Results: Internet,Facebook and coffee

        The goals were all the same: less Internet, less Facebook and less coffee! Ok, failure is not the correct term to be using in this area as a close and wonderful friend once told me. The nomenclature is simply inaccurate. Fine. Then let's break these down. First up...the Internet. Spend less time. Perhaps this is one I have accomplished something with. I indeed have been spending less time on the Internet itself. Less time surfing aimlessly as I read news stories or watch the latest classical music news or concert. Not that the latter is a negative choice at all. But we still only have so many hours in a day. And in this regard, I HAVE been online less. (patting myself on the back, best I could)

                           On to the second point: Facebook. Now, this is a tough one for me. I have admitted it time and time again. And there is no getting away from the fact that I love it. I miss it when away. I crave communication constantly. One thing I'm sure as hell not, is an introvert. If I cannot chat with the girls or close pals, I search for someone. I flirt with the best of them, always in a respectful and harmless manner. Yes, I do. Simply the way I am. But Facebook allows me to post, chat and share with the world. I'm not the private individual that others are and that's what makes us all unique in our own way. I don't go overboard on Facebook with erotic and explicit posts nor nasty religious and /or political rants. but I'm as open as they get and not afraid of blackmail nor losing friends due to being this open. So Facebook is a grand place for me. I shall use it when I want and not be worried any longer. :-) And, I shall cease from stating I'm cutting back on it. I have learned my lesson.

 Now, for the third and final challenge: coffee. As you remember, the caffeine content was my primary focus with coffee as well as the acid level that soured my stomach quite often. So the challenge was to cut out coffee and see how i felt. This drink would be replaced by water and copious amounts of my favourite beverage...tea. Especially green tea. That very week I stopped my coffee consumption and can now state that it has been almost three weeks since ANY coffee!!! Not a drop.
How do I feel? I have been feeling better and better every day. My stomach issues have disappeared for the most part and, would you believe, my arthritis has also been less of an issue. Not that coffee was the culprit but eliminating it and double, even triple dosing on the green tea might have helped. I won't argue at all. Time will tell if any other deductions from my diet will help.

As has been discussed ad nauseum for many, green tea is full of the best things one can get from a leaf. Well, a leafy drink that is. Not the favourite of some due to it's veggie taste and not the most popular worldwide as black is. But there are millions of drinkers daily, especially in Japan,China and the Far East. Add me to that list. And during the summer, I steep it and then pour over ice for a cold drink during the hot days.
                No sugar heavens no.

Why ruin the delicious taste of ANY tea with adding sugar!!!!
Sacrilegious!!!!!

    On those days when i want a treat that is healthier than some horribly bad, calorie and fat filled drink...I can order a green tea Frapuccino .

 Without soy or milk, no sweetener, eight scoops (instead of four) of matcha green tea powder. Tastes like it should and with hardly any calories. Yummy indeed!!!! Looks worse than it tastes. And... I stay dairy and sugar free as well as fat free. Delish!







 OK. Confession and update time is now over for this evening. I've been able to get a lot accomplished today too, finishing a 10K run in the sun, doing dishes,completing laundry and writing letters to my pen pals. yes, I still write REAL letters to REAL people in other parts of this great planet!!! And with fountain pens no doubt!! More on that in a future post for sure. Till then, below is one of my prized pens...the Omas Arco.