29 Comments

Not every day, but a couple of days a week, and only one cup in the morning. Do not drink tea or any other caffeinated drink other than Coke once in a while. I like coffee but am not addicted to it. I can go without it for months/years if needed. No particular reason for this habit. I never drank coffee or tea until I was an adult, which may have something to do with it.

If you have not read the article below, you will probably be going to like it:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/interactive/2022/coffee-vs-tea-nutrition-health/

For example, One study found that, on average, coffee has between 1.1 and 1.8 grams of fiber per cup, depending on whether it’s filtered, espresso, or instant. That might not sound like much. But it’s more fiber than you’ll find in orange juice, which has about a half gram of fiber per cup. You’ll still need to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to get the recommended 25 grams of daily fiber, but two or three cups of coffee a day can help you get there. A cup of tea on the other hand typically will not help you meet your daily fiber requirements — unless of course you decide to munch on the tea leaves.

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Oh yeah, I never have a problem with "getting there", as you put it!

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Cocaine. Morphine. Nicotine.

Magazine. Discipline. Medicine.

Too much dangerous stuff out there, man!

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Thine, mine, line.

Bad, badder, baddest!

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Wine, fine, divine…

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Now we're forced to enter song loop territory:

...ine... ine... ine... ine...

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Ine, ine, ine-ine-ine-ine.

And then the beat drop....

INE!

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Feels like we could do this either Du Hast Nicht style, or else Beatles style with the fading forever repeaters. Any preference?

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I was definitely picturing an underground techno-rave club vibe in my mind. But it could easily be a Beatles remix.

Obladi oblada, obladine, ine, ine-ine-ine.

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I used to work for Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. I read the sign on a door that said "Institute for Coffee Studies," so I had to check it out. Link:

https://www.vanderbilt.edu/ics/

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Incredible. I'd want to take that class for sure.

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I drink four very strong cups of espresso usually latte's daily. I make my own with a Nespresso machine.

That's it. What is it?

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It's it! It's magic; it's tragic; it's bitter beanwater that I love so much.

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Nice explanation of the Life-Giving Liquid.

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Thanks, Ken!

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Does understanding the chemistry behind coffee make it taste any better?

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Probably not, but it certainly enhances the experience for me. Understanding that there's a chemical bond happening, and that's what's making my brain feel so cozy and happy adds another layer to the experience. I'm on the same page with Feynman here RE fine visual arts.

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Yes, it seems “bonding” of whatever sort enhances relationships with things and people…

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Every time I drink coffee I wonder if it's the time that I'll finally "get it". But it never happens. I just get jittery and irritable. Sugar works better for me in terms of energy and focus. Not sure why, but it just does.

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Ever try tea? Does that have any sort of positive effect?

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I drink a lot of tea, especially in the winter. I enjoy it but only really gives a boost if I add lots of sugar or honey.

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How about guarana? Ever have that with a bowl of acai?

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Yeah, it’s good for me but a bit too sweet for everyday. Maybe I should try it in tea or smoothies.

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I'm convinced everyone's anatomy is different and different drugs (like caffeine) affect us each in different ways, but it still might be a fun experiment, just to see if there's any benefit there. You're probably best off trying it in decaf tea so there's no sugar to give a false signal.

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This principle is very true and quite proven. It’s actually at the core of much of treatment advocacy work I do. The more I learn, the more I see how two dimensionally we tend to analyze things. There’s so much intersectionality involved. But its obvious from your writing that you realize that already. 🤣

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Goethe wasn't the only man of his era who was into coffee. J.S. Bach wrote an entire cantata about it, and in England, "coffee houses" were as common as "tea shops" would be later. One noted one was Will's, where literary types like poet/playwright/translator John Dryden hung out.

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Certainly. Coffee was a very common obsession among intellectuals throughout virtually all of Europe by this time.

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