That first glorious sip that hits your lips and mends your mind. "Aaah." Your insides seem instantly warmed and completed, like a concluding note of a symphony. Coffee and its caffeine are a power ridden bond that are amongst the lives of many. While looking at my reflection in the bathroom mirror during this exam season, I notice two things: a) the dreaded bags beneath my eyes that now seem permanently positioned and b) the staining of excessive coffee drinking plastered across my teeth. And it got me thinking: a) why do we like coffee so much? and b) surely I write a blog post to figure it out.
Caffeine is the most commonly consumed drug in the world which is not necessarily a surprising stat. I mean, it's embedded in the routines of so many people, the social atmosphere that it creates cultivates human connection, it tastes great (relative to the individual, of course) and it can get you shaking like a polaroid picture. So I asked some of y'all on the blog's instagram why do you like coffee, here are some of my favourite answers below:
- "It keeps me awake!!"
- "I like the taste and find just sipping on a cup to be comforting."
- "Umm I think I drink it because, like I like the taste, but it's kinda a feeling it gives you... not energising per se, but sometimes I just need to feel something if that makes sense."
- "It's yummy, and now implemented in my morning routine. And I also like making espresso shots because I feel fancy."
- "It tastes good and gives me a little boost. I'm not a regular drinker, so I appreciate the extra bit that propels me through the day. Honestly it just adds to my overall vibe. It also has to be black and half strength though otherwise I'm shaking and sweating haha."
- "I like coffee because it tastes delightful and wakes me up haha."
- "I like the taste. Probably a bit of it is a habit and I'm not really sure whether it gives you a kick start, it does with your bows anyway. It's quite fun to make if you have proper machine."
- "I like coffee because the caffeine helps me wake up and I'm in the habit of drinking it every morning. It also is a good hot drink because it isn't too sweet."
- "I like the flavour. It makes me feel good but I don't know why. I haven't always liked it, only when we got a plunger coffee."
- "I like how it makes me feel! When I'm at work I feel a lot more upbeat and switched on after a cuppa. I enjoy the routine of making a coffee and having it in the morning to start my day, I enjoy how it tastes, I like the culture Wellington especially has around coffee, and the social aspect of it too :)."
- "I like the taste of it but the feeling makes me feel like I'm on pingas with a side of a heart attack."
So it wakes some up, some like the taste and some like its ritual. But how does the body physiologically respond to its intake? Basically when one consumes caffeine, it functions as a nervous system stimulant, which means that it can make your heart beat faster. Fun fact (maybe not that fun, but interesting): never give someone suffering with hypothermia or frostbite anything with caffeine in it because it actually accelerates cold temperates in the body. Caffeine is an efficient stimulant and its effects are felt swiftly. It doesn't accumulate in the bloodstream and goes straight to the brain.
Moderate caffeine use just like moderate use of any substance (not heroin please shawties) does not possess any striking health risks to any healthy individual. Yet when consumed in excess, sometimes it can result in a term known as 'caffeine intoxication'. Symptoms of this can include: insomnia, gastrointestinal disturbance, and restlessness to name a few. Generally, most research suggests that the use of caffeine cannot necessarily be an addiction, just a habit. Having said that though, because withdrawal symptoms can transpire after overuse it suggests that caffeine has addictive tendencies. The withdrawal symptoms of caffeine are not too flash; there's headaches, fatigue, depressed moods, concentrating difficulties and not to mention some flu-like symptoms that can occur.
Maybe that last paragraph was a little disheartening and grim but coffee for the most part when you are in favour of it - it can be your best friend. It elevates mood and it even can set your body's biological clock and ward off depression. My beautiful friend Maddie Rawiri of whom is a grand barista shared with me her relationship with coffee and its significance to her, I thought it was quite precious and would be a perfect way to end this post:
"My love for coffee started when I was about 15. I'd make an instant Nescafé with milk in my keep cup before I caught my 7am bus. It was a little ritual of warmth, and a little burst of energy to start my winter morning. And then, it became social. Navigating to the cozy cafe across from school on a rainy morning when my bus came too early was the best part of the day when shared with a friend. When I left school, I started making coffee and I didn't want to stop! Each new technique I learned filled me with so much excitement! People started coming in for MY coffee! So to me, coffee is warmth, it's coziness, it's excitement, it's success, it's meeting new friends, it's meeting old friends. Coffee is like an old pal I will never lose!! And that's why I LOVE COFFEE!!!"
Make sure to follow the blog's instagram linked down below because I'm keen to get more of you involved in opinion pieces in the future.
Go on, have a cuppa.
If you have any further questions based on this blog post or anything else in regards to this blog, be sure to get in contact with me through this website or through the blog's instagram linked below.
LINKS:
~ Link for previous blog post: https://www.madein2000.com/post/35-f-k-expectations
~ Link to 'Born In 2000' instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellawasbornin2000/
~ Link to 'Born In 2000' opinion form: https://www.madein2000.com/we-want-you-r-opinion
Make sure you send through recommendations, considerations and comments in regards to this blog. If you have anything that your wanting to hear, Ella is listening! Be sure to subscribe to the mailing list and become a member to receive notifications and more information.
This blog will encompass the life of a 19-year-old kiwi chica. Composed of stories, advice, life lessons, worldly observations, videos and whatever else Ella's life brings to surface.For all of this and more, read my new found blog 'Born In 2000': established on the 28th of October, 2019. Where Ella Gibson explores her life that exceeds all limitations. Publications should be expected twice a week. Take this present moment now and rock it!