Why I Started Drinking Only One Coffee Per Day
Photo by Mike Kenneally on Unsplash
As the machine grinds the beans that will become my morning energy drink, I've decided to write a quick post.
(I first mispelled the previous word and wrote "pots" - there's a Freudian slip for you.)
People from Bosnia and Herzegovina tend to brag about their coffee-drinking appetites. I haven't heard once the illogical, ergo false claim that we're one of the greatest coffee-drinking nations in the world. Statistically, with around 3 million people living in the whole country, we can't be.
However, this false claim has been ingrained in our mentality, and more often than not, coffee drinking has been promoted from a stimulating activity to a ritual of sorts, which we find important for our collective identity.
The story goes something like this: in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we don't rush things; we take it slow, savor our coffees, and enjoy the moment.
Although I can't offer any solid evidence that this isn't (entirely) true, judging by my experiences, "coffee drinking rituals" which can turn into hours of pointless sitting and babbling about nothing, can also be a sign of unemployment rates, goalless lives, and so on.
Anyway, back to me and coffee - my coffee intake went wild during high school years and skyrocketed during the first six years of my journalistic career. I drank more coffee than a complete lineup of The Descendents, existing on a steady diet of youthful energy, cigarettes, and coffee.
I used to drink 8-9 coffees per day, five of which were before noon. I didn't have a problem drinking a coffee late in the evening. I thought to myself - if I can fall asleep, there's no problem.
Now, looking back, my whole body felt jittery, and I clearly remember the feeling of uneasiness.
In the meantime, I quit smoking and I cut my coffee intake after a serious health scare, to a maximum of three coffees in 24 hours.
A year ago, I discovered that it's best not to drink coffee immediately upon waking. I will not be explaining the science behind this, as I am not entirely sure myself, but you can search for the reasoning behind it (it has something to do with peaking cortisol levels in the morning).
To change that habit, it took me some time, but I finally managed. The big question on everyone's mind (I know you're thinking about it) is pooping situation, since most people poop in the morning after coffee.
Actually, I didn't have any problem; since I tend to drink at least 2.5 litres of water daily, when I decided that the glass of water should be my first drink, I made it as good as coffee in this particular situation. One cup of water, and I'm off to the toilet. That settled the morning issue for me.
However, a few months ago, I discovered that my afternoon dips are more extreme than usual, and coffee certainly doesn't help. It got to a point where I needed to lie down for a one-hour nap after work, waking up groggy and anxious.
I was never an afternoon napper, so this fact came as a surprise to me. I accepted that I MIGHT become one since I'm nearing my 40s, but I wanted to double-check that there wasn't any underlying reason for my sudden slump.
My blood tests showed everything is fine. I have perfect blood pressure. I exercise at least four times a week.
And then, somewhere, I read that I should lower my caffeine intake.
Lower it to under three macchiatos per day?
But I did it anyway, to test the theory.
On the third day of drinking only one coffee daily, just as Lazarus rose from the grave, I hadn't fallen into the afternoon dip one. By reducing my coffee intake to just one cup per day, something changed. Afternoon napping demons haven't asked for my presence in the Halls of Morpheus for several days now. My day lasts from the moment I wake up (mostly 7-8ish) and lasts until 11 PM. I can push myself over the line if there's a party going on, but truth be told, I don't feel comfortable doing that too often.
So there you have it. From 9 coffees a day to 1 coffee a day. I’m not sure this will be a solution for your issue, because every person is different. However, if you're suddenly feeling drained midday and can't find a reason why, have that one coffee, enjoy it, and then switch entirely to water.
Thank you for reading. You can reach me via e-mail or My Mastodon profile.
Alternatively, subscribe via RSS feed.
Or, or... You can share your address with me if I decide to start a newsletter one day, and you'd like to receive it occasionally in your inbox. I won't spam or share your email with anyone, I promise!
Sharing this would be cool, too. Once again, thank you.