Tuesday 23 February 2016

T stands for drinking

I try really hard to drink. So on days when I'm at home, I have a routine that begins with coffee. Just the thought of tea first thing makes me gag!  Coffee is my beverage of choice unless I'm somewhere really hot. And it's past midday. These days it has to be decaffeinated coffee though, on account of erm, my age, I think. I didn't suffer terrible withdrawal symptoms and the benefits immediately outweighed the headache; getting to sleep within minutes, tasting more, no bad dreams and inevitably a reduction in blood pressure. I continue to be amazed by the results. And I continue to be unable to tell the difference between caffeinated or not. And worse still...I now need reminding to order decaf because I sort of assume that if I've changed, everyone else has too! 


Lots of white space, this must be an arty shot!


So I have coffee in the morning, and between lunch and teatime I have a long tall glass of squash. I don't love it, but it does the liquid count a lot of good. Thing is, if I'm at my desk doing something crafty, I quite often forget to drink it. Which goes a long way to illustrating my state of mind when doing book keeping or housework....sometimes I've managed 2 whole glasses! Distraction techniques... Then at day's end, Mr Dunit comes home and we have a cup of tea whilst supper's cooking. And that's the only tea I have. It's traditional English Breakfast Tea. I can't bear all the fruit flavoured tea..imagine my disappointment when they turned out to be like drinking perfume..as dry and unsweetened as fragranced water, but lovely and enticing smell and colour. What a let down. And don't point me in the direction of adding honey or something gingery or worse, something healthy...I've tried it all, and I'm petulant and childish about it now. I don't like it. 
My great dislike is also my greatest first world problem; I'm ashamed but reticent: I don't like water. I'll drink a mouthful to take a pill or cure a coughing fit, but that's it. I've taught myself to drink it carbonated for the want of anything else in the pub (I drink very little alcohol) and having given up caffeine, I avoid Diet Coke which used to be my 'go to' of choice when offered a drink in a pub. Oh it's all so complicated! 
So now when you see my cup on my desk, you can be at least be assured that you know why I'm drinking!  And if you have any suggestions..I'll take 'em!
 Joining Elizabeth et al for T Tuesday, you could too!

24 comments:

Sue Jones said...

I ought to give up proper coffee too :( I dont drink it strong though - Hubby is on Decaff as he has ADHD and its not good for his IBS either. I drink water after 4pm and always take a cup up to bed with me - exciting Eh??

Divers and Sundry said...

I like my coffee black and caffeinated, and I drink tea, too, but mostly I drink water. Just plain water -well, I do add a little ice and sometimes some lemon.

Happy T Tuesday no matter what we're drinking, right? :)

Krisha said...

You had me in a giggle fit with this post, guess I can relate to most of it. I had to teach myself to drink water, and I still get whinny about it. My coffee is black and fully loaded with caffeine... but know I need to switch to decaf for all the reasons you mentioned. I gave up colas a long time ago....it is only a great once in a while that I have one....then regret it as all I can taste is the salt....ya, they have salt in them too. I drink a flavored, carbonated water now......no salt....no sugar.....no caffeine.......hmmmm not much there *grin* but I still like it...LOL
Happy T-day

Jacki Daniels said...

Hi Julia my tipple is coffee too although I do have to say I love the fruit teas my favs are Twinnings mango & strawberry and blueberry & apple but I do have to leave the tea bag in the cup whilst drinking otherwise it's to weak, which I sweeten with stevia (same as I use in my coffee) it's zero cals and twice as sweet as sugar so you only need ½ as much. I also can't drink water (yuk) so totally understand what you mean I can't even drink the fizzy stuff
anyway Cheers xx

Kyla said...

Ooh not an easy one. I know you don't like my weird herbal teas but ginger tea is not too bad. First thing I try to drink hot water but with slices of lemon in and also a glass of beetroot juice for the blood pressure. The trick is finding something you like, hot squash is good cos if it goes cold (inevitable in the craft room or when working) it tastes OK cold!!
Failing that wine, wine is one of your five a day cos its grapes 😜

My name is Cindy said...

So with you on the herbal tea, such a disappointment! Hot water and lemon with a bit of ginger is about as exotic as I get. I drink way too much coffee - and I hardly ever touched it up to 3 years ago when I kinda went off tea. Don't enjoy tea w/o sugar, can't stand sweeteners they either taste disgusting or are bad for you (If you are going to put bad stuff in your body at least do the stuff that tastes nice), don't do diet drinks but do get my 5 a day like Kyla at least 3 or 4 days a week. Hic. I can drink water, but it has to be just the right temperature, not too cold. And I'm sorry Julia, you will feel better for it if you persevere. But I just forget to drink, even if its right there.
(Actually, I have never forgotten to drink an alcoholic drink so I guess that says something....)

Linda Kunsman said...

I do feel for you Julia! Especially about the water-I drink tons of it throughout the day-and I don't like it cold. Morning starts with 2 cups of coffee(yes-the age thing limit along with BP)but I recently converted to mixing half decaf and half caffeinated which is helpful. i drink herbal teas too later in the day and I happen to like vegetable smoothies much better than fruit ones-yup-I'm weird! Happy T day!

shazsilverwolf said...

Love it Julia! Also love that I've found a fellow hater of fruit teas. Doug loves them, but like you, it's the perfumed taste I can't get past. I'm also a fellow water hater- my drink of choice has always been, and always will be Coke. Although I admit now to drinking the decaff- especially when I wake in the middle of the night and want a drink.( Yes, I used to drink the Real Thing- then figured maybe it was why I never slept, lol). I know all the health warnings, and how bad for you it's supposed to be, but frankly, I don't care. There's always something thats bad for you, and I can be cantankerous enough without having my few remaining guilty pleasures denied me. I do the decaff coffee after 6 pm. Love and hugs, Shaz xxx

shazsilverwolf said...

Lol, just read Kyla's post! If wine is one of the five a day 'cos it's made from grapes, then I'm claiming Mojitos, 'cos they have lime in!xxx

J said...

I love tea, can't drink anything else first thing, won't even get out of bed without it, but I do agree on the herbal variety, although living in Germany when first married I drank gallons of dried lemon tea, still sold in that German supermarket!
We drink coffee on our morning walks, many are now serving Flower of Jamaica, very smooth but can't be bought anywhere! So we only have a small jar for any visitors who don't drink tea., can't stand instant now or even percolated after all these years in Spain.
On our visits to San Francisco we have now settled on a WET capochino, I know beggars belief but hat means less foam and more coffee, more like Spanish style, that's the nearest we have managed.
Try flying with an American airline, ask for tea, then say, oh and can I have milk, funny looks, then out comes the orange and pecan, yuck.

Sylvia/LittleTreasures said...

Interesting..I don't really understand what Squash to drink is. Here our squash is baked and loaded with butter or syrup.
I have given up Soda..all kinds. Trying to eliminate sugar from my diet.
Wine gives me headaches so don't drink it ever. I like my coffee in the AM, it is in a tea bag form and very tasty. I can only drink water if it has lemon in it and try for 32 0z a day. I have lactose issues so use Almond milk on cereal, as a refreshing drink (kind of like a milk shake) or on a whim.
I love my beer, 2/3 times a week I have 2 bottles if we are out and about.
Scotch and water if I want a sippy night out. So I'm off for my 1st cup of something. I enjoy all teas hot or cold try for 2 cups green tea daily. Fun conversation !!!

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I'll give up ANYTHING, including eating, in order to have my caffeinated coffee. It's my drug of choice and I get severe withdrawal headaches when I don't have it. I learned that on vacation one year when I hadn't had coffee for half a day. I got the most severe and extreme headache one can get. After all, I've been drinking coffee since I was 12, when my grandmother started me on it in milk, so milk would be palpable. I have found that I can drink less than I did when I was 20, but still drink more than any doctor would ever recommend, I suspect. However, unlike you, I can drink a cup of coffee and immediately fall asleep. Caffeine has never kept me awake.

Like you, I don't drink water. I don't like the taste of it, because it seems to have a taste, even the bottled stuff.

I had to laugh at your post, as always with humor and fun. I have missed the visits with you and hope to catch up on my life very soon, so I can return to WOYWW, because I miss you and the deskers. Thank you for joining with your lovely decaf coffee and enjoyable diatribe for T this Tuesday.

Valerie-Jael said...

I love ginger tea. Happy T day, hugs, Valerie

Lynn Holland said...

We've gotten into the habit of having a nescafe latte thingymybob drink at 5pm and watching The Chase if we are home in time.
I didnt drink coffee for donkeys years as it gave me migraine, but since the menopause malarky kicked in I can now drink it and eat chocolate yippee

Sue said...

My mum and dad always had tea for breakfast, but I like coffee. I will drink tea on a hot day. I like my coffee made with milk and sometimes treat myself to some squirty cream on top. I use to have decaf tea and coffee as non decaf gave me migraines, but I seem to have grown out of that. I still prefer decaf tea though. I was told decaf things aren't good for you as they use chemicals to strip the caffiene out.

I use to drink orange juice, but citrus drinks give me heartburn.

I love the smells of the herbal teas, but like you find they have no flavour.

For a while I did get into Chai Latte, but haven't had it for ages. There are times I have drinking chocolate and whilst it's expensive I like Twinnings.

Right I need a coffee:)

Take care
Sue

Helen said...

This has been a very interesting read! I am a tea drinker, morning, noon and night - although not too late or I wake for trips to the bathroom.. heck, I do that if I drink or not... never tried decaff anything so can't attest for whether it would help or not.. I do sometimes drink coffee, but not often, (a bit like tomato soup I have to really want one!) I am another who doesn't drink enough water, don't like the taste much, refuse to pay for bottled still water unless I am going out somewhere where I will need a drink to take with me; don't like sparkling water... what a fussy lot we are!! I drink coke too the "fat" normal real one, but only in small doses. (I tend to buy those small mixer cans, just enough to satisfy me) Got to go back to my cuppa now, before it gets cold... and write my 'desk' post...

froebelsternchen said...

There is nearly nothing I don't drink... I like herbal tea,black tea, decaf, water...
Happy T-Day Julia!
oxo
Susi

Judys Lace Creations said...

It's a bit worrying that you don't drink water. I have a jug on my table, and have taught myself to drink 1 litre a day.I add lemon, and ice cubes when the weather is hot. My skin is better, and I have no prob's with bowels.I always fill up my glass when one emptied. You can teach your body to want more water.
Please give it a go!

pearshapedcrafting said...

Fruit teas are as big a 'no, no' as ordinary tea for me although the latter actually causes me to be sick! We are trying to alternate decaf with ordinary but sometimes forget! (Now that's an age thing for sure!) When we went to France last year I started by having Diet coke with meals but because it was so hot took bottled water with us! Tony always drank all of his but I still couldn't manage a whole bottle! Then, when we went to stay with my SIL for a week every time we went out they asked for water and lemon with our meals out and gave us water with the meals we ate in! That, along with lots of slow fermented bread, brought my blood sugar down so we continued this when we came home and my Diabetes medication had been reduced! Oh! and my weight went down too! I don't like my water too cold though and add a little from the kettle! I still struggle to finish a glass but mostly do now! Hugs, Chrisx

Rita said...

I'm still on leaded, not unleaded, coffee. ;) I don't generally like flavored coffee or many of the flavored teas. But I do like lemon and jasmine teas. Drink most of both black or plain--no frills.
Happy coffee day? LOL! :)

Dianne said...

I limit myself to one cup of real coffee in the morning...I'm afraid your English Breakfast Tea in the evening would keep me up all night! I find it hard to remember to drink water too...but it is good for us...sometimes I will put in a bit of lemon juice. happy T day!

misteejay said...

I'm a coffee drinker. I've tried many decaf types but they always leave an after taste so I'll stick with the full blown stuff.
I don't drink much tea (occasionally I'll have a fruit tea) and I don't often have alcohol.
My treat each day on the way to work is my Starbucks latte but during the day I tend to drink a lot of water as my desk is quite near the water-cooler so it is more convenient than trekking to the kitchen area.
Toni xx

Sande said...

Love this post and so happy to know that I am not alone. I hate, hate, hate water. Don't care if it's from the facet or those fancy over priced bottled ones...I hate it. I also forget to drink liquids of any kind. I swear I need to set the alarm to go off and remind me. I don't anything with my meals.

I live for coffee and have no issues with it. I brew a pot as soon as my eyes are open and feet hit the floor and another pot around 7pm. I use to drink 2 12 cup pots a day and it didn't affect me at all. My blood pressure has been 110 over 60 for 45 years. And it doesn't give that extra boost of energy or keep me awake. I've been know to brew a pot at 11pm and go to bed. I want my coffee super hot and can drink black or with cream and sugar. No flavored coffee or creamers. Would never spend my money on a Starbucks coffee. I love a cup of hot tea with sugar and again no flavors except at Christmas my daughters and I buy this wonderful Xmas tea. My guilty pleasure is buying coffee beans and grinding them fresh with each pot.

~*~Patty S said...

Limiting caffeine does have its definite advantages doesn't it.
I am a cheap date when it comes to caffeine and can't drink any after about 1pm or I'll be staring at the ceiling most of the night.
When I drink water I often think how grateful I am to be able to turn on the tap and drink fresh clean water. Sometimes it even has a "sweet" taste.
Hope you're having a lovely day.
Sorry I am a day late for T oxo