One of my morning rituals is a cup of coffee. Talking with other people it seems that I am not alone drinking a morning cup of coffee to start the day. The primary reason given by people is that it “wakes them up.” For these coffee drinkers, the first cup of coffee in the morning acts as a stimulant to be wide awake and ready to meet the challenges of the day. The primary ingredient in coffee that seems to trigger this response is caffeine. There are some studies that promote coffee as a way to keep active over a longer period of time. For marathon runners that is exactly what they are looking for. It got to the point that too much coffee [caffeine] was a banned substance in the Olympic drug protocol restrictions.
The other drink that is a ritual for many southerners is sweet iced tea. Here in Texas when you order iced tea the glass is very big. I visited Maine one summer and asked for iced tea. The waitress said, “It isn’t the season yet for iced tea.” I ordered a cup of tea and a glass of ice to make my own iced tea. And when it is in season the glasses only hold about 10 ounces or less. A very rude awakening for a person from Texas and the standard drinking glass of sweet tea is close to a quart in size.
Research has been both favorable and unfavorable about drinking coffee and tea. Some research claims that too much coffee causes cardiovascular problems such as increased or irregular heart rate, insomnia, irritability, and some forms of cancer. Other research says that people who drink at least three cups of coffee a day have a longer life span. And tea is a preferred drink all over the world.
