Monday, April 18, 2005
The Living Room
While in La Jolla, CA, we found The Living Room, a coffee house with a cozy yet lively atmosphere. It's on Prospect St. right in the middle of town. The coffee was good and they had some exotic teas as well. Good place to stop by or hang out.
Saturday, April 02, 2005
Decaf or Not Decaf? That is the Question.
Coffee aficionados are often split when it comes to decaf. Some say it not "real coffee". Some feel it's the only way they can enjoy coffee without the side effects of caffeine.
Caffeine stimulates the nervous and respiratory systems. Typical effects include increased alertness and sensitivity, but can also reduce coordination (the "jitters") and potentially cause insomnia or headaches. Some people say it just makes them feel queasy. But if you've built up a tolerance, it's just part of the "rush" you get when you have a hot cup of java.
MMMM... coffee...ahhh...
Wait. Where was I? Oh yeah. Anyway...
If you've switched to decaf and think you're safe, there's actually still some in there. Most decaf coffees have only 96-97 percent of the caffeine removed. The only way to cut out entirely is to stop drinking coffee-- and then you'll have to also give up most candies, soft drinks, ice cream and other foods that contain caffeine. Yeah, right!
Many self-help and wellness experts advise to reduce and ultimately eliminate caffeine consumption entirely. But if you tried to avoid everything that's remotely harmful you'd have a pretty limited selection, which would make life rather boring.
My preference is to keep things in moderation so you can enjoy what you like but not go overboard. To me, drinking decaf is like having a flat warm beer. And I'm not talking about a served-room-temperature dark stout. I'm referring to a no-longer-bubbly Hefe-Weizen from the night before. So I'm not going to give up the high-test stuff just yet!
At home we'll brew a pot of half regular/half decaf, which cuts back on the caffeine but still has a kick. I haven't tried ordering a half/half at Starbucks yet. I'll let you know what happens.
Interesting links:
Caffeine stimulates the nervous and respiratory systems. Typical effects include increased alertness and sensitivity, but can also reduce coordination (the "jitters") and potentially cause insomnia or headaches. Some people say it just makes them feel queasy. But if you've built up a tolerance, it's just part of the "rush" you get when you have a hot cup of java.
MMMM... coffee...ahhh...
Wait. Where was I? Oh yeah. Anyway...
If you've switched to decaf and think you're safe, there's actually still some in there. Most decaf coffees have only 96-97 percent of the caffeine removed. The only way to cut out entirely is to stop drinking coffee-- and then you'll have to also give up most candies, soft drinks, ice cream and other foods that contain caffeine. Yeah, right!
Many self-help and wellness experts advise to reduce and ultimately eliminate caffeine consumption entirely. But if you tried to avoid everything that's remotely harmful you'd have a pretty limited selection, which would make life rather boring.
My preference is to keep things in moderation so you can enjoy what you like but not go overboard. To me, drinking decaf is like having a flat warm beer. And I'm not talking about a served-room-temperature dark stout. I'm referring to a no-longer-bubbly Hefe-Weizen from the night before. So I'm not going to give up the high-test stuff just yet!
At home we'll brew a pot of half regular/half decaf, which cuts back on the caffeine but still has a kick. I haven't tried ordering a half/half at Starbucks yet. I'll let you know what happens.
Interesting links:
- Scientific American: How is caffeine removed to produce decaffeinated coffee?
- Eric H. Chudler, Ph.D.(University of Washington): Neuroscience for Kids - Caffeine
- ThinkGeek: Caffeine Molecule T-Shirt
- Guiness: A great stout beer (so dark it looks like coffee)
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