction, a physical addiction and a mental addiction. It's a warm way to get some fluids in the morning. I like the taste. I like the ritual. I like the social aspect and how it feels to drink coffee when you go out to breakfast - cool. It's the cool addiction, especially in Seattle.

This has begun to frighten me a bit. Over 11 years of consuming something that clearly has a real effect on health... After learning more about how coffee can cause headaches, muscle cramping and bad circulation, I have decided to go off of it for an undetermined amount of time. I completed 3 weeks of coffee free living. The first week, I felt like an idiot. I couldn't think, couldn't wake up and couldn't speak. At work the third day I had to break down and have an inch of cold, burned coffee just to get through the afternoon - I was making mistakes and staring off into space. As soon as I drank it, it was instantly like someone turned the power on in my brain. 

Since then, I've been waking up better, seem to have more energy and am enjoying new kinds of tea - both caffeinated and herbal. I had a latte and a cup of french press coffee last week, and it was delicious. I had time to enjoy them and it didn't seem to trigger the addiction. My muscles are still crunchy and I have gotten a few headaches, but that's fine. I think I may like coffee more if I just drink it occasionally instead of like a shot in the morning to keep me afloat.

I'm going to keep on like this for a while longer. It seems to be working out pretty well. Maybe over a little more time I will begin to see some other changes. There's only one way to find out.