Too much caffeine can result in symptoms ranging from anxiety to heart palpitations. And for those with conditions such as high blood pressure, an overdose of caffeine can be even more hazardous to your health. In addition, caffeine can put you on a roller coaster of energy surges and sags, resulting in cravings for sugar (quick, a candy bar, please!). And so, when my doctor recommended that I make the switch from regular coffee to decaffeinated, I surrendered.
- Week one: I began gradually, mixing a brew of half regular coffee and half decaf. Because I love flavored coffees, I used a mixture of Seattle's Best Coffee Cinnamon Sugar Cookie (unbelievably delicious!) and decaffeinated Eight O'Clock Coffee. I jazzed it up with Silk Very Vanilla Soymilk. Verdict: Yummy, with no headaches.
- Week two: I used one-fourth regular coffee and three-fourth decaffeinated coffee. I experimented with different types of both. My favorite: Hazelnut Eight O'Clock Coffee mixed with Cameron's Vanilla Hazelnut Decaf Ground Coffee. After making it through the first week without problems, I experienced headaches during the first part of week two. However, by the end, I had adjusted.
- Week Three: I shifted to decaf only, alternating between Millstone French Vanilla Decaf Ground Coffee and Paramount Coffee French Vanilla Decaf. Result: Success! My recommendation: Shift gradually and experiment with different types of decaf. I have become particularly fond of Paramount Hazelnut Decaf Ground Coffee, mixed with Pacific Natural Foods Hazelnut milk substitute.
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