Caffeine's Catty Side and Lemony Lentil Soup

Once again, I’ve underestimated my old friend, caffeine.  What a sneaky frenemy.  She is so toxic!  No matter how nice she croons; begging me to take just one little sip, she’s just waiting to make me feel like crap again.  Bitch.

So, I caved for just a moment, thinking, “What harm would one little cup do?”  I was having breakfast with friends, everyone was drinking coffee, blah blah blah, excuses.  I slipped and took a sip.

No matter how many times I prove it to myself, I still can’t believe it.  Two days later and I’m sleeping like crap with exponentially increased anxiety and grumpiness.  SERIOUS grumpiness.  I’m waking up groggy and wishing for “just a cup today.”  After just one cup of coffee!!!  And I really only drank half.  I wish I’d at least made it a salted caramel mocha – this crappy feeling is totally not worth a regular, boring cup of coffee.  When will I learn????

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Caffeine is evil.  Seriously, she is smiling while plotting behind your back.

Kathy Freston shares (in Quantum Wellness Cleanse) that Caffeine:

• Is a central-nervous-system stimulant

• Affects perception, mood, and behavior

• Raises dopamine, increasing feelings of pleasure, but depleting future stores of dopamine, making you need more and more

• Blocks adenosine receptors, which calm you and help you sleep, leading to anxiety, restlessness, and inability to sleep (but it does not take away the need for sleep.)

• Exhausts the body by stimulating adrenaline production, also raising cortisol (stress hormone)

• Extended overuse of caffeine leading to stress fatigue and high levels of cortisol can lead to:  lowered thyroid function, cognitive problems, decreased bone density and muscle tissue, higher blood pressure, lowered immunity, raised inflammatory reaction in body

According to Freston, “The very things we take caffeine for – more energy and mental focus – are sacrificed over the long term by ingesting it.”

I just made my own lentil soup and was so excited that I wanted to share with you.  This was much easier than most soups I make.  It's very flavorful.  I’ve always dreamed of making soup as good as Aladdin’s and I think I’m pretty close.  Let me know!

Laura’s Lemony Lentil Soup (Vegan & Gluten-Free)
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
1 TB extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 TB for later
3 medium onions, diced
1/8 cup white wine
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced small
1 tsp oregano (dried)
1 tsp basil (dried)
1 tsp parsley (dried)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp Kapha seasoning (optional – my favorite Indian spice – you can buy it from the Chopra center)
6 -8 cups vegetable broth  (I started with 6 and added more as the lentils ate the broth)
½ lemon, peel washed thoroughly
1 apple, cored and quartered
1 ½ cups lentils
½ cup spinach
¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste (I barely needed to use any at all.)

1.    In a stock pot, add 1 TB EVOO and sweat onions on med-low for 10 minutes, medium for 10 minutes, then back to low for another 10 min.  Stir often to avoid burning or sticking to the pan.

2.    Deglaze by pouring in white wine and stirring the onions.

3.    Add celery, potatoes, garlic, and lentils and toss with the remaining 2 TB of EVOO.

4.    Add dry spices (save fresh parsley for garnish).

5.    Add broth.

6.    Add lemon, apple (if desired), and bay leaf.

7.    Simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

8.    Stir in spinach and remove from heat.  Let sit for a couple of minutes and add more veggie broth if too thick.

9.    Serve topped with fresh parsley.