Coffee

How can something so contrary to our own behaviors become such a deliciously necessary daily ritual?

We don’t like darkness, we shy away from things that can burn us, and most of us have no place in our lives for bitterness, yet coffee is all three of these things, and we just can not seem to get enough of the stuff.  The aroma, the sight of swirling cream into the darkness, the way it warms your hands in the morning… all some of the most wonderful things we experience throughout our days.  And to think it is just a seed from a purple or red fruit that gets picked from a bush, roasted, ground, and mixed with hot water is even more amazing.

That seed has been a multi-billion dollar industry for the past twenty-five years, and it shows no signs of slowing down, but that is to your benefit.  You see, the best part of all this is that recent research indicates coffee is actually good for you, too.

You love coffee and it’s good for you, so how about some tips on how and when to enjoy it?

Tip #1: Get up and go with gusto

Yes, you are probably well aware of that morning cup of joe that gets your day started on the right foot.  It is a great mood lifter, and the caffeine it contains kickstarts your heart and mind, getting them in gear for the day ahead.  (This first tip is really a no-brainer, and is only here to show you this list is on the same page as you.)

Tip #2: Get ahead at the office

With very few exceptions, offices are the same everywhere: white walls, fluorescent lights, and windows you don’t sit near.  They are stuffy, never at the right temperature, and full of distractions that cause you to constantly run behind schedule.  You arrive with the best of intents, but as soon as the adrenaline from the early rush wears off, you begin to slip into the drone of office rigmarole, drifting away mentally and physically.  Your posture and attitude suffer, and your production drops rapidly.

And it’s only 10 AM.

Enter coffee.  Just a quick mid-morning cup will suffice in allowing your body to commit at least some of its energy back to your brain to help you focus.  It will help you leave your coworkers in the dust, and there is no reason to settle for the motor oil your office serves in those big metal bins.  Take your own!  Invest a small amount of money into a single serving French press coffee maker, spoon in your grounds, fill it with hot water from said metal bin, and let it steep.  After a few minutes, press the screen down slowly, and you will have your favorite coffee piping hot and ready to go.  It really is that simple.

Tip #3: Big meal?  Big deal!

So you caved at dinner: you ordered the pasta with cream sauce, and got dessert when you were already beyond stuffed.  What to do?

Easy: drink a cup of coffee.  Yes, coffee is a stimulant and caffeine will give you a boost when you are tired, but it is also a digestive aid.  But drinking a cup after a heavy meal stimulates wavelike movements throughout the digestive tract, keeping that dinner from sticking around too long in your gut.

And you only need a little bit of caffeine for this to take effect.  No need to go full bore, super strong like your morning coffee.  Just dilute it a bit: one tablespoon for every two or three cups should do the trick.

Just like anything else, coffee is for you to use as you see fit.  It is also great before exercise and pairs well with just about any sweet, so get creative and match it to your lifestyle.

Try Panache Coffee.