Do you drink coffee? if so, how much? if not, why? - Page 4

[milkcake]

Originally Posted by Gator-mom 

Thanks for the info :).  My understanding about caffeine and TTC is mostly that it dehydrates you.  So that is where I am wondering if it makes a difference to drink an otherwise caffeinated tea, or to actually give up caffeine altogether...or just drink extra water and not worry about it?

Originally Posted by Gator-mom 

Hmm..hard to describe this.  It's kind of a grassy taste actually..lol.  I guess green tea is the closest thing I can think of to it.  Yes, you can add milk/sugar to it.  It doesn't taste like coffee..but something about it reminds me of it..like the fullness of the flavor.  Kind of like how avocado can take the place of cheese in texture and richness even though they taste nothing alike..

This! I always thought of it as green tea tasting but with a slight fresh grass nuance to it. When I worked in a tea bar one of the other girls that I always worked mornings with would always have a mint mate iced (which kinda subdues the grassy flavor too btw) drink with just some cane sugar syrup in it. It was very good! I personally think milk overpowers it, plus adding too much milk and sugar to your coffee or tea kinda negates the good it does for you.

The flavor I have in the house right now is called Gaucho Mint, and if you love mint and like mate at all it's amazing! I get mine from Amanzi Tea, which is only here in Greenville SC I believe but they may ship elsewhere through their website. I also fake it sometimes and just add peppermint leaves to my regular mate or green tea!

[Gator-mom]

Originally Posted by milkcake 

This! I always thought of it as green tea tasting but with a slight fresh grass nuance to it. When I worked in a tea bar one of the other girls that I always worked mornings with would always have a mint mate iced (which kinda subdues the grassy flavor too btw) drink with just some cane sugar syrup in it. It was very good! I personally think milk overpowers it, plus adding too much milk and sugar to your coffee or tea kinda negates the good it does for you.

The flavor I have in the house right now is called Gaucho Mint, and if you love mint and like mate at all it's amazing! I get mine from Amanzi Tea, which is only here in Greenville SC I believe but they may ship elsewhere through their website. I also fake it sometimes and just add peppermint leaves to my regular mate or green tea!

Oh, mint sounds like it would be great in that mix..maybe with a touch off honey?  When I was preggo, the only thing that helped with my nausea was to actually mix ginger and mint tea together..so I'd actually just put two bags in my mug.  I bet I could try the same thing with the mate' since I already have a bunch loose and I could just get some mint.  Or maybe I'll add some mint to my little garden to have on hand...
 

[Cascadian]

Ooooh...thanks..now I get it (re taste of yerba mate). I thought it was a coffee sub, had no idea it was like a green tea (which I would never put milk into). I wonder what the best gear would be to start...I'd love to taste it first without buying all the stuff..

[milkcake]

Accidental double post

Edited by milkcake - 5/4/11 at 12:17am

[milkcake]

Gator-mom - I like being able to control the amount of mint, because sometimes I can't handle the straight peppermint! I also love spearmint but hate when it's mixed with chamomile. Before I found out I was pg I was eating a lot less and felt awful all the time (but no sickness) and what did it for me was Rishi jasmine silver needle white tea. Jasmine is a personal favorite though.

Growing your own mint is the best idea! Personally I think homegrown always tastes better - I'm hoping once I move to be with DP I can have an AeroGarden and grow my own mint year round! Especially since I'm moving to a very cold part of North America and won't be able to grow outside like I'm used to here in the sunny south.

Cascadian - I would check to see if there is a place that serves or sells it where you live. I'm sure you can buy it at any natural food store, although I don't know what kind of quality you're going to have a selection of. Gear wise, you brew it just like any other loose tea. I have a tea ball that was only a few dollars, but I also got super lucky and found one of these: http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/accessories/96bb/ at Salvation Army for 50¢!

And even if you don't want a tea ball or infuser you can always brew your cup or pot and then strain out the leaves. The way you brew it isn't nearly as important as making sure you don't oversteep it - I used to have a love/hate with earl grey because I oversteeped it and it was always bitter! Now I just make it really strong

http://amanzitea.com/gaucho-mint.html is the mint mate I have right now, and while they sell 1oz samples shipping is kinda expensive unless you are buying a decent amount of tea.

I'm sorry if I'm rambling, I'm just really passionate about tea!

[Gator-mom]

Originally Posted by Cascadian 

Ooooh...thanks..now I get it (re taste of yerba mate). I thought it was a coffee sub, had no idea it was like a green tea (which I would never put milk into). I wonder what the best gear would be to start...I'd love to taste it first without buying all the stuff..

My local grocery store and health food stores sell a bagged yerba mata that you could try before ordering a lot of other stuff.  You can buy it loose too.  I have also gone to specialty stores and bough fancier stuff in the past, but  I don't actually have any fancy tea places to go to around here now (used to live in Seattle where there's a lot better selection).  Some people like to drink YM out of a special cup that is made out of a gourd or something, but I just drink it like any other tea.  I also just use a french press when I have loose leaf.

Milkcake:  I will have to check out that jasmine tea.  I have enjoyed jasmine tea in the past.  Sometimes it's a bit flowery for me, but I do like it :).

[Cascadian]

So I don't need the gourd and straw, then? They look so darn cute - I was hoping someone said I needed them

[ShadowMoon]

I LOOOOOOVVVVE coffee!   

I generally have a medium-sized dark roast coffee, with two espresso shots mixed in, topped with a bit of steamed soy. Yum!

I enjoy the taste of good, well roasted coffee, as well as the ritual of making it or heading to a good shop on the way to work.

(My son's father is also a coffee roaster at a shop downtown so it's hard to avoid it, lol)

I'm definitely addicted to it but it doesn't effect me negatively and I enjoy it so that part doesn't bother me.

[Gator-mom]

Originally Posted by Cascadian 

So I don't need the gourd and straw, then? They look so darn cute - I was hoping someone said I needed them

LOL.  OK well you do NEED it if you want to cool cool while drinking your awesome mate'!!!

[Redheaded_Momma]

Originally Posted by funkymamajoy 

I drink 2 large cups of coffee everyday because I love it. Research is mixed on whether or not its good for you, but isn't that the way with almost anything?

My DH used to own a shop that roasted the coffee onsite. The smell of the beans being roasted and drinking a fresh cup omg yum!

I drink my coffee black and have for a long time. I enjoy the fact that there are virtually no calories in it and it's mostly water. I try to drink tea too but I just love my coffee!
 

[EviesMom]

I drink coffee, but lately I find that if I have more than a cup, it makes my heart skip beats. The dr. did an EKG and said it's nothing to worry about, just cut back on caffeine and try not to stress out. So I'm trying to cut it back for that reason. OTOH, since the heart thing is not dangerous and apparently won't become dangerous, I am still drinking coffee when I need a pick me up. 

Oh, I actually drank more coffee while pg with DS, because I would get migraines and coffee was the only thing that would help them. (Caffeine is a big ingredient in migraine meds, actually). 

[alittlesandy]

I love coffee, but It's part of what I consider a ritual, not an addiction. On mornings when there is no time to savor a cup in my jammies with a magazine or the paper, I just skip it. I also like to make a cup when I'm going to sit down to write. I know a lot of people who are "addicted" to going to the gym every morning at 5:00 A.M. (blech) or people who are addicted to feeling self-righteous, so I don't mind having my little one-cup-a-day joy. I also agree with the posters who say that the research is mixed. I've even seen studies linking regular coffee consumption to few incidents of depression, suicide, Parkinsons, and even certain anti-inflammatory diseases. I say everything in moderation!

I gave it up recently because I only drink it with half-and-half and a little sugar and I've been on a low-carb and dairy-free diet. But I felt a little unhappy and deprived. I tried tea, but it didn't bring the same comfort level. I was talking to my sister and she said she never gave up coffee during her low-carb phase and still lost a ton of weight. So I decided that life is too short not to enjoy this simple pleasure. And she was right! Not only am I still losing weight, but I no longer feel deprived and am having fewer carb cravings overall throughout the day. It's one thing I can look forward to!

[milkcake]

Originally Posted by Cascadian 

So I don't need the gourd and straw, then? They look so darn cute - I was hoping someone said I needed them

If you want it then go for it! I've never actually seen one in person, and personally couldn't justify the expense. I imagine it would make the grassy, earthy flavor stronger.
 The only fancy expensive thing I've bought tea wise is my matcha whisk and bowl - nothing else mixes it the same way!

If you get one though you have to post pictures :]

[mambera]

My parents drink lots of coffee and I used to as well (milk no sugar) when I was younger.  For moderate amounts of coffee I don't believe there is any terrible health effect on balance (and there are some positives for eg diabetes and Parkinson's as noted by a pp). 

I did stop drinking it on a regular basis in my early 20s because I realized I hated the coffee mouth I would get afterwards (and I also started having to interact with patients a lot at that time and I was always worried about hitting them with coffee breath).  So I cross-weaned to strong black tea with milk or cream, and after a few years of having that be my main hot beverage I started to find green and white teas more enjoyable as well (I didn't like them when I still drank coffee).  A couple of years ago I learned how to make chai, which I absolutely love (still no sugar, I know that is weird but I don't like sugary drinks), but making it is a bit labor-intensive compared to bag-in-a-cup so I don't have it very often.

I still really enjoy a high-quality cup of coffee but I only have it if there's a reason to (i.e. I am somewhere that serves really amazing coffee) or if I am visiting my family so it's always kind of around (and they make very nice coffee also btw).  It's more of a treat than a regular thing.  I don't like sweetened coffee (or tea for that matter) and I find it undrinkable if it's been reheated, or even if it's sat around for more than 5-10 minutes.

Originally Posted by Storm Bride 

What's the problem with coffee and pregnancy? I remember reading that it could cause problems, but don't remember what they were/are.

I believe the main issue is low birth weight but the effect doesn't show up until at least 300 mg/d. 

[shnitzel]

Originally Posted by Storm Bride 

What's the problem with coffee and pregnancy? I remember reading that it could cause problems, but don't remember what they were/are. I went off it for about 6-9 months back when I was having trouble while ttc my second (took me 10 years to get dd1!), but it didn't make any difference. (I'm pretty sure the issue was my ex, anyway - I got pregnant with dd1, ds2, and Aaron on our first attempt, and it only took 3 months of ttc for dd2.) In any case, I've had my two cups through every pregnancy and while breastfeeding...just wondering what it does...

I did some research when I was pregnant and I found out that some studies correlated the risk of drinking a lot of coffee 5 + cups a day with an elevated risk of miscarriage. The higher risk wasn't huge and it was only found after drinking a lot of coffee. So I was careful in my first trimester but less so afterwards. 

I love coffee. My father drinks a ton of it but we only had instant at home. I got addicted after high school and find that I often quit because I get terrible headaches if I miss a day of coffee, so I suffer through withdrawal headaches only to start drinking coffee occasionally to have that escalate into everyday and that escalate into several cups a day and then I quit again. Same thing every few months. 

DH and I bought a French press, awesome coffee but now we need a burr grinder! I love coffee with a ton of milk and some sugar. We also have the most amazing coffee shop at the end of our block which has line ups out the door and down the block which makes the most amazing cappuccinos.

[catnip]

I drink 1-2 cups a day. I take sugar and soymilk, 1 teaspoon and 1/4 cup in a 12 ounce mug, so I stop at 2 to watch caloric intake. I have severe ADD, and caffeine has far fewer unpleasant side effects than other treatments I've tried. I've been off Ritalin for 19 years now, but I function a lot better with a little caffeine every day.

[jenP]

I have a double shot latte every morning. Stove-top espresso maker.) No more caffeine after that or I get too jittery. I'm not thrilled about having an addiction. I have broken the addiction any number of times in the past. It sucks going through the withdrawal headache, but once that is over it does kinda feel good to not be addicted to a substance. However, I keep coming back because when I don't drink coffee - even after the addiction is broken and I've been off it for months - I'm just plain more tired! So back I go. In fact, I'm not likely to quit again, after having gone the no-coffee route before. Plus, I LOVE the taste! And as far as addictions go, caffeine seems like a pretty benign one to have.

[Ann15]

I love love love coffee!  I read somewhere that it is the #1 source of anti-oxidants in the typical American diet, which is kind of sad, but it helps me rationalize that it's not all bad for me :-)  I drink about 6 cups of half regular/half decaf most days with a splash of whole milk most of the time, or a spoonful of good vanilla ice cream if it's the last cup that's been sitting in the pot for a while. We have an insulated coffee pot, so it stays pretty hot for most of the morning without getting the burnt taste with the heating plate.  When I was pregnant, I was able to get down to one cup of half decaf in the morning and the occasional decaf latte. 

On the topic of kids and coffee, mine know that I don't do much in the morning before I have my first cup and two-year-old DD likes to help DH start the coffee in the morning while 4-year-old DS gets some snuggle time with me without having DD try to push him away so she can nurse.  They have both had tastes of it and on the weekend when DH and I are both drinking it (DH usually just takes a travel mug to work during the week), both kids will have "coffee" in our nice coffee cups that is milk with just a drop of coffee.  DS will insist that I actually push the button that lets the coffee pour out and not just wave the pot over his cup.  DS would also share some of the decaf iced lattes that I would get while we would shop at Whole Foods when I was pregnant with DD.  I don't worry too much about creating completely coffee-dependent children.  They know that DH and I have wine or beer with dinner sometimes, and that it is only for grown-ups.  They have asked for it, but more in a joking way.  I was slightly embarrassed that they were pretending to drink wine and pour it for other kids at playgroup at our church, but we're Catholic, so it's not taboo, and I think another one of the kids started it

[Sol_y_Paz]

Originally Posted by Gator-mom 
My local grocery store and health food stores sell a bagged yerba mata that you could try before ordering a lot of other stuff.  You can buy it loose too.  Some people like to drink YM out of a special cup that is made out of a gourd or something, but I just drink it like any other tea. 

I was drinking and enjoyed Yerba Mate at one point in time, however, once I researched it in depth and weighed and pro's and con's I decided to stop drinking it for my health.  

[Sol_y_Paz]

I love tea but do not enjoy the taste of coffee.  I do LOVE the smell however.