Experiments for National Caffeine Awareness Month

We’ve all heard about the many negative effects—as well as some positive ones—that caffeine has, and I think we could all probably agree that the key to drinking (or eating, as the case may be) caffeinated products is the same key we need to use with many other ambivalent products—moderation. So instead of shaming ourselves for our daily caffeine fix, why not just take the month to look at the caffeine we do ingest, see how it affects us (if at all), and maybe even try out a few new products.

-Try monitoring your caffeine intake. How much do you have each day? Is it too much, or just right? Keep a log for a week just to see how much you usually consume. Is it expensive? Could you do without it? How much do you enjoy it to begin with—and is it for enjoyment or because you perceive it as a necessity?

-Try going without caffeine for a week. At first, you might miss it, but how does it feel after a few days? It doesn’t have to be permanent, of course; just experiment to see what it’s like. If it saves you money, donate it to Japan, or buy yourself something small.

-Try out new caffeine sources. This experiment is my favorite! You can find new sources pretty much anywhere, but if you need some ideas, try…

*Purchasing a new brand or flavor of coffee to make at home. This isn’t very expensive but it might expand your horizons.

*Try caffeine-flavored foods, such as coffee-flavored ice cream or other desserts. Blend coffee into your dinner, or rub some meat with coffee.

*Dress up and go out to a coffee house and spend the day sampling new drinks. Have an espresso, or ask the barista to make you something cute to drink.

*Try a hand at being a barista yourself. Design some pretty designs on your coffee at home; if you start getting good, have friends over and serve them drinks with a flourish.

*Go to a new coffee house and see what kinds of flavors they have. Pick something you’ve never had before.

*Order new garnishes to your coffee that you don’t normally get, like cinnamon, whipped cream, or chocolate shavings.

*Compare and contrast local iced coffees. I’ve discovered, for example, that I love our local McDonald’s coffee and our gas station’s coffee, but I don’t like it at many other locations.