Let’s face it. For most of us, coffee is the reason we get out of bed. And nothing else can beat those morning blues and kick start your day like a hot cup of coffee! Most of us do not want to lift a finger or even speak a word until the first cup of coffee has gone right in and given us that jolt of energy needed to take us through the day. Having coffee is also a great time to spend some moments in silence, thinking deep thoughts, clearing the head of all unnecessary noise. This is why we tend to drink coffee slowly, in order to get time to gather our thoughts and take stock of the world around us. Everyone would agree that having a coffee in hand does make the mind sharper, and thoughts flow freely.
So what’s the magic in that cup of coffee? What makes it such a popular drink that transforms our grumpy, lazy selves in the morning into smiling, confident go-getters? Everyone must have heard of caffeine – the component most popularly found in tea and coffee. Caffeine is a stimulant, which when consumed enters the bloodstream and induces chemical changes in the brain causing neurons to fire rapidly, making us feel aroused and alert.
1. Source of antioxidants: These are powerful substances essential for our good health, and coffee is brimming with them. They keep us young and free from disease – what more could one ask for?
2. Helps prevent Type-2 diabetes: Studies suggest that for coffee drinkers the risk of this type of diabetes is much less. Want to grab that cup of coffee right now?
3. Helps fight depression: This is a known fact. Coffee soothes the nerves and boosts our cognitive functions.
4. Helps you burn fat: Want to trim down your belly without hitting the gym? Drink your coffee! It boosts your metabolism and helps you shed fat.
5. Lowers risk of heart disease and stroke
6. Lowers risk of some types of cancer
7. Helps you live longer: Studies have shown that moderate coffee drinkers actually live longer!
So what are you waiting for? Take a break and grab another cup of coffee!!!
Most days we drink our coffee hot, but do you know that ICED COFFEE gives you the same KICK that hot coffee gives? And the best part is, you can make this at your home without buying any extra equipment.
Ready to switch to ICED COFFEE?
The very memory of iced coffee gives one refreshing memory of the bitter-sweet chilling elixir that flows right through ice cubes into our lips. Most would think iced coffee means pouring hot coffee over ice in a glass. However this will not give the refreshing coolness and taste of real iced coffee, because the ice would melt somewhat, making the coffee less cold and diluted. Here is an easy way to make ICED coffee at your home, which will taste as exotic as the one bought in cafés.
• Take coffee granules in a container, and steep it in warm water for 8 hours. Yes, that is quite a long time, but is essential if you want great tasting coffee!
• Take sugar and water in equal amounts and heat till the sugar dissolves completely. Refrigerate this sugar syrup.!
• Filter the steeped coffee through a strainer lined with a few layers of cheesecloth. You can stir the liquid to fasten the filtering process. Refrigerate this decoction for best results.
• Fill a glass with ice cubes, and add the decoction, sugar syrup and your favorite milk/creamer. Stir it all up, and see the magic for yourself! Enjoy your own home-made ICED COFFEE!
Since making the decoction involves time, you can prepare enough quantity to last a week and refrigerate it. Surprise your friends when they come over with Chilling Iced Coffee for a change!!
If you were to hear that the kind of coffee you order in your favorite restaurant has a lot to do with your personality, would you believe it? Studies suggest there is a definite link between the two. Read below to find out the type of person you are:
BLACK COFFEE drinker: You are a typical old-school person, with minimal desires. You are straight-forward, and like your life to be orderly and simple, just like your simple black coffee. You can be quite rigid in your ways, but your tendency to look at everything in its simplicity will make you an efficient individual.
LATTE drinker: You are laid-back, and like to remain comfortable at all times. You might not be able to make quick, timely decisions, but you don’t unnecessarily stress yourself either. You go with the flow of life.
ESPRESSO drinker: You are a born leader, and need that morning ESPRESSO to get ahead of the pack. You work real hard, and can be seen multitasking and always on the go.
CAPPUCCINO drinker: You are a person of creativity and style. You are ridiculously optimistic and consider the coffee shop as your second home. Maybe you can be found penning deep thoughts or making shapes out of the paper napkins at the café.
FRAPPUCCINO drinker: You are a very happy person to put it simply! You need less caffeine to get around, and spread your positivity to those around you.
ICED COFFEE drinker: You are a no-nonsense individual and speak your mind. You are not deeply affected by others or events, and stay calm and focused.
So which COFFEE type are you???
How many times have we been in situations where it is impractical to sleep though our brain is already shutting and our eyes feel like iron weights threatening to close any time? Be it a late-night drive or the grogginess from not sleeping the previous night, the only practical situation sometimes is to grab that extra strong cup of coffee and get on with work. So which is better – sleep or coffee?
Scientists will of course agree that there is nothing better than sleep in providing the brain with much needed rest in a span of 6-8 hours. But what if we don’t have these hours to spare? Besides, sleep does make you groggy for a while after you wake up, adding to the total unproductive hours. Napping for 20 minutes (a power nap) would be more effective, and it gives all the health benefits of real sleep minus the grogginess.
If you can’t take a nap (e.g. you are driving or you are late to work), then coffee is a decent substitute. Studies suggest coffee gives more alertness than sleep would. It would certainly take you through a few more hours of driving or let you attend that boring meeting with your boss without letting your eyes close on him/her, but the only down-side is the crash afterwards!
A novel way of napping is napping with COFFEE! The idea is to have your cup of coffee, and then nap for 15 minutes while the coffee works its way into the bloodstream. You wake up as the coffee kicks in, and you feel as refreshed as after a good night’s sleep!!! So, ready for a coffee nap?
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Coffee is the second most popular drink after water in the world. While the antioxidants and flavonoids in a cup of coffee are known for their numerous health benefits and keep the body younger-looking and free from disease, the same ingredients also work wonders when used as face pack or rubbed into your hair. Let us look at some of the ways coffee at home can be put to good use as beauty treatment.
1. To remove eye puffiness: It is not exactly amusing to wake up one morning with horrid eye bags and dark circles, as though someone’s punched you in the eyes. Mix coffee grounds in little water/coconut oil and apply under the eyes, carefully avoiding contact with eyes. Keep it there for 10 minutes and wash off. Viola! Eye puffiness gone!!
2. As a face pack, coffee helps to eliminate toxins with its anti-oxidant properties. It is easy to prepare – Mix ground coffee and an equal quantity of cocoa with a little honey - and your coffee pack is ready! Get a glowing face in a matter of minutes!
3. As body scrub: Coffee helps to exfoliate dry, dead skin to reveal fresh young-looking skin underneath. To make the scrub, add 3 parts of coffee grounds to one part coconut/olive oil and one part sugar. Massage in gentle, circular motion, then rinse and dry.
4. Hair treatment: Coffee nourishes the scalp and gives hair a shine. Make some strong coffee and dilute it with water. Then apply it to hair and let it sit for some time. Wash off thoroughly.
So next time your face looks dull with bags under the eyes or your hair looks as though run over by a truck, reach out for that packet of COFFEE!!
