After receiving the bag of coffee from my neighbor, I thought seriously about giving it back. I even sat down and wrote him a note saying, “Thank you, Ben, but I don’t drink coffee anymore.” That just seemed rude, so the next time I saw him I thanked him for thinking of me. I’ll find somebody to give it to.

Ben and I have always shared a love for coffee, but we haven’t talked in a while, so he didn’t know things have changed. My visit with Dr. Jason in March didn’t go very well and I kinda felt like I was back in grade school sitting in the principle’s office! The New Year knocked me offtrack and I started slipping a cup of coffee into my day telling myself it was okay because it was roasted locally and organic. I even chose a 6 oz. cup instead of a giant mug, but the end result was the same. I’d start to feel tired and then the brain fog would set in.

Dr. Jason kindly sent me home with some of the same herbs I’ve taken before to clean the gut. He never tells me what to eat, but he’ll remind me of what my body doesn’t like. Bread, coffee, a splash of dairy, but not a lot and nuts are a no.

One day I met a good friend at a local bakery and I knew they offered numerous drink options. Looking over the drink menu, I saw they served a London Fog, but I hadn’t had one in years, so decided to give it a try and it was lovely. Coffee has too much caffeine for my body to absorb, so it has the opposite effect and makes me tired. A cup of earl grey has half the caffeine of a cup of coffee providing a lower, more moderate boost.

A new restaurant opened within walking distance of my home which serves coffee, and cocktails, but also the London Fog. Normally it’s made with whole milk, or cream which is delightful, but my tummy always feels bloated after drinking one, so I asked the barista, “Have you ever made one using oat milk?” She said no and thought it would be too heavy and hide the flavor of the tea. She offered to made me one using almond milk, which I don’t enjoy, so I declined and decided to go home to try it for myself.

The first one I made I frothed whole milk just like a barista would, just to test my frothing skills, but next I decided to use what I know my body likes and try the oat milk.

I was astonished to see the oat milk froth up thicker and prettier than whole milk. It was almost like a meringue for a pie and when I poured it into the piping hot cup of earl grey tea, it just stood there and held it’s own, instead of starting to deflate like foamed milk. We learn about people by listening to their opinion’s, but we’re each unique in our own way, so it’s best to try it for ourselves.