I tend to be a fairly easy-going and laid back guy. It comes with the SoCal territory. There are times, however, when I find myself growing stressed and irritable. I know that my caffeine intake isn’t helping, and I need to make an adjustment. I’m not quite willing to give up caffeine entirely, but there is an easier step. When these times hit, I start dreaming of an old friend from years past, green tea.

If you’re a regular reader, you know that black coffee, ground at home from organic beans, is my darling. I’m quite protective of her. I’m well aware of her numerous nutritional pluses, and I’m loyal to a fault. Despite green tea’s many attractive virtues, I have room for but one main caffeine source in my life. It doesn’t really matter if everyone tells me that I could do better. Case in point (particularly for a blue-eyed man constantly out in the Malibu sun), from the University of Maryland Medical Center:

The main polyphenol in green tea is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Scientific studies suggest that EGCG and green tea polyphenols have anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties that may help prevent the development and growth of skin tumors.

I should be downing the stuff, but coffee owns my heart. Still…it doesn’t hurt to look, right? Continued from UM:

Clinical studies suggest that green tea extract may boost metabolism and help burn fat. One study found that the combination of green tea and caffeine improved weight loss and maintenance in people who were overweight and moderately obese. Some researchers think that substances in green tea known as catechins are responsible for the herb’s fat-burning effect.

Who doesn’t like a good fat burning effect? Some folks open their wallets and down all sorts of pills for the same effect. Let’s get one thing straight though. I’m not thinking of cheating. I just think it’s healthy (see what I did there?) to see what’s out there. I’m only human. From Harvard Health Publications:

Benefits for regular consumers of green and black teas include a reduced risk for heart disease. The antioxidants in green, black, and oolong teas can help block the oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol, increase HDL (good) cholesterol and improve artery function. A Chinese study published recently in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed a 46%-65% reduction in hypertension risk in regular consumers of oolong or green tea, compared to non-consumers of tea.

So here’s the plan. Every morning, I drink about 2 cups of ultra strong (and unfairly aromatic) joe. Each cup of coffee has 95- 200 mg of caffeine, while a cup of green tea contains 24-45 mg. If I drop to 1.5 cups of black gold and add a cup of green tea in the afternoon, I’ll still be cutting my caffeine intake. I’ll be taking an action step that I know has worked in years past to reduce irritability. Even better, I’ll be benefiting from adding an exceptionally nutritious beverage to my repertoire.

Coffee will just have to share me. She shoulda put a ring on it.