Coffee....

How many out there are addicted to this stuff? Is there a way that you have to have it prepared?

Black, nothing special just plain black classic roast!

I have tried coffee... it didn't grow on me, instead I drink lots of water and milk and juice.

Coffee, coffee, coffee. Daily, black, fresh ground from a French press. Robust flavor with a little bit more grit, but it's worth it. Occasionally will allow myself to be treated to a soy latte or cappuccino, but I'm allergic to regular milk, and only a few places can foam the soy acceptably. French Roast, Kona, and Dark Guatemalan are faves.

Also familiar with a variety of teas... English Breakfast, Bancha, and Lung Ching Dragonwell are particular favorites. I never cut them or the coffee with sweetener or creamer (unless it's being served as a latte or other 'dessert coffee'.

I've got a hybrid version of the French press called an Aeropress. It allows you to filter out the grit, but robs you of the crema in the process. I'm still looking for a suitable in-between.

What I end up with is a coffee that is pretty darn close to espresso strength. One thing I can't stand is a cup of coffee that you can see the bottom of the mug through the liquid Mine's so dark, there's no more that 1/4" visibility from the surface. I do add 1 packet of sweetener and a touch of creamer just to take that last little edge off of it. A friend of mine introduced me to Lavazza, specifically the Espresso roast. It's listed as a medium roast, but produces an exceptionally strong, but mellow result.

I never was much of a coffee drinker growing up, though I loved coffee flavored ice cream and candy (ever had chocolate covered coffee beans? yummmmm). I was addicted to Mountain Dew, drinking close to 8 12-oz bottles a day (way back when they were only available in glass bottles or pop-top cans). I'd try other soft drinks in a pinch, but that was my favorite. As far as drinking coffee, I got started with Starbucks Frappaccinos, then finally when it was just to darn cold to drink 'em I'd get a caramel macchiatto. Alas, that was just to expensive of a habit to have. Then McDonalds started serving iced coffees. I'd get the regular without any of the flavorings.....I can't stand flavorings, especially when they're overdone....I end up tasting them for the rest of the day.

Now my wife and I have gone on a low-carb kick. No more sugar....... so I'm back to making it all on my own. I can't grind my own beans because my wife can't stand the smell of coffee, much less drink it. No sodas at all, except one diet soda about every other day - I can't stand the chemical sweeteners and their aftertaste. I use the new Stevia sweeteners whenever I need to add sweetness to something. No milk...too many natural sugars/carbs...so I have to use alternatives there as well.

I do like tea, but I grew up in the heart of Dixie, where if it's not a 50/50 mix of liquid and sugar and served ice cold, it ain't tea. (Ok, not 50/50.....but if you're not used to it, it will taste like it)! I'll drink hot tea whenever I go to a decent sit-down Chinese restaurant.....there's just something about the teas that they server there....kind of a cinnamony taste to them.

That's a strict diet, and I will stop there because I tend to be overly mean to people who diet.

shun you ginzaki

Ginzaki wrote:

That's a strict diet, and I will stop there because I tend to be overly mean to people who diet.

That's OK, I'm a big boy....I can handle it. Besides, I'm one of those few who can find good humor in just about anything, so I can take it just as well as I can dish it out.

Hmmmm, Big Boy, Good Humor, Dish? I think I'm getting hungry now!

hehe, Hey you don't have to think of it as a "diet". Think of it as a lifestyle change. Most people who think the word diet never get to the end of one, but most people who do what your doing shocktart are doing it for a greater and healthier life, so therefore its a lifestyle change, not a diet.

Yes, Sweet P, that's how I see it. I was kidding about the part about getting hungry (other than the fact that it is dinnertime). For those that don't know much about the low-carb lifestyle, you can eat pretty much as much as you want...provided it doesn't have (or has very few) carbohydrates. That means when I go to McDonald's and order that Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese Combo Meal, I get it with a side salad and a diet soda or unsweetened tea. Then I get to my table and promptly discard the buns and eat everything else.

About once a week, we do have a "freebie" day in which we get to consume a lot of those things that we really enjoy and miss.....Waffles, Cinnamon Buns, Donuts, a "Real" soda......ordering any desert off the menu with our meal...things like that. Even so, we end up not eating nearly as many carbs on those days as we used to.

Ah, I misunderstood you. I know a lot of people who go on a "no carb" diet and...it's not good for you.

I used to take a lot of classes in the field of medicine and biology...wait I'm still taking those classes, so I tend to be really critical of people doing stupid things. Like the no carb, no sugar, no protein dieters around me. I give them a stern lecture about it and they look at me like I'm the crazy one. Than a month later, boom, health problems.

Ginzaki wrote:

... Like the no carb, no sugar, no protein dieters around me...

Agggggh - that's where so many people mess up. You HAVE to have protein of you do low-carb, and there are "good" carbs that you can have as well. Plus, you need lots of fiber, too, as every gram of fiber offsets a gram of carbs. Oh, and you can't do low-carb and no-fat at the same time, either - your body needs something to break down the proteins, and it needs either fat or carbs to do that.

i am a big boy too

ShockTart wrote:

Ginzaki wrote:

... Like the no carb, no sugar, no protein dieters around me...

Agggggh - that's where so many people mess up. You HAVE to have protein of you do low-carb, and there are "good" carbs that you can have as well. Plus, you need lots of fiber, too, as every gram of fiber offsets a gram of carbs. Oh, and you can't do low-carb and no-fat at the same time, either - your body needs something to break down the proteins, and it needs either fat or carbs to do that.

Don't forget energy, cutting out all of the high energy substances will leave you tired and sick.

Ginzaki wrote:

Don't forget energy, cutting out all of the high energy substances will leave you tired and sick.

Isn't that what caffeine is for? Hence the thread?

Hey, I had to try to get it back on topic somehow, lol!

Mmmm, coffee.

Yessss Coffee. Straight black, I drink at least 6 cups every morning then 3-4 more through the day. Also 2 litres of gatorade and at least that much water. At least in the summer, winter, it's pretty much all coffee. Work as a roofer, need to stay awake and hydrated.

oh yeah, roofing is one profession that you really don't want to get caught falling asleep on the job.....depending on where you are, it can be a loooooong way down!

Everyone knows you're in trouble when you optimistically cry out, "All right so far!" before hitting the pavement...

Jaelle Hausroc wrote:

Everyone knows you're in trouble when you optimistically cry out, "All right so far!" before hitting the pavement...

Well it isn't the fall that kills you after all.

well, It would really suck if it was the fall that killed you and the pavement that saved you. but anyway....HOT COCO!!!!!!

Jaelle Hausroc wrote:

Everyone knows you're in trouble when you optimistically cry out, "All right so far!" before hitting the pavement...

LOL, kinda reminds me of the infamous last words of a Redneck....."Hey Y'All.....Watch This!!!"

Last words of my cousin to. Tied his tongue to a bottle rocket.

Hehe... Same thing happened to my cous'...

...

wait a minute...

it would be odd if you two were related.