A Week Without Coffee

If you know me (which, if you're reading this, you almost certainly do), you know that I love me some coffee. There's something about a nice, hot cup in the morning or after a meal that just hits the spot like nothing else can. I also enjoy the process of making coffee - the simple, sequential, familiar steps that lead up to the pressing of the 'brew' button, the comforting noise of the coffeemaker and finally, the wonderful smell and taste of fresh coffee. Normally, I just sip mine straight-up, no cream or sugar, but occasionally a nice mocha or cappuccino is divine.

This week I'm going to do something sort of crazy, something almost bordering on insane... This week I'm off coffee. Just to do it, to prove to myself that I can. And also as a sort of experiment to find out if I feel different without coffee. I've heard conflicting reports about how coffee affects your health; one week it's good for cognitive function and a fantastic source of antioxidants, and the next it's bad for your blood sugar levels and overall cardiovascular health. So to cut through all the hype, I just want to know how my body will respond to a Week Without Coffee (WWC).

My WWC begins right now. And just to clarify, the no coffee rule includes decaf. I've never thought of decaf as 'real' or 'actual' coffee, but if I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do this - you know? Do I expect it to be easy? No, not really. Especially this weekend when I'm sitting at home doing my normal coffee-drinking activities like sitting on the porch, eating breakfast, reading or catching up on email. But I'm not such a coffee hound that I expect to have any tangible symptoms of withdrawal other than the uncontrollable urge to stare longingly at my coffeemaker. Time will tell.