Giving Up the Almighty Cup
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For as long as I can remember, my impetus for getting up in the morning has been that first, piping hot, creamy, milky smooth latte. Eliminating coffee from my morning routine is not something I imagined I could do or ever wanted to do; nor, quite frankly, is it something I would ever do again. In fact, for those that ask me about the experience, I caution them “do not to try this at home.” Giving up coffee and other vices like shopping, cell phones, dining out and taxis were part of a year long journey chronicled in my book, Give it Up! My Year of Learning to Live Better with Less. Each month, I went cold turkey on one of the luxuries in my life, from shopping to elevators to chocolate to taxis; the coffee abstinence was the most challenging.
To begin with, I experienced terrible headaches that went on for nearly two weeks. Further research indicated that I was going through caffeine withdrawal, a hot issue for debate in the medical community. During those early coffee free days, if you’d asked me about this issue, I would have started a letter campaign; caffeine should take its rightful place next to other addictions like smoking and alcohol.
But while the physical pain was certainly an obstacle, it was only part of the story. It seemed the minute I decided to give something up, the universe began to deliver friendly reminders of what I was missing. Coffee was suddenly everywhere. The proliferation of cafes made the drink available all day long; it was no longer a morning tonic. Starbucks is packed throughout the day with people writing, meeting and conducting business while sharing the almighty cup. I realized that my coffee love extended all day long, too. At lunch, I was putty in the hands of any waitress offering to “top off” my coffee. Always concerned about maintaining my weight, dessert was never an option, but coffee always was. I was still able to enjoy a treat and not blow my diet. Coffee was my fail safe, my go-to guy, my rock.
Becoming more aware of the coffee temptation all around me, I noticed people walking down the streets with whipped cream and brownie concoctions that looked more like ice cream sundaes than your average cup of joe. But who could blame them, when offered so many choices; it was tempting to try them all. I was like a kid in a coffee shop. Only this time, I was the kid who was finally learning how to say no. Finding a substitute was not easy, especially around three in the afternoon when my work buddies and I would head over to the City Bakery, where I would normally refrain from the chocolate midnight cookie and opt for a skim latte.
On these occasions, I tried tea. I had heard about the virtues of green tea— which always tastes delicious while accompanying an eel roll at my favorite sushi restaurant—but as compared to coffee, can best be described as lukewarm grass water. It just wasn’t the same. Our afternoon discussions over coffee were serious business; they could not be done over tea. Important conversations like office gossip and the evening’s TV listings demanded a stronger beverage than tea. Coffee had become part of most of my daily rituals.
Like so many things I had been taking for granted, coffee deserved recognition and appreciation. And to do that, I learned the rules of coffee. Coffee is best in its purest form: without the whipped cream, the candy chunks and the sugary syrup additives. And even though the coffee temptation is always around me, I take it day by day. Sometimes I’ll order a cup of decaf, other times green tea. For me, the best way to enjoy coffee is still in the morning, with that first precious cup signaling the start of a new day—it’s a powerful motivation to get up. And as much as I have changed over the year, I appreciate that small ritual remaining the same.