Coffee - A Good Drug

Today while having a conversation with a six year old (we were having a picnic) she poured me a pretend beverage and I asked her what it was.

 

She said, "I don't know. What do you think?"

And I said, "Is it coffee? Mmmmm."

And she said, "No, coffee is drugs."

 

This is pretty much like saying Your Deity is dead to a religious person, or Baseball sucks to Joe Long.

I wanted to throw the table over / offer a free science lecture / call Children's Aid. But what I did say was, "I think coffee is good."

So apparently some drugs are good. (Lesson of the day.)

As a coffee enthusiast and nutrition promoter (in that order), I spend a fair bit of time finding medical benefits to being a java-head. I have summarized them for you below. Cheers.

• When caffeine blocks adenosine in your brain it increases the release of other neurotrasmitters that control your cognitive function. This makes you smarter and increases your memory. It also makes you happier (dopamine).
• Coffee is nutritious. It is a great source of antioxidants which fight free radicals in your body, keeping you in tip top shape. One cup has decent amounts of B vitamins, potassium and manganese. Coffee reduces your reaction time. No more broken glass.
• Mood is always increased after coffee ingestion. Not just because it's so great to have a nice chat with a friend over a steaming mug.
• Coffee drinkers has less cases of heart rhythm issues, and stroke. 
• Caffeine burns excess fat because it stimulates the nervous system to raise metabolic rate. Studies calculated that your body burns 11-12% more while on coffee.
• Up to 12oz per day is safe during pregnancy as shown by studies that proved no effect of consumption under 200mg of caffeine.
• Coffee improves physical performance. It is the go to work out drink of the educated.
• Coffee reduces your risk of Diabetes. (Between 23-67% to be not exact.) In fact, in studies the more cups of coffee the participants drank, the more their risk decreased.
• Coffee may reduce your risk of Alzheimer's (60%) and Parkinson's (32-60%).
• Coffee can protect your liver by lowering your chances of cirrhosis (liver damage) by 80%. Your risk of liver cancer also goes down by 40%. They say 4 cups a day is best for this benefit.

Bottom line, in a large study it was found that people who drink coffee were at a lower risk of death by any cause than those who don't drink it. So stay alive, brew some up!

Healthy Snack Ideas - With Real Photos

Thanks to my husband's generous gift of an iPhone 5, I have been snapping nonstop photos of my meals and snacks over the past month.

Sometimes it's hard to conjure up a healthy snack which Ritz crackers, caramel popcorn and ginger ale are at our finger tips and require no imagination. But if our only obstacle is igniting your creativity then I am up to the challenge!

Use some of these suggestions, along with a few photos of things I've eaten recently (or served to Oliver). They range in prep time, cost, flavour preference, and even health-factor, but I love them all.

• A mini whole-grain wrap or pita stuffed with egg salad, chicken salad, tuna salad or fresh veggies
• Pita wedges, baked, dipped in hummus
• A hard-boiled egg and cherry tomatoes
• A mug of vegetable soup 
• An olive, aged cheddar and fig plate
• Pumpernickle toast with natural peanut butter and dried fruit
• Leftover quinoa/rice/other grain with chopped cucumber and vinaigrette added
• A bowl of oatmeal with maple syrup and walnuts
• A mini pizza on a whole-grain english muffin (toppings: mushrooms, green pepper, pineapple)
• Puffed cereal, edamame and cheddar cheese chunks

 

•  Carrot sticks, kiwi, pickles, trail mix with a peanut-butter and pistachio coated date

• Homemade yogurt with fresh fruit, sunflower seeds and pepitas

 

• Guacamole!

• Banana, toasted cashews and mini-muffins

• Lemon poppyseed loaf, mixed fruit

• A slice of flourless dark chocolate cake bathed in mixed berries