The Art of Coffee: Cocktails From Classic Irish Coffee to Decaf Coffee Martinis

Coffee cocktails have become a burgeoning trend, capturing the attention and taste buds both of coffee enthusiasts and cocktail connoisseurs. This delightful fusion of two beloved beverages offers a world of possibilities and a delightful marriage of flavors. The rising popularity of coffee cocktails is explained by their versatility and the rich, complex flavors that coffee brings to the mix.

Whether you prefer the invigorating kick of caffeine or the smooth, mellow experience of low acid decaf coffee, there’s a coffee cocktail waiting to be discovered for everyone.

 

The Basics of Coffee Cocktails

When it comes to crafting a perfect coffee cocktail, several key elements contribute to its overall taste and experience. Firstly, the choice of coffee is crucial. Opting for high-quality beans ensures the best flavor profiles. Consider factors such as roast level, origin, and flavor notes that complement the other ingredients.

The selection of spirits is another important element. Whiskey, rum, vodka, and liqueurs all of them bring unique characteristics to the mix.

Sweeteners play a vital role in balancing the bitterness of coffee. Experiment with simple syrup, flavored syrups, or even honey to achieve the desired level of sweetness. Garnishes not only enhance visual appeal but also contribute to the aroma and taste. Whipped cream, chocolate shavings, cinnamon sticks, or citrus peels can elevate the overall experience.

Classic Coffee Cocktails

Irish Coffee

Irish Coffee holds a special place among coffee cocktails, renowned for its rich flavors and comforting warmth. Its origin goes back to Ireland in the 1940s when a chef at a restaurant near Foynes Airport created the drink to warm up weary travelers.

To make a perfect Irish Coffee, you will need:

  • Strong hot coffee

  • Irish whiskey

  • Brown sugar

  • Freshly whipped cream

Here’s how to prepare it:

  1. Preheat a glass mug by filling it with hot water.

  2. Empty the mug and add 1 ½ ounces of Irish whiskey.

  3. Dissolve two teaspoons of brown sugar in the whiskey, stirring gently.

  4. Pour in 6 ounces of freshly brewed, strong hot coffee, leaving some space at the top.

  5. Stir lightly until the sugar is fully dissolved.

  6. Carefully float a layer of freshly whipped cream on top of the coffee, using the back of a spoon to gently layer it.

Espresso Martini

The Espresso Martini is another popular coffee cocktail nowadays. Its origins date back to the 1980s when a London bartender guru created the drink to wake up a young and famous model at Fred’s Club.

To create an Espresso Martini, gather the following ingredients:

  • 1 ½ ounces of vodka

  • 1 ounce of coffee liqueur

  • 1 ounce of freshly brewed espresso

  • ½ ounce of sugar syrup

Here’s how to prepare it:

  1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.

  2. Add vodka, coffee liqueur, freshly brewed espresso, and sugar syrup to the shaker.

  3. Shake vigorously for about 10-15 seconds to chill the ingredients and create a frothy texture.

  4. Strain the mixture into a chilled martini glass.

  5. Optional: Garnish with coffee beans or a sprinkle of cocoa powder for an elegant touch.

Exploring Decaf Coffee Cocktails

In recent years, there has been a growing demand for decaf coffee options, driven by individuals who enjoy the flavors of coffee but prefer to limit their caffeine intake. This shift in preferences has led mixologists to explore the realm of decaf coffee cocktails, offering a delightful alternative for those seeking a caffeine-free experience.

Here are two great decaf coffee cocktails:

  • Decaf White Russian: This twist on the classic White Russian retains the velvety smoothness and indulgence while incorporating decaf coffee. To make it, combine decaf coffee, vodka, coffee liqueur, and cream.

  • Decaf Coffee Old Fashioned: Combine decaf coffee, bourbon or whiskey, simple syrup, and bitters. Now you’ve got a refined and robust taste with a delightful balance of flavors.

Tips for Creating the Perfect Coffee Cocktails

Here are some general tips to help you achieve the best results and enhance your coffee cocktail creations:

  • Use freshly brewed coffee: To ensure the most vibrant and robust flavors in your coffee cocktails, opt for freshly brewed coffee. Avoid using stale or reheated coffee.

  • Balance the flavors: Coffee cocktails offer a delicate balance of bitter, sweet, and other flavor notes. Experiment and taste as you go and make adjustments to ensure the flavors are well-balanced and complement each other.

  • Explore different spirits: Coffee is a versatile ingredient that pairs well with a variety of spirits. Don’t limit yourself to traditional choices. Experiment with different spirits.

  • Garnish creatively: Garnishes not only enhance the visual appeal of your coffee cocktails but also contribute to the aroma and taste.

Conclusion

The art of coffee cocktails offers a delightful fusion of two beloved beverages, appealing to coffee enthusiasts and cocktail connoisseurs alike. By understanding the key elements of coffee cocktails, such as the choice of coffee, spirit selection, sweeteners, and garnishes, one can create well-balanced and flavorful concoctions. Using high-quality coffee is essential to ensure the best flavor profiles, and experimenting with different brewing methods and ratios allows for customization and creativity.

6 Changes to Make to Your Morning Coffee

Most people have a similar morning routine that involves taking a cup of hot coffee. This routine can be boring sometimes. However, you can enhance your morning coffee routine with a few changes. By doing so, you will not only benefit from a better-caffeinated beverage but also improve your mood. You’re probably asking yourself, how? The answer is simple though, break the mold and try out these six changes when making your coffee routine. Or try tea!

Try a New Roast

Do you know that each bean has a unique taste? The best thing about coffee is its ability to change the flavor of coffee just by changing the roast. Therefore, you can experiment with coffee roasting, too, if you want to try something different from your regular daily grind. When experimenting, try out different roasts to observe how your mood or energy changes. This is simply because every bean has a different taste, and depending on which roast they are roasted, they will produce different effects on your body chemistry and mental state.

Grind Your Beans

If you love the smell of freshly roasted coffee beans, then you definitely have to grind your own beans. Remember, freshly roasted coffee beans are much better than their pre-ground counterparts. There are a lot of conveniences that come with grinding your own beans. So get out there and start grinding your beans!

Add Some New Ingredients to Your Coffee

Do you know that many people like to flavor their coffee with milk or cocoa? You can try these things, too, when you’re drinking your morning coffee. However, if you want to experience something new and exciting every day, here is a very good idea for you. Try adding some cinnamon or ginger; they will give your cup of coffee a new zing. Also, you could try adding masala chai mix to your coffee for a flavorful and aromatic coffee. The best thing about this is that most people don’t think about adding one of these ingredients to their cup of coffee daily, but they definitely should! You’ll thank me later for this tip.

Try Different Milk Alternatives

Most people love to use condensed milk to flavor their coffee. However, if you are a person who loves experimenting with different flavors, here is a suggestion for you. Why not try almond, soy, or coconut milk instead of regular milk? The reason for suggesting these specific types of milk is because they taste good and are healthy for your body. Although many people feel that these alternatives are less tasty than regular milk, this isn’t the case anymore with newer brands and flavors available on the market.

Brew Strong

The flavor of coffee indeed varies depending on how strong you brew it. Therefore, if you want something different, then you need to try brewing your coffee in a way that will give you a stronger cup. For instance, if you are brewing your coffee at home, you need to choose a finer grind and use more grounds to strengthen your coffee. Another thing worth mentioning is that using more water when brewing is good, too; this way, your cup will be less acidic and less bitter at the same time. Try this once, and you’ll never go back to weaker coffee ever again!

Add Salt to Improve Flavor

Adding a pinch of salt is the best tip of them all. Adding a pinch of salt to your cup will not only enhance its flavor but will also reduce the bitterness of your cup. Moreover, it will reduce its acidity level and make it easier on your stomach. Allowing you not only to enjoy a tastier cup of coffee but also a healthier one than usual!

Bottom-Line

Don’t you wish you could use your morning coffee to improve your mood and energy levels? If you are asking yourself this question, then the answer is yes. By changing how you drink your morning cup, you will observe how it affects your overall well-being and improves your attitude. The possibilities are limitless when it comes to this topic, and they are only limited by what’s available in the world. Now that you know this information, try incorporating these six changes into your morning routine.

About The Author

Sheryl Wright is a freelance writer who specializes in digital marketing, inclusive business, and interior design. If she is not at home reading, she is at a farmers market or climbing in the Rockies. She currently lives in Nashville, TN, with her cat, Saturn.

Different Types of Coffee To Try with Your Home Coffee Machines

You must have purchased your own best small coffee machine and now you are eager to know what are the different types of coffee you can try on your coffee machine. On the other hand, if you have yet to purchase your coffee machine, you don’t need to worry as there are a lot of the best coffee machines in Australia that you can choose from. Now let’s set that aside, and go over the different types of coffee that you can try on your coffee machine.

 

Coffee Beans

If you are someone who likes pure coffee, you may want to brew coffee beans directly to your coffee machines. Hence, we recommend the most popular coffee beans below.

Arabica

This coffee is the most popular type. This coffee bean is typically used for black coffee, and this coffee has a sweeter and richer flavor. However, if you’re drinking coffee because you’d want to benefit more from the caffeine, this type of coffee doesn’t have much caffeine as the other coffee bean.

Robusta

While the first coffee bean is the most popular type of coffee, if you’re looking for a budget coffee bean, Robusta is for you. This coffee bean is much stronger and has a bitter flavor. This type of coffee is most commonly used for espresso drinks and instant coffee mixes.

Coffee Drinks

If pure coffee is not your cup of coffee, we have listed different variations of coffee that you can make in your coffee machine. Latte, cappuccino, americano, and many more! There are so many coffee types that you can do with just a few small beans.

Latte

This is the most by far popular coffee drink in the market. This is a classic drink that is typically 1/3 espresso, 2/3 steamed milk, and with a touch of foam. Latte also has options that you can choose, you can have it plain or with a flavor shot of your choice.

Cappuccino

This type of coffee is also a latte but it’s made with more foam than steamed milk that you can top with a sprinkle of cocoa powder or cinnamon on top. There are also a lot of variations that you can choose like those that use cream instead of milk.

Espresso

This type of coffee can be served solo that’s called an espresso shot, while this is also used as the foundation of most coffee drinks like lattes.\

Americano

If you’re a black coffee person, Americano has a similar flavor to black coffee but Americano consists of an espresso shot diluted in hot water. You can make this if you want other variations for a black coffee.

Cortado

A Cortado is a perfect balance of espresso and steamed milk. The steamed milk is used to lessen the espresso’s acidity.

Macchiato

In Italian, macchiato means “stained” or “spotted,” it refers to coffee that’s been stained with milk. In other words, a macchiato is an espresso-based coffee with just a touch of steamed milk or foam on top.

Flat White

This drink consists of espresso and steamed milk, though it may be the same as the latte, the difference is that this coffee has a higher ratio of espresso than milk.

Mocha Latte

If you’re a chocolate lover, you’re probably gonna in love with this type of drink. Mocha has a sweet twist on the latte which is flavored with sugar and chocolates like cocoa powder, syrup, or melted chocolate.

Irish Coffee

Irish coffee is a combination of black coffee, whiskey, and sugar that is topped with whipped cream.

Types of Ice Coffee

This type of coffee is a trend and is very refreshing to drink on hot summer days. We listed the best ice coffees below that you can make on your own.

Cold Brew

This type of iced coffee is one of the drinks that’s in trend. Cold brew is made by slowly stepping coffee beans over cool or room temperature water which makes it taste smoother and less bitter than a regular iced coffee.

Nitro Cold Brew

Yes, that is what is it called. Nitro coffee is a cold brew that has added nitrogen bubbles which result in a cold brew coffee with a frothy, beer-like texture.

Frappuccino

This type of iced coffee is a blended iced coffee that contains some kind of milk and flavored syrup with the top layer topped with whipped cream.

Mazagran

Mazagran coffee is a mix between iced coffee, tea, and rum. It typically consists of espresso, lemon, sugar, and the option of rum.

Conclusion

With your home coffee machines, you can make a lot of coffee variations be it in hot or cold coffee.  With the list, you can now make your cup of coffee to start your day or whenever you’d like a coffee to kick in your day or just to have your favorite drink to make your day a better day.

35 Truths of the Girl Who Literally Can’t Live Without Coffee

It’s almost like a sacrificial ritual, you lose sleep to gain more coffee. To sleep an extra 15 or go get a coffee…. Def coffee.

1. Kids have ice cream trucks, why can’t adults have coffee trucks?

2. My birthstone is a coffee bean

3. Coffee: The Adulting Fuel

4. I don’t drink coffee to wake up; I wake up to drink coffee

5. Wanna hear a joke? Decaf.

6. Be full of coffee, not hate

7. Coffee is the original black magic

8. Some girls just want to have fun, I just want to have coffee

9. The only thing getting “lit” this weekend is my coffee maker

10. I may not cry over spilled milk but I’ll lose my mind if I spill my coffee

11. I’m not in denial about my addiction, now go buy more beans

12. There’s a time and a place for decaf: never and in the trash

13. The most dangerous drinking game is seeing how long I can go without coffee

14. Coffee: Starter fluid for the morning impaired

15. It’s like a high five in the mouth

16. Good days start with coffee but drink it all day long just in case

17. We all have that one friend who loses it if they don’t drink their coffee. In my world, that friend is me.

18. I never said that I would die without having coffee. I said that other people would die.

19. My force does not awaken without coffee

20. Spilling a cup of coffee as an adult is the equivalent to a child letting a balloon go

21. I eat salad every day: Bean salad. Coffee bean salad.

22. You can call me a pothead. A coffee pothead.

23. Coffee: Because morning people cannot be trusted

24. A coffee an hour keeps me from going sour.

25. My body is basically a filter: Coffee goes in, sarcasm comes out

26. I’m holding a mug of coffee, so yeah I’m pretty busy

27. On the bright side, my coffee will never get cold in hell

28. I’m not everyone’s cup of tea, but I drink coffee so screw them

29. My favorite winter sport is walking to the nearest coffee shop

30. Coffee is the answer, I don’t remember the question

31. If you’re reading this please bring coffee

32. Coffee: Liquid joy juice

33. Afternoon forecast: 99% of coffee

34. Love is in the air. I can smell my coffee brewing

35. In coffee we trust

For more unorganized thought by Steff Click Here!

Header Image Source 

Science behind Coffee-Naps: better than coffee or naps alone

Feeling sleepy, and planning to take a quick nap or a cup of coffee to restore your alertness? I think science has a better solution for your midday drowsiness; a coffee-nap!

 

If you haven’t heard of about it, a coffee nap (a.k.a stimulant nap) is a fairly old concept that has gained some scientific attention recently. It is simply a 20-minute nap after drinking a cup of coffee (or any other caffeinated beverage/supplement.) Now it is proved to be better at restoring your alertness and re-energising you as compared to the traditional 30-minute nap, or a cup of coffee.

 

It may sound unconventional and even counter intuitive, that something like caffeine which is supposed to earn us a few sleep-less hours, when taken before a 20 minute nap, works better. But it’s actually just simple logic once you understand the science that lies behind it.

 

Sleep 101

Before getting into how caffeine-naps work, you should first have an idea of how our sleep-system works.

 

Well, all the blame of you feeling sleepy goes to a neurotransmitter called “adenosine”. Adenosine is the cause of you feeling drowsy and tired. It is created by our body when we are awake, as a by-product of using our internal energy stores. In other words you use energy, get tired and your body builds up adenosine as a consequence of those.

 

Adenosine then sneaks into your brain and sticks to the adenosine receptors (think of these receptors as some kind of ‘sleep-switches’ which are activated when adenosine sticks to them.) The more adenosine is released, the more receptors get occupied and the more sleepy you get.

 

But when you sleep, the adenosine starts fading away, (de-activating the switches) naturally. The more their levels fall in your brain, the likely you are to wake up naturally.

 

How caffeine works

Caffeine (the main component in coffee and tea) looks a lot like adenosine, and binds(sticks) to the adenosine receptors too. In other words, caffeine blocks the way of adenosine to get to the adenosine receptors (think of like caffeine protecting the sleep switches from adenosine.) And if adenosine is not able to bind to adenosine receptors, then there is no way for your brain to know whether you need sleep or not at the moment.

So, if the sleep-switches aren’t activated, your wouldn’t feel sleepy, simple right?

There are many varieties of coffee and teas and some come in powder form and capsules such as The World of Green Maeng Da Kratom

 

How coffee naps work

Coffee does not just start working right off the bat, in fact it takes it about 20 minutes to get through your small intestines to your blood steam and finally to your brain.

If you take naps casually, you might have noticed that naps longer than 30 minutes are harder to wake up from, and leave you drained and feeling drowsy. That’s because after 30 minutes of sleep most people start going into deep stages of sleep, and the so called “sleep-inertia” builds up.

When you drink a cup of coffee prior to taking a 20 minute nap, you are exploiting the brain’s sleep-system to enhance the effects of your coffee. This works because while you nap your brain clears up some of the adenosine, and right before diving into deep-sleep stages, (which are harder to wake up from) you wake up. Leaving former-filled adenosine receptors to get binded by caffeine. This enhances the effect of caffeine in coffee as compared to independent consumption of coffee.

 

What experiments show

A study done by researchers at Loughborough university in the U.K, found out that sleepy participants who were made to take a 15 minute coffee-nap, made fewer errors in a driving simulator, compared to the ones who took a regular nap, coffee, or a placebo.

In another 1994 study, 24 men were kept awake for 24 hours with only four hours of prior sleep, and two short naps in between. Twelve men who were given caffeine before their naps scored roughly the same as their baseline score. While the other twelve who only took naps, scored below their baseline score. Interestingly the group which caffeine napped, was able to maintain performance at very close to baseline levels throughout the 24 hour period.

That’s not all, there is even more evidence which shows that coffee naps are better than normal naps. To test one’s memory skills, a Japanese study was conducted. In the study the participants who took a caffeine nap scored higher than those who either took a nap only, or were exposed to light for a minute after a nap, or were made to wash their faces after a nap, or no nap.

Note: The amount of caffeine consumed by the participants in the above mentioned studies, ranges from 150 mg to 200mg.

 

How to take a coffee nap

Step 1 : Get caffeinated

Taking a coffee nap is pretty simple. First you have to get yourself a cup of coffee, or some other caffeinated beverage, or you can take caffeine pills too.

Now as to the question that how much caffeine you need, well, the amount of caffeine used in the studies was about 200 mg, but you can experiment with different amounts of caffeine to see what works best for you.

Make sure you drink your coffee quickly. Because you would want to be sleeping in those precious few minutes, before the caffeine kicks in.

 

Step 2: Set Alarm

Now it is really important that you wake up after about 15–20 minutes (before the caffeine kicks in, or you go to deep-sleep stages) thus you should set an alarm or request someone to wake you up after 20 minutes.

 

Step 3: Nap

First find some sweet comfortable spot, with less noise, so you can fall asleep easily. But even if you can not fall asleep, going into that tranquil half-asleep stage works just fine.

References and Further reads:

https://www.vox.com/2014/8/28/6074177/coffee-naps-caffeine-science

 

http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/benefits-of-sleep/why-do-we-sleep

 

https://blog.bulletproof.com/coffee-naps-bulletproof-power-nap/

 

https://www.howsleepworks.com/how_homeostasis.html

Employees Reveal The Dirtiest Secrets About Their Industry And It’ll Leave You Shook

Working for a big corporation or organization can be a great gig, but it can open your eyes to a lot of atrocities that go down behind closed doors. Most companies like to present a clean, eco-friendly, pristine image to the world and its customers but, in reality, they couldn’t give two sh*ts about what actually happens. And, if you knew the truth, it would probably change the way you feel about a lot of industry big shots. Recently, users on Reddit who work for big industry names have been sharing the dirty secrets no one wants you to know—so prepare to be shook.

1.

Starbucks corporate makes us have those recycling bins in the lobby to present this green image, but most of the time all of the garbage ends up going to the dump anyway because the facility doesn’t have recycling.

princesscupcakes69

2.

Businesses offer rebates rather than cash discounts because they know the odds of you going to the trouble of mailing in a rebate coupon are minimal. Then they don’t pay the first time, because they know the odds of you complaining about it are infinitesimal. But they usually will pay off if you complain.

RonSwansonsOldMan

3.

I work with kids at a daycare and we see babies take their first steps sometimes but we never tell the parents because we don’t want them to feel bad about missing it.

theraccoonrobot

4.

Never use glasses provided in hotel rooms, especially the bathrooms. I’ve seen those get ‘cleaned’ with the same rag that cleans the toilet and sink.

m7anders

5.

When renting a storage unit you do not need to get the insurance they offer. Even if they say it’s “mandatory”, it’s illegal to force you to get insurance. Also the rent will increase yearly, forever.

LoweredBap

6.

I used to work at a large national chain of bridal stores and the wedding dresses you’re trying on are never washed. We would try to spot clean if a bride got makeup or a build-up of deodorant inside, but they smelled like BO and dirt.

kelliee408395f38

7.

I worked for a very large lingerie company. When we would get returned underwear, you’d think they’d just get damaged out because nobody knows if they were really worn, but they don’t. We put them right back out on the floor.

nataliea412d34a21

8.

Funeral homes are businesses, and funeral directors will absolutely take advantage of grieving people.

The most offensive to me are the cremation boxes. They’re literally just big cardboard boxes, and should cost less than a hundred dollars. But they also make really expensive boxes, and directors will say things like “grandma would be more comfortable in this”. No, she won’t, because she’s dead. Some of these boxes reach 1000 dollars, and of course are all just burned.

Loktharion

9.

I don’t know that this is a secret but flight attendants and pilots don’t get paid while boarding, deplaning, and delays. So when you’re delayed and angry, so are we. We’re not making money and still have to be there.

boozeandarrows

10.

The food on a supermarket deli counter is often stuff that’s gone or about to go past its best before date.

chrysowen84

11.

Professional hair color at a salon costs the salon around $6 a tube. That $40 product actually costs $10 to anyone who had a license. Salons are huge cash cows because the products are actually so cheap.

breelightyear

12.

At a hospital the straight cash price discount for many outpatient tests (MRI, CT, X-Ray, Ultrasound, Labs, etc.) can often be cheaper than using insurance and dealing with deductibles, co-pays, co-insurance, and on and on.

I’ve seen test billed for thousands of dollars to insurance cost a cash paying patient less than $400.

It’s insane.

UniqueUsername1138

13.

Credit companies will raise your interest rate for no reason and wait for you to call and complain to get it lowered. Check your statements and review ALL notices that come with your bill.

fishead62

14.

Almost every register nurse has what is called a blacklist of doctors she or he would not want even remotely near them should they need emergency services.

People need to take better care and precaution of who they choose to accept as their doctor.

heftyhotsauce

15.

The comforters in hotel rooms almost never get washed. They are nasty.

Ice_Burn

16.

I worked at a sports bar and we would regularly find chicken heads or other weird parts of the chicken with the wings. Chicken wings are forever ruined for me because of the things I’ve found while working there.

cecekalagis

17.

In an auto shop, what your mechanic tells you may not be in your best interest, but instead what is most convenient, and what is the least amount of work to do.

TheAbominableBanana

18.

Hospitals are not clean

The only really clean place in a hospital is the operating room, other than that the place is crawling with germs and whatever else has mutated on the floors and walls.

NinjaMcAwes0me

19.

The clothes you find at an outlet (more often than not) are not “cast-offs” or overages from the regular store. There’s a whole separate entity that designs and produces clothes at a lesser quality for outlet prices.

CheeseWarden

20.

Terrible and illegal things go on in every strip club. Owners only hire people for upper management who they have trusted for years because they all know this.

ImportantArtist69

21.

Most ‘subscription services’ will raise their prices over time because they expect you to just suck it up. Call up and politely complain about the price. Either you are speaking to someone who can reduce the price or they can put you through to a person authorized to reduce the price.

Ralcolm_Meynolds

22.

Your mortgage has been transferred so many times that the odds are that your payment records are incomplete.

aworldwithoutshrimp

h/t: Reddit, BuzzFeed.

10 Things That Will Make Every Iced Coffee Addict Say ‘Preach, Sis’

Coffee Addict ?

How much iced coffee do you drink a day? Is it almost too much to keep track of? Are you known for your caffeine addiction? Would you date it if you could? Do you have a coffee problem? That’s okay, you’re in good company. Addicts read on.

1. You always have some with you.

2. It doesn’t matter if it’s negative fifty degrees, you have some.

3. You really can’t make it through the day without it.

4. It doesn’t matter what place you’re at, you’re definitely ordering coffee. Starbucks? Dunkin Donuts? Greasy diner?  Your grandma’s?

5. Your barista knows your order without you saying anything because you get the same iced coffee every day.

6. You sometimes order two and drink them both.

7. You spend more money on coffee than on rent.

8. Your car is filled with the detritus of coffee—empty cups, straw wrappers, coffee-stained napkins…

9. You get happy just thinking about coffee.

10. You’re on your way to get some right after you read this.

4 Reasons Why You Need Coffee in the Morning

Coffee is a breakfast staple that has been enjoyed for centuries. Though it has gotten a bad rep in the past, recent research largely points towards its health benefits. Studies show that starting your day with a fresh cup of coffee or espresso, and daily moderate consumption, may result in better mental and physical health. What used to be a guilty pleasure can now reasonably be called healthy.

Since we know so much more now about coffee’s positive effects on the human body, it’s actually gaining official support. The USDA’s 2015 dietary guidelines recommends 3 to 5 cups of coffee a day to prevent disease and promote better health.

Coffee is so beneficial to your health, there is a lot that can be said in its favor. Some research is in the early stages, but some benefits are already very well-attested. To break it down quick and dirty, here are the four reasons why you need coffee in the morning:

Coffee fights depression and anxiety

According to a Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) study, moderate or greater coffee intake is associated with a 50% reduction in suicide among both men and women. Another study, also by HSPH, concluded that women were 20% less likely to suffer depression if they drank four or more cups of coffee daily. As far as anxiety goes, stress related to lack of sleep can be dramatically decreased by just smelling coffee, according to a 2008 study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.

While the logical assumption has been that the caffeine in coffee essentially perks you up, newer studies show that it’s a combination of coffee’s powerful antioxidants and the way it can activate the body’s neurotransmitters that is the reason behind coffee’s effectively antidepressant attributes.

Coffee boosts athletic ability

While it’s a no-brainer that caffeine can boost your energy levels and give you that extra kick you need to follow through with your workout regimen, it’s a little more technical than that. Studies show that it’s more specifically caffeine’s ability to boost the amount of fatty acids in the blood stream that is responsible for the better athleticism exhibited by coffee drinks. This higher level of available fatty acids provides your body with greater access to fuel it needs. Fat contains 9 calories per gram, as opposed to carbs and protein which only contain 4 per gram, which is why fat is such an excellent source of energy. If you’re into sports or fitness and love to save money, getting one of these machines might be a decent idea.

Coffee reduces your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes

According to a study by the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, drinking four cups of coffee every day can reduce your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 50%. And for heavy coffee consumers, that number may be even larger, because each additional cup of coffee ups that number by 7%. Even decaf coffee has been shown to cause a reduction in diabetes Type 2 risk.

It’s important to note that overly saturating your coffee with sugar and other sweeteners can mitigate these effects. However, if you make your own coffee, and control how much sugar goes in, you can monitor your intake to ensure you get these diabetes-busting benefits.

Coffee’s tendency to reduce likelihood for Type 2 diabetes is a huge deal, because Type 2 diabetes is very common in America. Moreover, it can cause other very serious health problems like heart disease, kidney disease and Alzheimer’s.

Coffee protects crucial internal organs

The final reason to start your day with coffee is also a health-related biggie.

According to a study in the journal Hepatology, drinking two or more cups of coffee a day can reduce the risk of death from cirrhosis by 66%. Moreover, other studies have shown that coffee can also reduce the risk of getting Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFL), as well as halt the diseases progression before it turns into cirrhosis or liver failure.

Coffee is also great for your heart. A South Korean study found that moderate coffee consumption is linked with lower risk of heart disease, while a Dutch study found that that risk was reduced by as much as 20%.

Conclusion

A lot of coffee’s powerful health benefits are purported to be due to its high level of quality antioxidants. Over 1,000 antioxidants have been identified in coffee beans; antioxidants fight inflammation. Inflammation is now being investigated as a cause for cancer, heart disease, autoimmune disease flares and more. Coffee’s pain-relieving anti-inflammatory benefits are perhaps the biggest reason why you need coffee in the morning, because reducing inflammation has whole-body health benefits.

 

Exit mobile version