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In today’s tough economic times we face the daily barrage of the struggling economy, which subconsciously contributes to a negative effect on our psyche. We need to be aware of our health, in mind, body and spirit. One of the ways we can take care of this is to take the time to indulge in one of life’s simple pleasure of sipping a cup of freshly brewed coffee or tea. So if you enjoy your morning or afternoon ritual, then by all means indulge. Just keep it traditional, pure, simple, and pleasurable.

Have you ever gone without your morning cup, how do you feel, when you finally press your lips to the cup and take that longed-for sip…doesn’t it feel wonderful !

Go ahead: That cup of joe won’t hurt you, the latest research says. It might even help you.

Coffee drinkers, rejoice! The heavenly brew, once deemed harmful to health, is turning out to be, if not quite a health food, at least a low-risk drink, and in many ways a beneficial one. It could protect against diabetes, liver cancer, cirrhosis and Parkinson’s disease.

What happened? Lots of new research, and the recognition that older, negative studies often failed to tease apart the effects of coffee and those of smoking because so many coffee drinkers were also smokers.

“Coffee was seen as very unhealthy,” said Rob van Dam, a coffee researcher and epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health. “Now we have a more balanced view. We’re not telling people to drink it for health. But it is a good beverage choice.”

As you digest the news on coffee, keep in mind that coffee and caffeine are not the same thing. In fact, “they are vastly different,” said coffee researcher Terry Graham, chairman of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. One can be good for you; the other, less so.

“Coffee is a complex beverage with hundreds, if not thousands, of bioactive ingredients,” he said. “A cup of coffee is 2% caffeine, 98% other stuff.”

HEALTH BENEFITS OF TEA cont’d

Given the significant benefit green tea can provide, even to those who are not especially health conscious, just imagine its health-protective potential as part of your healthy way of eating!

If you simply cannot start your day without a cup of coffee, try enjoying a cup of green tea at your mid-morning break, with lunch or as an afternoon pick-me-up. You’ll quickly discover green tea’s irresistible combination of invigorating and calming qualities, plus its delicious flavor, make it one of your favorite healthy habits.

Protects against Coronary Artery Disease
In Japanese studies, green tea consumption has been found to be an independent predictor for risk of coronary artery disease. In one study, those drinking 5 or more cups of green tea each day were found to be 16% less likely to suffer from coronary artery disease. The relationship was so significant researchers concluded, “The more green tea patients consume the less likely they are to have coronary artery disease.”

An elevation in the amount of free radicals in the arteries is a key event in many forms of cardiovascular disease. The latest research shows that green tea catechins inhibit the enzymes involved in the production of free radicals in the endothelial lining of the arteries. The arterial endothelium is a one-cell thick lining that serves as the interface between the bloodstream and the wall of the artery where plaques can form. By protecting the endothelium from free radical damage, green tea catechins help prevent the development of cardiovascular disease.

For more health related articles like these visit  http://www.whfoods.com

Arabian Coffee is the quintessential coffee of the world. Arabia lends its name to the highest quality coffee plant in the world, Coffea Arabica. This coffee accounts for approximately 80% of all coffee produced in the world. It prefers higher elevations and drier climates than its cousin C. Robusta.

The tropics of South America provide ideal conditions for growing Arabian Coffee which grows best between 3,000 and 6,500 feet but has been grown as high as 9,000 feet. Generally, the higher the plant is grown the slower it matures. This gives it time to develop the internal elements and oils that give coffee its aromatic flavor.

Coffee was originally discovered in Ethiopia, just across the Red Sea from Arabia. It soon made its way to Yemen where it was embraced by the Islamic people. Soon it became a beverage endorsed by the Islamic clerics as drinking alcohol was prohibited in their religion. This particular blend soon came to be known as an Islamic beverage.

Coffee from Arabia was exported to Europe where the people embraced it. However, the Catholic Cardinals shunned it as the ‘Devil’s drink’ and tried to have it banned.

But then Pope Clement VIII decided that it would be imprudent to ban the beverage without having tasted it, so he summoned a sample. As legend has it, the Pope was immediately enamored by the distinct, pungent aroma and taste. He decided that to banish the delightful drink would be a greater sin. So he baptized it on the spot claiming that it would be a shame to let the impious ones have this delightful drink all to themselves.

According to legend, human cultivation of coffee began after goats in Ethiopia were seen mounting each other after eating the leaves and fruits of the coffee tree. In reality, human consumption of coffee fruits probably began long before humans took up pastoralism. In Ethiopia there are still some locales where people drink a tisane made from the leaves of the coffee tree.

The first written record of coffee made from roasted coffee beans comes from Arabian scholars who wrote that it was useful in prolonging their working hours. The Arab innovation of making a brew from roasted beans, spread first among the Egyptians and Turks and later on found its way around the world.

Many of us love a steaming cup of freshly brewed, flavorful coffee in the morning to get us going (& throughout a busy day for a little “pick-me-up.”) But what happens when your coffee turns your stomach into a fiery, churning cement mixer? Part of the problem may be your body’s own acid/alkaline balance but certain coffees are known to be more acidic than others. It has been shown that coffee grown at higher elevations in volcanic soil has a higher acid content than its lower elevation kin.
First off, let’s not confuse the bitterness of poor quality coffee that is improperly brewed and left on the burner too long. There’s nothing like over-heated, low-grade java to turn your stomach into a gurgling volcano—not to mention what it does further on downstream! Good quality Arabica beans make a big difference in the outcome. The majority of supermarket ground coffee is made from a lower grade Robusta beans which are cheaper to produce.

Coffee experts use the terms “acidity” & “body” to describe the highly valued attributes of different kinds of coffee. Acidity can be described by such terms as bright, sharp, dry or vibrant and is not usually related to the undesirable bitter or sour taste achieved with poor quality beans & improper brewing techniques. Body is described as the weight of coffee: light, medium or dark, & sometimes rich or heavy. The type of bean, where it was grown & how it was roasted determine coffee body & is related to the fat content of the bean. (A light roast has a lower fat content, whereas a full-bodied coffee has more fat.)

Proper brewing of your gourmet coffee beans is the key to a delicious, non-acidic cup of coffee. Using a French Press-type coffee maker is the best way to control brewing time & temperature—the 2 key factors that affect the final outcome. Put measured amount of coarse-ground coffee (2 Tea spoons per 6 oz. of filtered or spring water—adjust according to strength desired) into bottom of press. Add water 195-205 degrees, stir & steep for 4 ½ -5 minutes. Press the plunger down to separate the grounds from the extracted coffee. Enjoy! If you are using a large press (up to 12 cups) & don’t plan to drink it all at once, store your freshly brewed coffee in a thermal carafe. Or use an insulated version of a coffee press.

Pour yourself a cup, sit back and enjoy.

Someone sent this to me in an email some years back, I’m glad I kept so that I can now share it with you.

“Carrot, Egg, and Coffee”
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen, filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She took the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ”Tell me what you see.’ ‘Carrots, eggs, and coffee,’ she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
‘Which are you?’ she asked her daughter. ‘When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Are you the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do you wilt and become soft and lose your strength?

Are you the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did you have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have you become hardened and stiff? Does your shell look the same, but on the inside are you bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or are you like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavour. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

May we all be COFFEE!

Brewing the Perfect Shot

Contributor

By Lindsay Champion

Espresso is like regular coffee in that it is brewed from coffee beans, but making the perfect shot of espresso requires much more than a regular coffee maker. Espresso is brewed by forcing a small amount of hot water under high pressure through a finely ground selection of espresso beans.

When brewing or “pulling” a shot of espresso, the steady stream of brewed espresso should come out evenly, hot and without any grounds. If you brew a shot of espresso correctly, light and creamy froth should float just on the top. Espresso is used in many coffee drinks including Americano, macchiato, latte and cappuccino.

In cities, suburbs and rural areas across the country, many people share one thing in common before beginning a busy work day – they indulge in an invigorating cup of coffee. Pre-ground coffee is fine for novices, but most coffee aficionados prefer to get in on the process themselves. Grinders transform whole roasted coffee beans into that magical, aromatic powder that wakes you up in a jiffy.

Coffee grinders can be grouped into two distinct categories: blade grinders and burr grinders. As one might imagine, the blade variety basically chops beans until they acquire a desired fineness. When grinding a lot of coffee at once, be sure to give the blades a rest; they can overheat and lend the final product a burned taste. Burr grinders work by crushing beans with a moving wheel. The grinds produced by the burr method tend to be more consistent.

There are a variety of ways to enjoy the cappuccino flavour, including a cold or frozen cappuccino, a cappuccino cookie, a cappuccino cake, or even a cappuccino wafer. But the world of cappuccino extends beyond the food and beverage products to include ceramic and paper cappuccino cups, and state of the art cappuccino  machines for industrial or home use.

Many people prefer the traditional cappuccino — espresso capped with rich snow-white froth with a dusting of their selected favorite. It was amazing to discover the many flavor variations made on this beverage. For example, Cappuccinos in mocha, French vanilla, decaffeinated and classic flavors. The espresso machine manufacturers have been known to flavor their cappuccino drinks with specialty syrups. Most manufacturers of powdered and ready-to-serve mixes agree that cappuccino is one of the most popular specialty drinks, which is one reason why most continue to add cappuccino mixes to their product lines.

The cappuccino has become a staple of the mainstream coffee world, in my opinion more so than the other specialty drinks. In short we have instant mix cappuccinos in a slew of flavors, canned cappuccinos (that can be enjoyed hot or cold), cappuccinos that are sweetened/unsweetened, lactose free, caffeinated/decaffeinated, cappuccino cookies, wafers, frozen cappuccinos, wall-size and counter top cappuccino makers (vending machines), paper, plastic, ceramic cappuccino cups, etc. etc. — cappuccino everything! Lets not forget cappuccino ice-cream, umm.